Parental Choice or Bust
I believe Americans have finally reached a precipice and, now more than ever before, are convinced that public school choice is the likeliest path toward large scale school reform. Families are now convinced that school leaders (in communities all across the country) lack the will and commitment to raise the academic achievements of students. At last, the hidden agendas, teacher incompetence, lack of purpose, and sheer mismanagement of the public mandate are being exposed publicly and we are all able to see things as they truly are in classrooms and schools. The interests and strongholds of political ideologues and entrenched bureaucracies will no longer be allowed to hold the education of America's children hostage. The insistence by parents that they be allowed to enroll their children in high performing schools will essentially trump the tired responses and defenses of the educational elites. The kind of parental activism that we are witnessing in some cities is precisely the sort of grassroots efforts that can effectively dismantle the status quo. The public school establishment can no longer expect that parents and students will not be concerned about the quality of schools. They must now rise to the occasion and produce results or be removed.
Parents who previously entrusted their children's education to those working in schools have lost confidence in them and are now taking more active and responsible roles in securing a higher quality education for their children. It's encouraging to observe parents as they visit local schools, meet with teachers and administrators, and research competing school options. This seems almost revolutionary when you consider that one of the more challenging aspects of public schooling has been the need to achieve more parental involvement. It almost feels like we backed ourselves into this evolving parental activism, as a result of the microscope being applied to school performance and accountability. Ongoing dialogue and engagement between parents, students, and school personnel are critical to securing the right learning environment for every child. The final cog of the wheel is for states to make sure that their school choice initiatives encourage the innovation, creativity, and flexibility that parents and students seek. State provisions for alternatives such as charter schools, school transfers, and school vouchers are proving to be effective in many regions of the country. As has always been the hope, the success of school choice experiments should force greater change throughout school systems everywhere. We should thank parents for stepping up and taking personal responsibility for their children's education.
Parents who previously entrusted their children's education to those working in schools have lost confidence in them and are now taking more active and responsible roles in securing a higher quality education for their children. It's encouraging to observe parents as they visit local schools, meet with teachers and administrators, and research competing school options. This seems almost revolutionary when you consider that one of the more challenging aspects of public schooling has been the need to achieve more parental involvement. It almost feels like we backed ourselves into this evolving parental activism, as a result of the microscope being applied to school performance and accountability. Ongoing dialogue and engagement between parents, students, and school personnel are critical to securing the right learning environment for every child. The final cog of the wheel is for states to make sure that their school choice initiatives encourage the innovation, creativity, and flexibility that parents and students seek. State provisions for alternatives such as charter schools, school transfers, and school vouchers are proving to be effective in many regions of the country. As has always been the hope, the success of school choice experiments should force greater change throughout school systems everywhere. We should thank parents for stepping up and taking personal responsibility for their children's education.
Posted by Wana Duhart at Wednesday, September 03, 2008 10:33 AM 
Categories: Families and Communities
Categories: Families and Communities
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