Last Upated: July 7, 2021
I still remember the names of every teacher who impacted my life, and I remain indebted to my teachers and my parents for providing me with — truly — an excellent education.
As a result, I count myself as one of the strongest supporters of traditional public schools that you can find. Incidentally, it doesn’t hurt that my mother is also a teacher at a traditional public school — and a great teacher, at that.
When it comes to school choice and public schools, there is no daylight between supporting strong public schools and supporting robust school choice. The two go hand-in-hand.
In fact, traditional public schools are essential options for parents and children across America, and National School Choice Week demonstrates this synergy.
A growing number of states are working to provide parents with even greater options within traditional public education. For example, policies (referred to as “open enrollment”) allow parents to choose traditional public schools outside of their zoned school boundaries. These policies benefit millions of families in 36 states. In ten additional states, children are permitted to attend any traditional public school, regardless of the district in which they live.
Growing demand for K-12 education options has encouraged many public school districts to embrace the concept of school choice, and promote their innovative programs to parents. By embracing school choice with confidence in their schools and offerings, these districts are continuing to enhance their relationships with families and with their communities.
During National School Choice Week, we see a great number of public school districts eagerly holding school choice fairs, running promotional campaigns to raise awareness of the different schools in their district, and participating in coalition-style rallies and events so that traditional public schooling can claim its rightful seat at the table in discussions about educational opportunity.
For 2017, there will be thousands of traditional public schools holding events during National School Choice Week — and that makes me very happy.
Learn more about National School Choice Week’s President, Andrew Campanella.
