For the students

Traditional schools a choice too

It is no secret that school choice has arrived in Arkansas. Each year, more students and their families are navigating through a host of educational options to find the learning environment that best suits their needs.

As a public school teacher, I have long been a proponent of such choice in education. A public school teacher for school choice, you say? That almost seems oxymoronic.

Somehow, “school choice” has become a seemingly endless battle between charter schools, voucher programs, and traditional public schools. Too often the argument has centered on the fear of expanding charter schools and vouchers at the expense of traditional public schools.

But school choice does not necessarily equate to the demise of traditional public schools.

Traditional public schools are the cornerstone of an American education. Those who fear that the extinction of the traditional public school is on the horizon often fail to realize that traditional public schools are a great choice for students, too. It is up to us as educators and administrators to rise to the challenge and provide the quality of education that will continue to make neighborhood schools a great choice for students.

As a public school teacher, it is not my job to get flustered by the political realm that is school choice and education reform. Instead, it is my duty to enter the school building each and every day with a positive attitude and a flexible, open mind so that I can provide students with a quality education. It is my job to make sure traditional public schools remain an outstanding choice for students and their families.

In the classroom, it is my goal to instill a lifelong love of learning and to encourage students to believe in themselves. It is imperative that I model this lifelong love of learning in order to best meet the needs of the students in my classroom and at my school.

There is no prescriptive formula for success, but it is crucial that we, as educators and administrators, are willing to adapt to the needs of the students that we serve in order to provide them with the best education possible. This means bringing innovation to the traditional public schools, whether through instructional strategies or the technology we use, so that we remain a viable choice for students in the future.

Competition is not something that the education community should shy away from. Historically speaking, competition and choice have produced better outcomes for consumers.

Had Ford’s Model T never been challenged, what would the automotive industry look like today? I personally enjoy having a plethora of choices when it comes to the make and model of my vehicle. Choice allows me to select a vehicle that best suits my personal needs.

Some have argued that school choice creates detrimental effects for students because competition among schools inherently means students are treated as though they are identical widgets on a factory line. However, the recognition that students are not identical is precisely why I would argue that school choice is so important. Students all have unique learning needs, and they and their families deserve to choose the educational route that best maximizes their individualized learning experience.

Imagine if you had no choice in the car that you drive, the shoes that you wear, or the mobile device that you own. Just as Ford and Chevy, Nike and Adidas, and Samsung and Apple co-exist and succeed, it is possible for both charter schools and traditional public schools to co-exist and succeed, too.

We in the education community, be it charter, traditional public, or private school, should all focus on providing a better educational experience so that students and their families have many great options to satisfy their unique learning needs.

Let us all look closely and see that school choice is a wonderful opportunity. Have no qualms about it; the traditional public school institution is not going anywhere, but neither is school choice. So let this be a call to action. Let us all rise to the occasion and do what is best for the students.

After all, isn’t that who this is all about? Olivia Stone Bundrick is an eighth-grade math teacher at Morrilton Junior High School. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of Morrilton Junior High School or South Conway County School District.