As you may know if you follow my writing on this blog, I am in my fifth year as a homeschool mom. I have some friends whose children attend Ben Lippen or another private school in our area. I have another friend whose child boards the bus every morning and goes to the school down the street from our neighborhood. And yet another friend drives her child to a school for which he is not zoned so he can participate in a magnet program. Different children, different approaches – but all of us have one important thing in common. We have consciously chosen an educational approach that, as parents, we believe is best for our children and our family – a freedom that I do not take for granted.
This week is National School Choice Week, an observance that began in 2011 as a nonpartisan event to celebrate and raise awareness of the different education options available to children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Let me say this up front – the exact policies that surround “school choice” have created a great deal of lively political debate in recent years, and it is NOT my intent to debate any particular stands in this post.
What I DO want to share is a look at the many educational choices that exist in South Carolina and in the Columbia area – many of which, I suspect, many parents are unaware. I’ve been in the field of education for most of my adult life and I did not know about many of them!
Public Education
This is what most of us grew up with, but even so, some definition of terms is helpful! “Public” schools are so named because of how they are funded – with public taxes from the local, state, and federal governments. But even in the arena of public education there are several different choices.
Neighborhood Schools
These are the schools designated for students based on where they live. In South Carolina, students can attend their public neighborhood schools tuition-free and can receive free transportation.
“Expanded Choice” or “Open Enrollment”
These programs within the public school districts allow parents to enroll their children in schools where they are not zoned. In South Carolina, this decision is left to each district, and each district has regulations about how to apply, but students must stay within their own district. This is still tuition-free, but often parents must provide transportation to the school of choice. You can see which districts have expanded choice programs on this SC Department of Education page.
Magnet Programs
These are public school programs based on specific themes, such as science and technology, or the arts, or a certain model of learning. Some magnet programs enroll students by a lottery system, and others do so according to test scores and other demonstrations of student merit. Nationwide, there are 3,200 magnet schools or programs, enrolling 2.6 million children. Close to home, Richland School District Two in Northeast Columbia has a robust magnet school program (36 programs in elementary, middle, and high school). As many as 40% of the District’s students participate in either a magnet or choice program. You can see which districts have magnet programs on this SC Department of Education page.
Public Charter Schools
These are tax-funded, tuition-free schools managed by an “authorizing board” such as a school district, university, or non-profit organization. There are 7,000 charter schools nationwide, educating 2.6 million children in 44 states.
Online Schools
Public, virtual e-schools are internet based and tuition-free. Two examples are Connections Academy and K12. Students at these virtual schools have principals, teachers, and classmates. Although these students are attending school at home, they are not “homeschool” students according to South Carolina law. Rather, they are public school students completing the SC public school curriculum, and participating in the state assessments with a goal of receiving a SC high school diploma.
Private Education
Going back to our definitions, private schools are so named because their funding does not come from public taxes. Private schools may be faith-based or non-sectarian, boarding or day schools, military or designed for students with special needs. There are more than 33,000 private schools in our nation, educating more than 5.4 million children. Locally, an online search for private schools in the Columbia area reveals around twenty, in addition to private preschools.
Homeschool Education
This is my favorite! Homeschool education is quickly growing as a popular education choice, involving over 2.3 million students nationwide. It is permitted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with requirements varying by each state. Within the homeschool community at large, you will find a staggering diversity of approaches to homeschooling, reasons for it, curriculum, and philosophies, as well as outside programs that support it.
Programs Available to All Students
There are also programs and courses available to all students. VirtualSC offers online courses for high school credit to public, private, and homschool students from grades 7 through 12. It is a program, not a school, and so does not issue diplomas. For a student to participate, schools (or parents, for homeschool students) must register with the virtual education program and fulfill certain requirements. In addition to VirtualSC, all high school students have the option of taking dual-enrollment courses at colleges and universities, allowing high school students to also earn college credit.
I am very aware of the fact that different educational choices exist on paper does not mean that all students are able to take advantage of these different choices. Not all public school districts offer the same array of programs as others do, and for some, geography and personal financial situations limit those choices as well. But for many, the ability to choose begins with an awareness of what those choices even are. I am thankful for the choices that exist in our state, especially here in the Midlands, and for both the freedom and the responsibility we as parents have to make those choices to the best of our ability for the children we love so much.
Which option have you selected for your child and why?
