This is National School Choice Week. It is a week to celebrate the accomplishments that have been made regarding educational freedom. It is also is a good time to look towards the future.
In Ohio, over 30,000 students received vouchers that allow them to attend a school other than their local district school. Many more children are homeschooled. School Choice empowers parents to make the proper decisions regarding their children’s education. While we have made great strides regarding school choice, we have a long way to go until each child has the proper educational opportunities.
Most children’s only educational choice is determined by their zip code. This leaves some of them in failing schools or schools that just don’t meet their needs. Many minority or less affluent children are not provided with the proper educational tools. For these children, School Choice can be seen as a civil rights issue.
Milwaukee Public Schools has a voucher program. In 2006, radio ads which implored then Wisconsin Governor Doyle to lift the cap on the number of vouchers issued. Listen below.
The highly effective ads touted School Choice as a civil right. As a result of these ads, 50% more Milwaukee children received vouchers the following school year.
The OEA has endorsed Ed Fitzgerald’s gubernatorial campaign. Clearly, they see Ed as someone who will stifle School Choice, which has been expanded under Governor Kasich. Ads, like those that aired in Wisconsin could be very effective in in the Cleveland area, which has over 7,000 children benefiting from vouchers.