Finally!
What a great time to revisit a snippet from my 2016 book, Learning Unleashed – Reimagining and Repurposing Our Schools.
An excerpt from my conclusion on pages 121-122.
“Some public education employees fear that they will cease to exist if too many options are available, but we know that the one-size-fits-all approach has not worked well for quite some time. Choice is always good. Choice brings freedom. Choice liberates and educates. This is not a political issue but a moral one steeped in the notion that access to learning is a fundamental human right. Controlling the learning of another is not freedom and not a basic principle of liberty. We must have choice; however we must choose wisely.”
“Choice is where the problem squarely lies. Many loving families provide a solid and secure beginning where children learn and thrive and excel. They also have the power to make choices. That, however, is not true across the board. Whatever the reason, whether poverty, apathy, or ignorance, we are facing one of the greatest and most heart-breaking educational challenges of our time. Choice is the missing piece and the one important factor that keeps many young children oppressed. It is for these children that we must find a way to make our public school work better.”
“Educational freedom for all students is a must, not an option. Parents and educators want a better system for their children and students. On behalf of the millions of children whose voices have been silenced for too long, it’s time to change direction. Our children are depending upon us. We owe it to them.”
I am encouraged by the groundswell of movement in the direction of educational choice that is currently underway across the United States. The amount of traction this movement is garnering is formidable.
This has not always been the case.
Choice in every other aspect of life is given high priority as a human right. But when it comes to the education of our young people, choice has been reserved for the wealthy.
In recent years it has been stereotyped, demonized, downplayed and branded as fanatical.
Then came the pandemic and school closings.
Not everyone returned to school however.
Every time I read about a new avenue for learning that focuses on the students rather than the system, I am elated. For example, former public school teachers, parents and other concerned citizens are banding together forging new territory, opening micro schools or other types of alternative pathways for student to access and participate in their learning. Their knowledge of what doesn’t work in schools coupled with their observable experience of what does work, equips them to create solid and viable options for learning. They are popping up all over the country.
Here is a great resource to follow if you are interested in finding out more about these alternatives. Kerry McDonald provides first-hand accounts of start-ups that have been successful in her podcasts. See below. She is also on X. Follow her there as well.
Homeschooling is also on the rise, especially since the Covid pandemic. The homeschooling demographic is more broad and diverse than previously reported and offers distinct benefits for many families who chose that route.
Corey A. DeAngelis is also a great resource on school choice. See below.
https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
If you are a parent, teacher, student or just a taxpaying citizen, consider 2024 the year to learn what is happening in the world of school choice.
Credible sources and voices for educational freedom are sounding the trumpet of change and it’s about time.
Carry on!
School Re-Imagined 