Your right to choose your child's school
Parents know what's best for their families. They choose where to shop, which place of worship to attend, what their children eat and the books they read, but when it comes to the public schools, parents don't have a choice.
Parents across California are demanding school reform that recognizes every student's right to a quality education at the school that best meets their needs. A critical step toward reimagining public education in California is giving parents real power -- the power of choice.
Students shouldn't be trapped in failing schools by virtue of their ZIP codes. Wealthier parents have a choice. Shouldn't every parent?
To this end, I authored SB 680 with state Sen. Bob Huff, R-Glendora, to extend the District of Choice Program that has empowered parents to do just that for the past 16 years.
The premise is simple: Parents know what is best for their children, not bureaucrats, and it is every parent's right to make that choice.
Under this program, districts can open their doors to all students who knock, and if a parent wants to enroll their child in a school in such a district, they don't need permission.
Currently, 5,000 students of all incomes and ethnicities across California benefit from such parent-initiated decisions. Some couldn't get the education they need in their home districts; others were attracted to smaller schools. Some boast API scores 50 points higher than neighboring districts.
Pond Union Elementary School District is a beloved community school serving the children of farm workers in rural Kern County. It enrolls half of its 235 students through the districts of choice program. Some 88 percent receive free and reduced lunch; its average test scores are more than 50 points higher than nearby districts 10 times its size. Two years ago, when cuts threatened summer school, businesses stepped up to pay.
Pond Union wouldn't exist without the districts of choice program. Students in six more small school districts up the Central Valley also benefit from the voluntary program: Buena Vista, Columbine, Waukena, McKittrick, Elk Hills and Maple.
In the past, community colleges didn't have open enrollment; students had to attend the campus closest to home. Since opening up, California's community colleges have competed to better serve students, and California now boasts some of the best community colleges in the state. Since the Districts of Choice program started, many schools that lost students stepped up to improve their programs, developing new unique offerings and becoming more responsive. That benefits everyone.
However, this fall, families face the very real possibility that students will be forced to leave the schools they have attended for years. Some small schools will simply disappear.
The program lapsed on July 1, but the Legislature still has a window of opportunity to do right by the students of California. SB 680 received unanimous bipartisan support on the Senate floor, passing by a vote of 37-0. It passed Assembly Education and Appropriations, but now awaits an uncertain fate on the Assembly Floor, where it will go to a vote soon.
This is a successful program that has served California's students well for 16 years. Let your local assembly members know we must keep it.
State Sen. Gloria Romero, D-East Los Angeles, serves the 24th District.
