School Choice

As a mom and a teacher, I advocate school choice.

As a mom, I was naive to the differences between high schools in my community. I figured high school was high school no matter where you went. I was wrong. My daughter chose to start high school at a school her stepbrothers attended nine to twelve years earlier. She entered that school an overachiever and started to lose her motivation. There were no gifted or Advanced Placement (AP) students like her and school was boring. I would get automated phone calls urging parents to remind their child that reading can be fun and there was yet another lockdown.

During my daughter's freshman year, she was invited three times to enter a fundamental school. She accepted and finished her high school years there -- in all AP classes. Automated phone messages would announce upcoming special events, testing dates, student honors achieved and parent meetings. Parents were required to attend one meeting a month. My daughter was one of the 75% in her class with a 4.3 average or above.

As a teacher, I have worked in three adjacent counties. There is definitely a difference between them. There are even differences within the counties! The differences are due to different perspectives and theories adhered to and constant changes to these perspectives and theories.

So, as a mom AND a teacher, while school districts are trying to iron out the perfect way to teach students, I am all for parent choice of what is currently best for their child.