More families are gaining access to education savings accounts, scholarships and alternatives to the school assigned to them by their ZIP code. Beginning in 2027, a new federal scholarship tax credit will expand educational choice even further. But before we talk about how many choices parents have, we should ask a more important question: Do parents actually know what they are choosing?
When you choose a school, you are choosing an environment that will influence your child during some of the most formative years of their life. Parents deserve to know what happens there. Parents in Scottsdale, Arizona, began challenging books carried in their school libraries after discovering material they believed was inappropriate for children. In one case, an 11-year-old checked out a book containing discussions about contraception and finding sexual partners through social media.
The district later removed the book from its middle-school libraries. But the school library is only one window into a much larger issue. Colorado mother Erin Lee discovered that firsthand. Lee’s 12-year-old daughter was personally invited by a teacher to what she understood to be an after-school art club. According to allegations later documented in federal court proceedings, the meeting was a Gender and Sexualities Alliance gathering. Students discussed gender identity and sexual orientation.
The family alleged that students were told that discomfort with their bodies could indicate they were trans and were cautioned about discussing the meeting with their parents. Her daughter came home saying she would transition. The Lees removed her from the district the next day. The family's lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, and the courts did not find the district legally responsible for the alleged actions.
But for parents, there is still an important question: Wouldn't you want to know?