In a recent television interview, Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Sears said, “School Choice is the new Brown vs the Board of Education. Parents should decide where their children go to school, not the government.” Not just talk, however, Sears will put her legislative efforts into play by introducing a bill where taxpayer money follows the child, allowing parents in Virginia to make the critical choice of where their child is educated.
Decades of recurring issues, and the most recent student test scores released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reinforce the need for choice in education. These test scores reflect the largest decline ever. For the system of education, and the school boards that support it, addressing failure often comes down to pouring more taxpayer funds into the current system.
Tommy Schultz, the CEO for the American Federation for Children disagrees saying, “Countless children are being left behind. It’s past time to fund students, not the systems that keep failing them.”
Let me be clear: I have tremendous respect for teachers. I worked with some of the best. The decades of failure aren’t theirs to shoulder. Instead, the blame is placed squarely on failed policies, often legislated outside of the classroom and then forced on teachers and schools to implement.
Where is school choice working?
In Florida, one of the nation’s leaders in school choice, both children and teachers have benefited from school choice legislation. Education scholarship programs have even allowed former public-school teachers to leave the system and start their own schools, with a focus on enrolling economically disadvantaged students. After spending years frustrated by failure, these teachers were inspired to create a better learning environment for children and a better working environment for teachers. School choice legislation made that possible.
Arizona law created opportunities for parents to take advantage of school choice and apply for an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA). These accounts are overseen by the Arizona Department of Education and funded by state tax dollars. Parents use public money to fund education opportunities for private schools or other education providers. Students eligible for funding receive 90% of the State aid that would have previously gone to the school district or charter school had the student remained in the local public school system.
ESAs are especially supportive of parents with students who have special needs. For example, a student diagnosed with autism can receive approximately $28,000.00 per year for private school, therapies, and more. Parents choose the services their child needs and the providers best suited to deliver those services.
Tennessee recently introduced a voucher program that has benefited parents and students in both Nashville and Memphis. Many families applied and remain on waiting lists.
These are just a few examples of school choice legislation working for children.
How can parents get involved?
When it comes to parental rights and school choice, no one has more enthusiasm than William Estrada, the President of the Parental Rights Foundation www.parentalrights.org. I had the pleasure of speaking with Will and learning more about what motivates him and his work. He has always been involved in issues that ensure “freedom” and devotes his time to his children, to their learning, and to the freedom of parents to choose the school environment that works best for their own children. His advice to parents and community members sitting on the sidelines? “Never give up on pushing for change for your kids! Get involved, build relationships, and get to know your local school board members.”
Along with being actively involved in school choice issues nationwide, Will and his organization are proposing an amendment to the U. S. Constitution that would forever ensure and protect parental rights. As Will put it, “This is a long journey for which we have taken the first step.”
School Choice in Pennsylvania
Now that mid-terms are behind us, what does the future hold for school choice in Pennsylvania? As my last blog post opined, “Only time will tell.” With Governor-elect Shapiro coming into office next month, there is the potential for new ideas. Will he support parental rights and embrace school choice, or will it be déjà vu all over again?
If school choice is, in fact, the new Brown vs. the Board of Education, there is no time to waste sitting on the sidelines. We need to empower parents, support quality learning environments for all children, respect teachers as professionals, and ensure taxpayers are getting the return on investment they deserve.