ChoiceMatters Working To Inform OK Parents On School Choice
Point of View: Group helping inform Oklahoma parents about school choice
By Renee Porter
For much of Oklahoma’s history, parents have had one choice when deciding where to send their child to school — the neighborhood school selected based on geography, not need. But a growing number of options, including charter, faith-based, enterprise and virtual schools, give Oklahoma parents more choices than ever.
As that list of choices grows, it’s critical that parents are informed about the variety of educational options available to them. While public schools are still an important part of the school system as a whole, parents having options when it comes to their children’s education can help enhance and improve the overall quality of education in a community.
ChoiceMatters, a new organization that engages Oklahoma parents, believes that every child deserves a quality education. And we realize that each child’s version of a quality education differs because no two children are the same, or learn the same way. Thus, we are focused on informing parents of the educational choices available for their children, and we serve as a resource to them.
We do this in a variety of ways, including creating more school options, participating in community events, visiting with nonprofits that serve low-income Oklahomans, and meeting one-on-one with parents who need guidance.