Families should be able to select from as many quality educational options as possible | Opinion

People don’t agree on much in our polarized environment these days — but most people agree that our children deserve the best we can provide for them. I whole-heartedly endorse that premise, which is one reason I support school choice for all Oregon families.

This National School Choice Week reminds us that families deserve the benefits that come from allowing parents to select from quality educational options.

As a mother of 13 myself, I recognize that each of my children has distinct talents, interests, skills, and learning patterns. I have used school choice to provide a customized, personalized education to each of my sons and daughters — and I believe each and every parent deserves the same right for each of their children.

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Oregon provides several choices for families looking to find the right school for their children; these choices include online schools, charter schools, homeschooling, private schools, and traditional public schools. At some public schools, parents can also select magnet programs that offer specialized curricula in subjects like science or the arts.

Unfortunately, this past year one school choice option ended for Oregon families — a state law that temporarily allowed open enrollment in public schools expired, and the Legislature did not renew it. The expiration of this measure will make it more difficult for families to enroll in public schools outside their traditional neighborhood boundaries.

While several forms of school choice remain, families should have the right to select from as many quality educational options as possible. The unique traits of each child mean that they deserve better than to have the quality of their schooling dictated by factors like their neighborhood address, or whether they can “win” a lottery for available places in another school.

Many other states have expanded school choice well beyond the programs available in Oregon, offering opportunity scholarships to needy families. We should do our best to keep up, by expanding the opportunities available for parents to choose the school that’s right for their family.

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To help that effort along, we will use National School Choice Week as an opportunity to host a school choice fair. Held from January 26 through February 1, National School Choice Week will see parents, students, and teachers gather at more than 50,000 events nationwide to celebrate diversity in education.

We held a school fair in Salem during last year’s National School Choice Week and received such positive feedback from parents that we plan to make it an annual event.

Providing parents with guidance on how to select the right school for their children, and walking them through the application process, will allow more children to feel the joy that comes from attending their new school. Our fair will also allow local businesses to show their support for school choice, recognizing that better-educated students today will lead to a better economy for Oregon in the years ahead.

Regardless of whether you know a lot about school choice or a little, I encourage you to stop by our school fair. (Due to venue availability, it ended up being moved to The Oaks Amusement Park in Portland this year, but will still feature Salem educational options). 

Whether your own kids or the children of someone you care about, the next generation of Oregonians will benefit when you raise your voice to support school choice.

Bobbie Jager, an advocate for school choice and helping students and parents find the right fit, lives in Sheridan. You may reach her at bobbie.jager@gmail.com