New book gives families an objective look at all education options

National School Choice Week 2020 is drawing to a close, but the Center will continue advocating for all students and families to be able to access the learning environment that best meets their needs.

As a product of the multiple faces of school choice (private school, home education, online learning, and public school) and as a teacher at various learning environments (a traditional public school and a charter school), I understand the importance of empowering parents to choose the learning environment that will provide effective education for their child—and trusting them to do so.

But not all parents are aware of the education options available or how to navigate through the different types of K-12 learning environments in their state. Thanks to a recently published book by Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, families can explore the similarities and differences between traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education environments to help them find the school where their children will learn, succeed and be happy. The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child provides parents jargon-free school search advice and an objective look at all of the options available.

“What might be a perfect school for one student might not be a good fit for a child who lives right next door,” Campanella said. “Actively choosing a school or learning environment for your child allows you to select an education setting that best meets your child’s unique interests, and this book is here to help you through the process.”

“Parents know their children better than anyone else, and yet parents are often told to ignore their own instincts and expertise when thinking about K-12 education,” Campanella said. “My goal with The School Choice Roadmap is to encourage moms and dads across America to harness the power of their own intuition when choosing their children’s education.”

Raising awareness of effective education options is a year-long effort, and we hope you remember the purpose of celebrating opportunity in education: to provide hope for students and emphasize the importance of diversity and variety in K-12 education.