School Choice in Public Education
Understanding the Options

PSPN

Something has to change.  Your child has been floundering in the local public school.  Maybe he or she needs to be in a smaller class, behavioral problems, learning styles or perhaps it's even bullying. Whatever the problem may be, as a parent you've come to the decision that for your child's well being, you have to enroll him in a new school.  Now what?  Which way do you turn?  We hear about school vouchers, school choice and the "No Child Left Behind Act" but what does it all mean to you as a parent of a child within the public school system.  Does your state have a voucher system? How do you know if your school is underachieving?  How do you choose which school is best for your child and what are your options? 

      In the article,  Trends & Issues: School Choice, Eric Clearinghouse and the University of Oregon's College of Education list the following four options or "choices" that exist for parents today.   

(1) Intrasectional choice (forms excluding private schools): magnet schools, intra- and inter-district controlled-choice plans, charter schools, and contracted schools;

(2) Intersectional choice (forms including private schools): vouchers, tax credits, and scholarships;

(3) Alternative schools; and

(4) Home Schooling

    Many questions about school choice will have to be answered by your local board of education, but the links on these pages are designed to help you understand what the options are, the pros and cons to those options and whether or not they are available in your state.