School choice empowers parents

August 18, 2014 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

As kids across America head back to school it seems like the perfect time for Pacific Legal Foundation to celebrate Back to School Choice Week. The school choice movement has been under way for decades, and some states have made tremendous progress.  But we still have much to do, as nothing is more important for a parent than being able to send your child to the educational institution that will best prepare them for the future. Whether, private, parochial, public or charter, school choice is giving parents that freedom to choose the best education for their children.

As a parent of three school aged children, I have battled my way through the red tape of our traditional public education system.  As I prepare to have my youngest enter the school system, I know that having educational options for my children is critical. Each of my children is different, and different schools have different views about how to educate children.  All of this has led me to know that what is best for one child may not be best for another. Forcing children to go to a neighborhood school is a one-size-fits-all approach that simply doesn’t work.

While school choice is not going to solve all the problems in the American education system, it is an important element that lays the foundation for parents and communities to take an active roll in providing educational options for their communities.  Who can’t support that?