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PALs Update Dear PALs, January 28 starts the celebration of National School Choice Week. There are many choices when it comes to educating students. Parents can choose from a variety of schools for their children including public, private, charter, magnet, language immersion, homeschooling, virtual schools, and transferring out of or within your school district. This is a week where every choice a parent makes for their children’s education is celebrated. It is a week to be thankful and proud that you are involved in your child’s education. You recognize when your child has a quality education or that something needs to change. The choice is yours. Unfortunately, making a choice for your child can be difficult due to the status quo of education and political leaders who feel change is not needed in a community. In fact, some leaders would have you falsely believe that giving more money to particular communities with low socioeconomic status solves their public education problems. Last week I attended Pomona Unified School District to support two new charter schools that were up for approval by the board. Pomona Unified has one dependent charter school (a charter school run by the school district with union teachers) that caters to low-achieving students. PUSD has no independent charter schools. Their graduation rate is 67% - 77%. The state has a Similar School Ranking system that compares 100 schools of the same demographic including: socioeconomic status; class size; parent education; English Learners; and disabilities. They rank schools from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). PUSD has 39 schools, of which 29 schools rank between 1 -5. Twelve schools rank between 1 -2. Given these statistics, it appears the majority of students in PUSD are having a difficult time achieving academic success. This should be a school district that would be willing and open to find new alternatives to educating their children. It was shocking to witness some PUSD teachers, union leaders and board members defend the education provided to the students in their community. One board member stated that he had a great experience when he attended PUSD, which was why he was voting against the charter. The district Administration explained to the board that the charter schools would cause “emotional and psychological” harm to their students and recommended the board vote against the charters. The PUSD School Board voted 4-1 against the charter schools. Trustee Andrew S. Wong was the only brave board member who voted for choice in educating the students in PUSD. I did speak publicly to the PUSD School Board. I spoke of my disappointment that there are no options for choice in their district. I explained that just because the status quo believes PUSD is providing a good enough education, it doesn’t mean every student is successful. Once my speech was over, I was followed out by a Pomona Unified teachers’ union leader. He asked for my information so he could research me and PAL. When I asked him why his organization was opposed to charters he stated they are not opposed to dependent charters. Recently, I was contacted by families in Pomona that know their schools need change, but are afraid to do something about it. This is a community that does not have true choice in their children’s education. I am hopeful, with the help of other organizations, that this community will soon have options for ALL of their students. Education should not be a one-size-fits-all concept. Each child has a need that must be met in order to be successful in school. When that need is not met, you have a right to ask questions and work with your child’s school to ensure changes are made in the best interest of learning. You do not have to contend with the status quo if it does not work for your child. Instead, you can make a different choice for your child. Whatever the choice you have made, I hope this is a week where you reflect on your child’s education. Celebrate your child’s school that provides a great education with amazing teachers or take time to research a new option. Most importantly, celebrate the fact that you have a choice for the education your child deserves. Visit the Parents Advocate League Facebook page to take a poll about how YOU celebrate your choice in education. All the best, |
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