There has been a recent report published by The Friedman Foundation that brings attention to the beliefs of Idaho residents as it relates to parental choice for their children's education. The complete report is posted at http://www.edexidaho.org/viewpoints.php?id=12. The results are interesting to say the least and what it clearly points out, parents are looking for more educational choices that meet the needs of their children.
One statistic the survey reflects is that when given a menu of educational choices (charter school, private school, home school and traditional public school) only 4% of Idahoans would choose a traditional public school. That certainly would make one (especially lawmakers) ponder, "what is happening that would cause parents to feel that way?"
Conventional thinking says that the experts in education know what is best for children. There is merit in that statement. It is true that those with education training and certification know and understand the processes of how best students learn. This has to be acknowledged. There is an important element that also must be respected by the education professionals. Nobody knows a child better than the child's parent. And that is the heart of parental choice in education. When parents are provided the choice to forge a partnership with the educational institution that they believe (after careful research and understanding) will best meet the emotional needs and learning style of their child that provides the child with a strong opportunity for experiencing meaningful learning.
It is clear from reading the Friedman Foundation report that Idahoans strongly (maybe even passionately) support the concept of school choice options. With that being the case it is also important that local policy and decision makers also understand the wishes of the people. Don't be shy about making those beliefs known.
Supporting Your Choice in Education,
Cody Claver
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