Parents Know Best
Guest Blog Entry by My School My Choice Board President, Katherine Brecheisen
Posted on December 22, 2011
Parents these days...what are they thinking? I mean, how dare they actually try to stand up and assert their right to choose the public education option that is best for their children?
Pretty ridiculous questions, right? Any parent would bend over backwards to provide the best educational opportunity for their child. But those questions are exactly the substance of a New York Times piece about online schools.
The article ? "Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools" ? even manages to suggest that eSchool students are "tools" used by their parents, advocacy groups and online learning companies.
That's reprehensible and demands a review of the facts.
The parents I know aren't taking on the role of eSchool mentor for money or for glory. They're doing it to help their children. Maybe the child was getting bullied. Maybe the teacher was moving too fast through the material. Or maybe, the teacher was moving too slowly.
Whatever the reason, this much is clear: traditional brick and mortar public schools are one-size-fit-all, but students aren't all one size.
Online schools can be tailored to the individual student's interests, academic level and speed. The parents I know wouldn't have their child enrolled in an eSchool if it wasn't providing a quality education. They truly are advocates for their child's education.
They're also advocates for the entire system of school choice, setting another good example for their children ? leading by example.
That's why a story like The New York Times' piece is so frustrating. Parents ? and students ? chose this option because they weren't getting what they needed from a traditional brick and mortar school. They shouldn't be attacked simply for doing what they feel is best for their family and for standing up for themselves.
One of the organizations mentioned in the New York Times story is My School My Choice, a project of Fund for Ohio's Future. It's an independent nonprofit organization that supports parents, teachers, students and all who care about the rights of Ohio families to choose the best school to meet their individual needs
As President of My School My Choice, I can say ? with authority ?that we're not here to advocate for any specific political agenda.
We're here to give parents and supporters a platform from which to advocate for themselves and their right to choice in public education.
On that platform, the parents, students and friends can ? collectively ? rise above the clatter and be heard. Just like in 2009 when, their rights under attack, 4,500 parents, students and friends rallied on the statehouse lawn.
They were there to tell legislators that they've found success in public charter schools. They were there to say that the system worked.
And did they ever! It was quite a sight to see and hear 4,500 advocates chanting "My School My Choice" on the lawn of the Ohio Statehouse.
Public charter school supporters overcame the threat, stood up and protected their right to choice in public education. And I think we'll overcome an article in The New York Times, too.
We'll do it by continuing the progress and helping students become success stories. We'll do it by continuing to attend hearings and rallies to make our voice heard.
And we'll do it by pushing back against biased news that fails to tell the real story.
What the New York Times reporter fails to understand is that the kids aren't "tools." The tools are their computers, workbooks and online classrooms.
And what they're building is a better future.