What parents and their children really need in education

For many of us, being a parent is one of our greatest privileges. It’s about watching our children grow, learn, and become young people who can accomplish great things.

And with this privilege comes one of our greatest responsibilities. It is about nurturing and educating them so that they ultimately seek truth, act fairly, and excel in whatever career or profession they choose.

Everyone agrees that education is paramount in a child’s life trajectory. It stands to reason that parents have the primary responsibility of teaching their children well and choosing the best educational medium for their children. Regardless of the form of education: public, private, or homeschool, our system must work with parents to ensure that children receive the education they deserve.

Sadly, the pandemic has forced too many public schools to perpetuate a particular worldview, even if that worldview goes directly against what parents know is best for their children. It has become clear that the focus seems to be on

Parents need transparency. Be transparent about what is being taught and why, so parents can fill in the gaps and correct mistakes.

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Consider the widening gap in student achievement. Fully half of Texas students cannot read at grade level, and nearly two-thirds cannot do math at grade level. Such an outcome is unacceptable, especially if you believe that education is the key to a good life and future success. We must do a better job of providing a variety of high-quality educational programs to meet the many needs of families, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

But these days, parents often find themselves being ignored, turned away, publicly humiliated, or even arrested when they raise concerns at school board meetings. Became. The system is seen as the primary authority, and parents are seen simply as individuals who care for, clothe, and feed their children outside of school hours. We have to put things back in the right order. The fundamental role of parents as the primary educators of their children must be respected.

It is critical that we reform public education based on three key principles: transparency, quality, and respect. But if we truly want to build the best education system in the country, we need school choice.

A parent’s choice to withdraw a student from a school that does not meet the child’s needs. The choice to pursue alternative forms of education when the public system fails to provide the necessary transparency, quality, and respect. The choice to raise a child in a way that best reflects the child’s moral values ​​or is best suited to the child’s unique talents.

Texas struggles to pass universal school choice, bucking the trend of red states that made it possible

The Texas Legislature is currently in a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, poised to give parents the power to choose the best education for their children through sweeping education legislation. The Parent Bill of Rights, combined with school choice programs in the form of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), puts parents back in the driver’s seat of their children’s education. These efforts aim to recognize the fundamental role played by parents and their right to transparency and quality in taxpayer-funded education. Most importantly, ESAs allow parents to direct education funds to high-quality schools and educational programs that will best benefit their children.

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There has never been a time when this kind of reform is needed more than today. Already, many parents must make significant sacrifices to move to a better school district, homeschool their children, or scrape together the funds to attend private school.

It’s time for Texas to take the lead and empower millions of parents to do what’s best for their children. Certainly, parents know best, not legislators or school boards.