49 million American students still denied school choice - Heidi and Frank Green used to worry about their daughters while they were at school. The Clarksville, Indiana couple was concerned about bullying, cursing, large class sizes, a revolving teaching staff, and a general lack of attention for
students.
Thankfully, the Greens say their lives have changed for the better as daughters Gillian and Emma are now eager to attend
school. Today they are getting quality instruction at their new Catholic
school thanks to a voucher program adopted in Indiana two years ago.
“
School choice should be everywhere,” said Mrs. Green. “Parents should be able to decide what’s best for their kids.
Gillian and Emma are among the 255,000
students nationwide who attend a private
school of their family’s choice using vouchers or tax-credit
scholarships. Another 2.3 million
students utilize public charter
schools as their preferred option.
But there are still almost 49 million public school
students throughout the country who do not have such freedom. They must attend their neighborhood public school regardless of its safety, quality, class sizes, teaching staff, or other issues outside their parents’ control. But such restriction doesn’t have to be the case.
Sunday kicked off the third annual
National School Choice Week, which runs through Saturday. There will be 3,000 events across 50 states including rallies and forums where parents will ask lawmakers for more choices for their kids.
National School Choice Week highlights the private, charter, online and home school
education options available to families and those stuck with a
school assigned to them by their address. Parents can choose public or private
colleges for their children using many federal and state aid programs. They should be able to do the same with K-12
schools.
After major
school choice victories last fall in which Washington voters agreed to allow charter
schools to open in the state and Georgia voters agreed to an easier path to create more charters, a host of other states will consider additional
school choice measures in 2013. Among the highlights:
* Tennessee’s governor will include a
school voucher program in his legislative package.
* The Texas legislature will consider a program in which taxpayers would receive tax credits for donations they make to nonprofits that provide private
school scholarships for low-income
students.
* Mississippi’s governor proposed a private
school choice program for
students in underperforming public
schools.
* North Carolina’s lawmakers will review proposals for opportunity scholarships and quite possibly
education savings accounts, a new type of private
school choice available only in Arizona.
* Alaska lawmakers will vote on a
school voucher plan for all
students statewide regardless of their family income.
* Indiana’s new governor has proposed expanding its voucher program to increase scholarship amounts and student eligibility.
* Maine lawmakers will hear a proposal from their governor to give children
school vouchers.
Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman, the father of the
school choice concept, believed that offering parents
education options other than their neighborhood
school would not only be good for children but would improve
education. Studies show
school choice is helping children in their new
schools and those who don’t participate – something vitally important when so many children don’t get a quality
education.
The Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University found that high
school dropouts are more dependent on government assistance such as food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid. They are also more likely to be in jail or prison, another cost to federal, state, and local taxpayers. And unemployment rates are highest among dropouts, according to the study.
If our society is to address its burgeoning debt problem and give young people a chance to become successful, offering parents an opportunity to access high-quality
schools is a path to prosperity for themselves, their children, and society.
In several states, policymakers are ensuring more
students have access to the
schools, public or private, that work best for them. National
School Choice Week is the time to shine a spotlight on those leaders and anyone else working to make sure every family is free to choose in
education.
Source : http://www.
foxnews.com/