School Choice
Today's parents face an abundance of choices when deciding where to educate their children.
Articles within this series
In America, choice abounds. It’s the cornerstone of our nation.
Education is no different. Today’s parents face an abundance of choices when deciding where to educate their children. This array of options can be both a blessing and a curse.
Choosing the best option for your child is complicated and can be intimidating. Unfortunately, just dropping children off at the neighborhood school without a second thought isn’t always the best choice anymore. Since choices do exist, it’s important that we become educated about them.
Where Do I Start?
More choices usually means a more complex decision. But keep in mind that the first step to choosing the right schooling option for your children is to gather information. School districts report on their own schools so that parents can make an informed decision. Go to your district’s website and look for links such as accountability, school reports, school profiles, etc. You can even go to your state education page and find similar information.
One other site that will help you find, from a national perspective, how your state and specific schools rank is the No Child Left Behind* initiative from President Bush. If your child is currently in a failing school, you can find out what your alternatives are.
Another way to find out what is available to you where you live is to do an Internet search under “schools AND [your city].” This will show you private schools, public schools, charter schools and even home-schooling organizations in your area. Quite a few have their own websites to help you get to know them.
Many of these choices have application deadlines that apply. Start your search early enough so you will meet those deadlines. Not all states have choice programs enacted, but those that do have rules for parents to follow.
Even if a school is devoted to serving the needs of a specific population, it must be open to all if space permits. When space does not permit, schools tend to use a lottery system for placement. Find out the rules of each school* you consider before applying.
Being able to choose your child’s school is a gift. Don’t squander it.
Does School Choice Really Matter?
It does. Many of today’s schools are underperforming, and children’s futures are at stake. This is their one shot at a quality education. We need to take careful aim before we take that shot on their behalf.
- Maybe your child is in a public school and you long for enough money to put him in a private school.
- Maybe your child is in a private school, and you wish you could home school, but you’re working full time.
- Maybe you’re home schooling and know your child needs more.
Whatever the need, whatever the reason, you have a choice to make.
There are cautions and considerations for every type of school choice. Count the cost before disrupting your child’s current school situation or choosing his very first school experience.
We all have goals for our children. We all have our own philosophy of education. Our actions are a result of what we believe. What kind of person do you hope and pray your child will grow to become? His schooling choice should nurture that goal and not hinder it.
If your child is currently enrolled in school, you can ask yourself some critical questions to determine whether or not it furthers the goals you have for your child.
Be grateful that choices exist. It may have seemed easier when there weren’t such choices, but it wasn’t always better. Some of our children have greater needs than their neighborhood school can meet.
Choices create competition, which raises the level of excellence. Choice is a good thing. One of the beauties of choice is that nothing is written in stone. You can always choose again if circumstances or the needs of your child change.
*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)