Between the new federal law - called
No Child Left Behind - that empowers parents to move their children out of failing schools and the U. S. Supreme Court's ruling upholding Cleveland's voucher program, there is excitement and energy behind school choice.
But for the energy to translate into real improvement in the schools, parents have to get informed and be willing to advocate for a sufficient number of quality choices.
One of the many reform provisions under the law signed by President Bush in January addresses options for students in low-performing schools. Schools that are not performing to standards (as defined by each state) for two consecutive years must offer students a chance to go to a better public school in the district. The district is also required to pick up the tab for transportation costs to a new school. After the third year of not making sufficient progress, a school must offer families supplemental services, such as tutoring.
In July, the U.S. Department of Education announced that some 8,600 schools would have to offer school choice this fall. The number is expected to grow substantially next year. But just because a school has been identified as failing, doesn't mean that parents will have adequate or plentiful alternatives.
This year, few students are expected to take advantage of the new federal law's school choice option. For example, in Montgomery County Maryland only about 100 of the 6,000 eligible students from 10 schools have decided to change schools. This scenario is being replicated across the country, for a variety of reasons.
Parents, in some instances, are not aware or given enough information about the opportunity to switch to a better performing school. Simply sending out a letter to parents about the new options is not enough to get some families to switch from a neighborhood school. Also, parents were being asked to choose a new school during summer break, leaving them no opportunity to evaluate options while schools are open and in session.
Another reason for the slow move to change, in some districts, is the lack of good alternatives. Although many schools may be deemed failing in urban areas, the better performing schools may be filled to capacity. In rural areas, sending a student to another school sometimes is not practical because of the distance. Charter schools are a viable option, but there are often not enough in states with charter laws to even accommodate children already on waiting lists. In other instances, alternatives do exist, but school districts are just not giving parents many options.
Public support for school choice is strong. According to a new survey in July conducted for the Center for Education Reform by Zogby International, 76 percent of adults surveyed generally favored providing school choice programs. Asked, more specifically, whether respondents favored using tax dollars allowed for their child's education to be used for scholarships to private or parochial schools, 63 percent of respondents said yes.
With public opinion and policy on the side of school choice, what will it take to make it become a reality? It will take vocal and persistent parents willing to fight and put pressure on school districts and lawmakers to make their options a reality.
School choice is not a threat. It's a hope. If you want a school choice program in your area, organize a large group of parents and community leaders to lobby your elected officials. Arrange for meetings with legislators to ask for laws that will give you the power to make choices for your child's education. Finally, seek advice from others experienced in this effort who share your concerns.
When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision on June 27 upholding the Cleveland voucher program, education reform advocates lauded the ruling. It lifted the cloud over whether or not policymakers can establish educational programs that allow parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs.
The 5-4 vote validated a program that offers low-income Cleveland families tuition aid for private schools, including those affiliated with religious institutions. The court decided the vouchers did not violate the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against a government establishment of religion. When the Ohio legislature established the Cleveland choice program in 1995, it was acting to provide a fair and equitable education to the children of Cleveland, many of whom had suffered in a failing system for years.
This ruling opens the door for other states to follow suit. It is too early to tell how quickly other districts will adopt similar programs. While the constitutional debate is over, there is still a hot political debate over vouchers. Now, the discussion shifts back to state legislatures and to the voters. Currently, 37 states' constitutions prohibit state money from funding religious schools, and while those provisions may soon be challenged and found to be illegal, the political battles themselves will be tough.
Less-controversial school choice options, such as tuition tax credits or tax deductions to offset private school tuition, may be more prevalent over the next year because they are believed by some to be less controversial. Last year, Pennsylvania passed a law allowing businesses to receive a tax credit for donating to scholarship programs to assist children in attending schools of their choice. Over 800 companies have pledged over $18.5 million for this year, to be used by over 10,000 students for the 2002-2003 school year.
There are now three fully operational choice programs in the U.S. -- in addition to Cleveland, the city of Milwaukee now has nearly 11,000 children who exercise choice to attend private or public schools. In Florida, nearly 600 children whose schools were deemed failing are using scholarship to attend schools of choice, including private schools. Another 4,000 children are using special education vouchers at either private schools or public schools of their choosing. In other states, school choice support has had setbacks. The Florida case is also the subject of legal volleyball, and will likely reach the state's supreme court sometime this year. Its architects, however, are confident it will survive the legal challenges.
You can count on school choice to be a part of the political dialogue in this fall's elections. If you believe choice programs are a good thing, make your voice heard this November. With such a politically charged issue, surely the opponents will.
Once parents have been given the right to choose a school, the next step is to be prepared. Arming yourself with information can make a huge difference in finding the right match for your child. When considering a school, ask some basic questions:
What is the goal or mission of the school?
Does the school seek to make every child proficient in every subject? If so, how?
What's different about your school?
What happens when children fail?
How does the school get parents to contribute to the process?
How does the school's performance stack up in comparison to what the state expects of students?
How are teachers hired, evaluated and rewarded?
Whatever your options, here are some questions you need to be able to answer to help ensure that your child is getting a solid education. Ask teachers:
What is expected of my child this year, in this grade?
How is my child's individual work?
How do essays, tests and class participation count in the course or in a grade?
What are the curriculum standards and how many hours are spent on various subjects?
Have you noted that my child has a particular learning style?
Be ready, too, to answer questions about your child. If you are looking for a new school, think of the reasons why -- you may be looking for better curriculum, a smaller school, or teachers more receptive to your child's needs. To find the right match, parents need to create a positive dialogue in which they open up about the needs of their child and find out the most relevant information about potential schools.
There are many education reform topics in the news these days that have been featured in past issues of
Parent Power! Click on the following links for background on how CER has covered these vital issues that are now at the forefront of policy discussions.
Between the new federal law - called
No Child Left Behind - that empowers parents to move their children out of failing schools and the U. S. Supreme Court's ruling upholding Cleveland's voucher program, there is excitement and energy behind school choice.
When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision on June 27 upholding the Cleveland voucher program, education reform advocates lauded the ruling. It lifted the cloud over whether or not policymakers can establish educational programs that allow parents to choose the school that best fits their child's needs.
