What is School Choice?

Nearly two decades ago, the National Commission on Excellence in Education published A Nation at Risk, an alarming report that stated, "The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people." Since then, there has been reform after reform created and established to fix our failing educational system but yet, Hispanic children continue to be left behind.

Hispanic CREO's solution to the crisis in Latino education is school choice.

Why do we need school choice?

There are many schools failing to educate our children, where families are trapped to attend. Too many Hispanic students do not graduate and/or are less academically prepared to become productive members of our society, compared to White students. In 2002, only 56 percent of Latinos graduated from high school.

For the longest time, families in the United States have exercised school choice - the right of a parent to send their children to a school that best benefits their educational needs - through the ability to pick a school by where they choose to live or by paying for a private education.

However, some families throughout this country are forced to live in economically disadvantaged areas where sometimes public schools reflect their community surroundings. What happens when the parents' only choice is to send their child to be trapped in a school that does not meet their education standards? Do they have a choice? How are parents going to afford a better educational option?

School choice is a matter of justice for the poor - a step toward equal access to educational options.

Besides providing public school choice, we suggest more notable reform mechanisms such as charter schools, means-tested vouchers, failing schools vouchers and tax credits. These types of programs seek to change the fundamental organization of the school system rather than creating and imposing new mandates that create more bureaucracy and continue to disregard student academic achievement.

To learn the ABC's of school choice by visiting our school choice glossary.
What You Can Do

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To read more about 2006 school choice highlights click here.