I have some history with making school choice decisions back in the 70s, and you can certainly imagine that it wasn’t the ordinary process back then. Neighborhood school acceptance seemed to be working in this relatively small town. When my little ones were ready, my neighborhood school assignment was an open-classroom concept school. I had a child for whom that environment would cause great difficulty, and I worked to gain a better placement for both children before the first of my children entered. After much research, conversations with friends and neighbors around town, and meetings with school officials, I requested an exception for both children attending another elementary school. My request was granted, but it meant I would not be able to use school bus transportation for them, and I simply accepted that responsibility on myself and their dad. My children began and were advanced through all grades in the same school, and I was grateful that school authorities allowed me that option. Once in the school, I became aware that I was not the only family that had made such a request, and over time, ride-sharing with parents worked out for all of us who had the extra burden of transportation. School choice is long overdue, and school scrutiny at the classroom level is ever more important. I became an active parent at my school of choice, PTA and extra help when needed. There was never a time when I had to question approaches by teachers, and learning content, and stylized deliveries until high school, and by then I was pretty well versed in sifting through dialogues that didn’t belong at the table and goals that needed to be fulfilled by the education system. Some would say “you took them on,” and yes I did because my child was at risk. Both children ended up graduating on time and were accepted at multiple colleges, and I’m grateful for the school choice that was allowed me because I think it made a difference. Every parent should have that right and particularly now in an age where ideologies that are not in keeping with the belief systems of parents and the community are being transferred to children without parental approval.
Barbara Palumbo
School choice is long overdue, and school scrutiny at the classroom level is ever more important.