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How other districts offer options to families

I came across a blog post from a teacher, Patrick Kelly, that wonderfully encapsulates my feelings as a parent trying to decide what’s best for my children’s education. The post is titled: Finding the Right School for Your Kid Shouldn’t Be a Privilege. The South Carolina district in which this teacher lives and teaches offers school options across district elementary schools, magnet schools, and a charter school.

He states: “My daughters attend one of these magnets, a school that utilizes inquiry-based learning models. My wife and I carefully considered the choice to send our daughters to this school, as they are zoned to attend an incredible elementary school with exceptional administrators and staff. As a result, our decision on where to send our daughters wasn’t a rejection of one school; it was an opportunity to embrace a school structure and approach that we, as parents, felt best fit the educational needs and learning styles of our children.”

I thought this was a very nice way of stating it and wanted to share.

From his district’s website describing their Choice Program: “Richland School District Two students are assigned to schools based on their residential address, they may apply to a magnet school or another school within the district through the Choice program. This program offers parents and students residing in Richland District Two the opportunity to request permission to attend a school other than their residentially assigned school.”

This is a great model.

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We believe

All children want to learn. Not all children learn the same way at the same pace. All parents do their best to provide their children with the best possible educational opportunities. There are many kinds of learning environments suited to many kinds of learners. Every child should have access to free, public education where they thrive as learners. All citizens share the responsibility for making this education available to all. If children have what they need, it is better for everyone. We do not have to compete for resources. When we work together, we are stronger. When adults model how to collaborate using conversation, children learn how to collaborate using conversation. All children deserve to feel included, welcome and safe in all schools and neighborhoods. We are all on the same side, the side of all children. - from a few local parents whose children attend Ross Valley Charter School