National School Choice Week: What Parents Need to Know

For 15 years, National School Choice Week has brought millions of students, families, and educators together across the U.S. to celebrate the nation’s largest annual movement for educational choice. Since its inception in 2011, National School Choice Week has organized or promoted 236,746 activities and events, partnering with nonprofit organizations to plan 488 large-scale events. This year’s 15th anniversary is expected to make history as the largest celebration of educational opportunity in the U.S., with 66 flagship events across 39 states, organized by 55 nonprofit organizations, including 30 school fairs, 11 capitol celebrations, and four gubernatorial proclamations.

What is National School Choice Week?

These efforts aim to raise equal awareness about the wide range of school options available, empowering parents to choose the learning environments best suited to their children’s unique needs. By spotlighting these various school models, National School Choice Week reminds us that the heart of the school choice movement is the U.S. student population—an incredibly diverse group of children, each with their own strengths, challenges, and needs. Most importantly, National School Choice Week emphasizes that all students deserve an education that allows them to thrive, whether through traditional public, private, charter, homeschool, or virtual school models.

“I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact of school choice on students’ lives,” says Adam Hawf, superintendent of schools at K12-powered online schools. “Students who enroll in these alternative learning environments do so for a variety of reasons, but all are aimed at securing a promising future. Some seek career-focused pathways, while others require more flexibility due to extracurricular pursuits, travel, or learning needs. Many who struggle in traditional schools find a chance to reset and start fresh in a new environment, claiming a newfound sense of hope and motivation.”

Adam and K12-powered online schools are passionate advocates for school choice because they understand the profound impact it can have on a child’s success, confidence, and well-being. Consider your own child in school. Are they meeting grade-level expectations, or do they feel disengaged because they’re excelling? Do they receive enough one-to-one support from teachers? Do they feel safe in their learning environment? Are they offered opportunities to prepare for the future? Are you satisfied with their curriculum?

With these questions in mind, let’s explore some of the benefits that different school models can offer.

What are the different educational options?

Online School

Many families turn to virtual options like K12-powered online schools for flexibility, personalization, accessibility, parental involvement, and career-centric opportunities.

  • Learn anywhere at any time—including the comfort and safety of your home or while traveling with your family
  • Classes led by state-certified teachers specially trained to teach in an online environment
  • Ability to adapt their learning environment, such as adjusting the pace, adding enrichment activities, and joining a peer study group
  • Increased focus on individual learning and progress, free from the distraction of large in-person classrooms
  • Career technical education (CTE) pathways—K12-powered online schools offer more than 30 pathways!
  • Strong parental involvement through a collaborative partnership between parents and schools
  • Opportunities for socialization and enrichment, including virtual campuses, national competitions, clubs, and virtual and in-person field trips
  • Tuition-free public, private, and charter virtual school options
  • Potential drawbacks: Limited extracurricular and in-person activities, need for self-discipline and motivation, and high level of daily parent involvement

Traditional Public School

Approximately 49.6 million students are enrolled in U.S. traditional public schools, representing the majority of the student population. While your region is typically assigned a specific public school, some states offer inter- and intra-district public school choice, known as open enrollment.

  • Tuition-free education
  • Transportation and after-school care options
  • Classes taught by state-certified teachers
  • Access to structured extracurriculars, such as clubs, sports, theater, music, dance, and competitions
  • Opportunities for parental involvement, such as parent-teacher organizations and classroom assistance
  • Daily social interaction opportunities
  • A sense of community and school pride
  • Potential drawbacks: Large class sizes, rigid structure, physical safety concerns, variable resources, and school quality

Private School

Private schools, whether faith-based or independent, charge tuition. Depending on your state and circumstances, there may be scholarship opportunities to help cover costs.

  • Smaller class sizes compared to traditional public schools
  • High academic rigor and expectations
  • College and career preparation programs, including college counseling
  • Access to structured extracurricular activities, including sports, theater, music, dance, and competitions
  • Daily opportunities for social interaction
  • Strong parental involvement
  • A sense of community and school pride
  • Mission-driven philosophies that can align with your family’s values
  • Potential drawbacks: High tuition costs, lack of transportation or lengthy commutes, academic pressure and competition, less regulation, and limited diversity

Public Charter Schools

Public charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated. While exempt from some state and local regulations related to management and operation, they must meet the performance goals outlined in their charter.

  • Tuition-free education
  • Smaller class sizes compared to traditional public schools
  • Personalized learning opportunities
  • Innovative teaching methods
  • May include specialized programs like art, theater, or STEM
  • Strong school accountability to the parents and the state or local government that authorizes them
  • A sense of community and school pride
  • Increased parental involvement
  • Potential drawbacks: Funding issues impacting school resources, variable school quality, high demand, and limited access

Magnet Schools

There are more than 4,000 magnet schools across the U.S., each specializing in a specific theme, such as performing arts, language, or science. Magnet schools are a form of public education.

  • Tuition-free education
  • Smaller class sizes than traditional public schools
  • High academic standards and expectations
  • Innovative teaching methods
  • Specialized curriculum and subject immersion
  • Strong parental involvement
  • Potential drawbacks: Competitive admissions, high demand, limited access, narrow focus, and academic pressure

Homeschool

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 5.82% of school-aged children were homeschooled in the summer and fall of 2022. This number has significantly increased over the past two decades and continues to rise as more families opt to teach their children from home.

  • Personalized learning with one-to-one support from parents
  • Flexibility in schedule and pace
  • Learn anywhere, anytime
  • Fosters a strong parent-child bond
  • Tailored social opportunities and extracurricular activities
  • Parental choice in curriculum, teaching methods, resources, and enrichment
  • Potential drawbacks: Cost of resources, lack of socialization opportunities, pressure on parents, lack of specialized services and programs, and limited support

This list offers just a snapshot of the benefits and potential drawbacks of each school model. Depending on your child’s needs and your family’s lifestyle, one of these environments may better fit your circumstances. For many, school choice is more than just a preference; it’s a lifeline. It can provide freedom from bullying or violence, consistency for students with medical conditions, or flexible options for students with demanding extracurricular pursuits or family lifestyle needs.

How School Choice Impacts Students

Adam recalls two K12 students who exemplify the importance of school choice: Eliana and Joseph. In 2020, Eliana contracted a mild case of COVID-19, but the virus continued attacking her immune system, leading to temporary paralysis from long-haul COVID. With a long road to recovery ahead, Eliana’s family turned to a K12-powered online school for flexibility, allowing her to keep up with her education while recovering.

Joseph, a 14-year-old Ohio student, chose a K12-powered online school to balance his schoolwork and athletic training better. As a professional fencer, Joseph placed 11th in the USA Fencing National Championship and spent his summer training in Italy with the national fencing team coach. Joseph stresses the importance of year-round training and emphasizes the significance of school choice for professional athletes—online school offers the flexibility needed to balance education and athletic training.

These student stories highlight just a few of the many lives impacted by school choice. When considering your own children’s experiences, it’s easy to see how choosing the right school can make a lasting difference. Unfortunately, as adults, we often get caught up in the policies and logistics of the school choice debate. However, National School Choice Week helps us refocus our attention on what matters most: the students.

Get Involved With the School Choice Movement

This National School Choice Week, I encourage you to get involved and learn more. Check out the events in your state and discover more about your options. This is an excellent opportunity to find the best fit for your child and connect with other families advocating for a future where every student’s needs are met.

To learn more about K12-powered online schools, go to K12.com.

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