This School or That School or No School

I can't wait for May to be over!  Around here, the school year wraps up at the end of May.  So as I was filling in my May calendar I realized just how many end of year projects and events and field trips and activities are scheduled for the next couple of weeks.  It will be such a relief to get through it all.

It's also the time of year when a lot of my friends have been discussing and making plans for what they will do this next year for school.  I'm so glad there are options!  Every year our area has more schooling options available.  Charter schools are a big part of education in our state, and they work hard to attract students.  In turn that means our local public schools work hard to try and attract students as well.  And the homeschooling laws around here are very non-restrictive, so if that's the best option you don't have to dodge a bunch of red tape!  It's not a perfect system, but I like it SO much better than what we had available in the past (just your own local, assigned neighborhood school, unless your parents had the cash to fork out for private school).

I took a long, hard look at whether to keep our kids in the same charter school next year.  M will be entering the junior high grades at our school, and so her schedule will completely change.  This in turn affects the entire family's schedule (and not in a way that I am looking forward to).  It will also be tricky because K will start kindergarten.  But after looking around (Did I mention how many options there are around here?  I researched a lot of schools, plus homeschooling!) and seeking inspiration, we have decided to keep our kids at the same school.  There will be some financial sacrifices involved, even on top of all the driving I have to do, but we truly feel that it is worth it.  This school is the best fit for my family, at least at this time.

Sometimes on the education front (especially on the internet), I hear so much heated debate.  I now how four kids in the system, and I am starting to have some of my own strong opinions about schooling, at least at the elementary stage.  And my strongest opinion is this:

MORE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE = BETTER EDUCATION ALL AROUND

I like options.  I like that families have the choice between schools.  I like when families have the freedom to choose to school their kids at home if they want.  I like the competition between schools, I think it makes them work harder to be responsive to parents and their concerns.

I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all education solution.  So the more freedom we have to seek out those particular circumstances that best fit our families, the more I like it.