VIDEO: It May Be Difficult to Pass Robust School Choice in This State, but there are Still Ways to Advocate for It
California is considered one of the most left-leaning states in the country, and yes, there are still so many conservatives in the state. So many that our Airbnb hosts were also conservative! Normally I don’t talk about politics with strangers unless I am around other people in the same field,, but when you and your hosts are Filipino, familiarity sets in almost immediately.
One of the subjects we talked about was school choice as the husband is a former teacher. I looked up more information on California’s school choice programs, and I realized they did not have any school choice scholarship programs. No surprise there. It’s California, but even in one of the most left-leaning states in the country, you can still advocate for school choice!
Check out my video!
Here is how school choice can be DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED in California even without school choice scholarship programs:
𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: Charter Schools are publicly funded schools that are free from many of the regulations that restrict traditional public schools. They offer a variety of educational options, and they can be a good choice for families who are looking for a different learning environment. California could create BETTER charter school access for families.
𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐬: Make it easier for Californians to start homeschooling! Families have to either file an affidavit to function as a private school, enroll in a private school satellite homeschool program, hire a certified private tutor OR you have to become a certified tutor, use an independent study option from a private school, OR enroll in a public charter school for homeschoolers. Let parents choose how their homeschooled children learn!
𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: In general, California has so many laws, high fees and taxes, and stringent regulations that can make it difficult to start one of these schools.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞: California currently allows students to attend traditional public schools outside their zoned school. However, the open enrollment process can be complex and time-consuming. The state could make it easier for students to transfer to other schools by simplifying the process and just let families choose.
