This is National School Choice Week, celebrating the options that many parents across the country have for the education of their children. School choice can refer to public charter schools, public virtual schools, school vouchers, tax credits, and homeschooling. Let’s look at some of the benefits of school choice:
- Public schools save money when students go elsewhere for learning opportunities
- Education can be tailored to students’ learning pace
- Public charter and virtual schools often have smaller classrooms, so there is a lower student-teacher than in traditional public schools
- Alternatives can accommodate students with disabilities, health issues, or busy schedules
- Students in low-performing schools have the opportunity to move to higher-performing ones; this benefits racial minorities in inner-city districts
- Higher graduation rates and test scores
