Posted on Friday, March 14, 2025
|
by Outside Contributor
|
1 Comments
|
In legislatures nationwide, school choice is taking center stage as elected officials debate policies to expand educational options beyond traditional public schools.
I am no policy expert, but I am a mother who witnessed the profound benefits that come when parents have education options for their children. I hope that families like mine don’t get lost in these debates.
Sixteen years ago, I adopted my beautiful daughter, Miracle, from her mother, a relative who was incarcerated. I learned that after two days, children born in prison become wards of the state. I had four sons and always wanted a daughter. This adoption meant that I could save Miracle, and Miracle could save me.
Miracle is now an 11th-grader enrolled in honors classes at a private Christian school in Fort Worth, Texas. She participates in three sports, band, an accelerated STEM program, and the Christian Leadership Council. She is preparing to apply to colleges and eventually reach her goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
Miracle’s bright future wasn’t always certain. I would never have been able to afford her education if I hadn’t applied on a whim for an ACE scholarship, a private scholarship that covered a large portion of Miracle’s tuition.
Miracle’s success is proof that more children from lower-income backgrounds could reach these heights if they had access to expanded educational choices. The Texas Senate recently passed a bill that would do just that by establishing an Education Savings Accounts program. Similar legislation is now under consideration in the Texas House. Such a program would allow families to use public scholarship funds for alternatives to public school, such as private school tuition or homeschooling.
As the bill is debated in the Texas House, I urge lawmakers to consider students like Miracle when they cast their votes. An ESA program has the potential to improve the lives of thousands of students just like her.
I recently visited the Texas capital, along with dozens of other ACE families, to share my story with legislators and emphasize that students, regardless of their financial means, deserve to choose where they learn. Some public schools work well for the students they serve. However, too often, public schools have large classes, meaning teachers may struggle to connect with students, tailor their teaching to a student’s learning style, or provide emotional support to students in need. Overwhelmed schools can also face safety issues.
I know what it’s like to fear for my child’s safety when they leave for school. I faced that with my youngest son, who went to a public school that was unequipped to meet his needs. The learning environment was crippled by crime, drug use and teen pregnancy, and it lacked a supportive community atmosphere.
Instead of being introduced to the pathway to a brighter future, my son was introduced to drugs. He tragically passed away in 2023 as a result of his addiction.
I can’t help but think of what might have been if I had been able to afford a safer alternative for his schooling. If I had been able to afford a school with approachable counselors and teachers able to tailor his educational experience, I would have given him that opportunity in a heartbeat.
His high school experience mirrored my own. My public school was large and impersonal. During high school, my mother’s husband assaulted me, and I desperately needed support from a trusted adult. At school, I was just one of hundreds of students. Teachers and administrators had no time for one-on-one attention. By the time I graduated at 18, I had two children. And I knew that I desperately wanted my children to have a stronger support system and tools that could help them reach their dreams.
To be sure, there are many excellent, successful public schools. That doesn’t change the fact that there are thousands of parents who are lying awake at night worrying about their children stuck in failing schools. Many higher- and middle-income families have the opportunity to change school districts or pay for a private education. Many Texas families with limited means are stuck without a choice.
School choice programs can extend better educational opportunities to lower-income students.
Miracle is proof of the power educational choice has to transform lives. Beyond her accelerated classes, she is embedded in a supportive, tight-knit community that won’t let her fail. When she’s away from me, I don’t have to wonder if she’s safe. She has counselors, teachers and friends supporting her through difficult times.
When parents are empowered to give children the opportunity to thrive, it can be the difference between walking a pathway of prosperity instead of a road to ruin.
Changing education changes everything. It’s time to enact school choice programs in every state to extend greater educational opportunities to all students.
Greta Alexander is a mother in Fort Worth, Texas.
Reprinted with Permission from DC Journal – By Greta Alexander
Read the full article here
