11/8/2010: I Vote School Choice is winding down after the election - this website will no longer be updated. A huge thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers. SchoolChoiceVermont.com and VermontAct153.org will continue to have current information for you.
Myths, Facts, and Frequently Asked Questions About School Choice
What are the basics of Vermont School Choice?
If we all have school choice, won't some kids who can't leave their school end up in schools that are failing?
First, let's recognize that in our rural state we have solid schools. Unlike some urban models, school choice is not being proposed as a means for students to escape failing schools. We have strong reading and math scores on standardized tests, the nation's second highest graduation rate, and a population that is devoted to local control of education and delivering quality education. Vermonters care and it shows in our passionate involvement in education on the local level. School choice is being proposed to ensure that every child can have the opportunity to learn in a school that best fits their needs. By recognizing that one-size-fits-all is not an approach that works in almost every aspect of our lives, including education, we open the door to building on our state's educational successes.
Isn't it true that only people who can afford transportation can take advantage of school choice?
Transportation can be a challenge in Vermont. Gas is expensive, public transportation is limited or non-existent in some rural areas, the challenges of being a single parent or low-income parent, inflexible work schedules are all concerns. We are not aware of any statistics that are available, but in Vermont's 90 tuitioning towns, parents seem to have it figured out. Anecdotal evidence points to many solutions: creative carpooling, satisfaction with schools in close proximity, schools providing bus service, and committed parents, yes, that includes low-income parents, committed to ensuring their child is in a school that is the right fit. Complaints about transportation are an argument rooted in speculation, not the true experience of our Vermont choice communities.
Our town school is the center of our community, if we have school choice our school might have to close.
The reality is Vermont's student population is still declining and hard decisions are going to have to be made about which schools can continue to operate, regardless of school choice. Vermonters understand community goes beyond where you sleep at night. We have work communities, sports, houses of worship, town libraries, recreation departments, civic groups, historical societies, clubs, community interest groups, and the list goes on. Community is wherever we reach out to create it. It is unfortunate there is an assumption that students only attend their locals school because they MUST. We have many wonderful schools in Vermont and the majority of families find a good fit in their local school. With school choice, schools are just as likely to gain students as they are to lose them as students shift to find the best educational fit.
What are the basics of Vermont School Choice?
- Over 90 towns have school choice in one or more grades, kindergarten through high school.
- School choice to independent and public schools has been a Vermont fixture for 140 years.
- Under Vermont law, a town is required to educate its children. It may do this by funding a local school or tuitioning its students. Currently your district cannot tuition children for a grade your district offers in school.
- Towns are not required to provide transportation for their students.
- Many Vermont families choose their communities based on the schooling options available, particularly school choice.
If we all have school choice, won't some kids who can't leave their school end up in schools that are failing?
First, let's recognize that in our rural state we have solid schools. Unlike some urban models, school choice is not being proposed as a means for students to escape failing schools. We have strong reading and math scores on standardized tests, the nation's second highest graduation rate, and a population that is devoted to local control of education and delivering quality education. Vermonters care and it shows in our passionate involvement in education on the local level. School choice is being proposed to ensure that every child can have the opportunity to learn in a school that best fits their needs. By recognizing that one-size-fits-all is not an approach that works in almost every aspect of our lives, including education, we open the door to building on our state's educational successes.
Isn't it true that only people who can afford transportation can take advantage of school choice?
Transportation can be a challenge in Vermont. Gas is expensive, public transportation is limited or non-existent in some rural areas, the challenges of being a single parent or low-income parent, inflexible work schedules are all concerns. We are not aware of any statistics that are available, but in Vermont's 90 tuitioning towns, parents seem to have it figured out. Anecdotal evidence points to many solutions: creative carpooling, satisfaction with schools in close proximity, schools providing bus service, and committed parents, yes, that includes low-income parents, committed to ensuring their child is in a school that is the right fit. Complaints about transportation are an argument rooted in speculation, not the true experience of our Vermont choice communities.
Our town school is the center of our community, if we have school choice our school might have to close.
The reality is Vermont's student population is still declining and hard decisions are going to have to be made about which schools can continue to operate, regardless of school choice. Vermonters understand community goes beyond where you sleep at night. We have work communities, sports, houses of worship, town libraries, recreation departments, civic groups, historical societies, clubs, community interest groups, and the list goes on. Community is wherever we reach out to create it. It is unfortunate there is an assumption that students only attend their locals school because they MUST. We have many wonderful schools in Vermont and the majority of families find a good fit in their local school. With school choice, schools are just as likely to gain students as they are to lose them as students shift to find the best educational fit.
