School Choice Growing

by Wyoming Liberty Staff

Wyoming families and friends recently celebrated two school choice events to highlight Wyoming's growing participation in school choice through charter schools, private school, online learning and homeschooling. January's National School Choice Week and February's parent-led Public School Options events brought them to Cheyenne from all corners of the state. Many spoke about the positive role school choice has had in their lives and the lives of their children.

"Every child is unique. School choice allows parents to find the academic environment that best suits their individual child's needs and talents, regardless of cost," said EdPref founder Meredith Adams, mother of twins, from Jackson, WY.

The February event featured speeches by state legislators and culminated in a photo-op march to the Capitol.

The idea that it is the prime responsibility of parents, not government systems, to guide children's education is no longer considered a "trend" in America. Rather it is a part of what parents and employers expect. All but five states in the Union have some form of school choice. Sadly, while Wyoming continually receives low marks for its tepid support of school choice and unimpressive evidence of academic achievement given the rate of spending in its current public system, the neighboring states that embrace school choice reforms show children thriving. Colorado, Utah, and Idaho have separate authorizers for charter schools, Montana has tax credit scholarships, while Utah and Colorado have choice or special needs scholarship programs.

Dr. Milton Friedman, founder of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, is universally considered the modern father of school choice in America. He was the first to champion the idea that public money should follow the child, allowing for full and robust school choice. The Friedman Foundation had done ground-breaking studies that clearly document the positive effects school choice has on families, existing public schools, and taxpayers.

In the Friedman's 2013 study, "A Win-Win Solution, The Empirical Evidence on School Choice" the authors lay out their findings. Briefly, the conclusions from these studies show that school choice, while saving money for taxpayers:

• raises student academic achievement;
• benefits established public schools;
• moves students from more segregated schools to less segregated schools, and;
• instills civic values and practices.

States that recognize and embrace school choice free parents to choose the best possible education for their children regardless of their economic circumstances. School choice, both in delivery and in accessibility, comes in many forms, from charter schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling to education savings accounts, tax credit scholarships, individual tax credits, and school choice within school districts, to name just a few.

Innovations in school choice continue to sprout up across the country as demands from parents grow. In Wyoming, although there are only 4 charter schools, more and more small private schools are opening around the state and homeschool numbers are at an all time high. We can no longer afford to ignore the real benefits available to students, parents and taxpayers which school choice brings.

Second grade students from Poder Academy Charter School in Cheyenne sat and listened to a high school online learner talk about her success and goals as a school choice consumer.

Wyoming charter school and homeschooled students celebrate school choice during National School Choice Week.