Cultural change is like watching children grow. My children grew daily, but virtually unnoticed until they visited grandma out of state. She kept a pencil-mark measurement every time they visited. As the years passed, the marks progressed up the woodwork. Public opinion is often difficult to measure. However, every now and then, a benchmark identifies the next shift. Then comes the realization of the child’s growth or how far cultural thought moved. When the culture reaches a “tipping point,” the change begins to spread, like the recent wildfires we witnessed in California.
The largesse of the education establishment prohibits little more than a snail’s pace of change from the issues surrounding teacher education programs and licensing, to curriculum, standards, textbooks, testing, expectations, accountability, funding, merit pay, privatization, choice, etc.
Two situations recently caused me to pause. I slowed down to realize that choice, a free-market-based educational perspective, is taking root. Our country is not at a “tipping point,” but the idea of options is gaining ground. While they continue to spend millions of dollars lobbying citizens with fear tactics against choice, those in the establishment know they must be open to alternatives. The growing number of families choosing options other than the traditional public school model provides incentives for the system to change. It is the old “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality.
Several years ago, California’s education establishment reluctantly accepted homeschooling as a valid education method.
Did you know families in California can enroll in a public “homeschool?” Yes! Public education includes homeschooling. I had the opportunity to visit Orange County’s Community Home Education Program (www.ocde.K12.ca.us/chep/index.htm). More than 1,300 students are enrolled with several sites conveniently located in office parks. A teacher meets with parents/guardians in her office as a consultant. The system freely provides teacher manuals, textbooks, workshops, and other services.
In the late 1990s, after the program showed success, the state superintendent sent a letter to all homeschool families stating they must enroll in a government program. Needless to say, public outcry was strong and loud. The fury was hotter and faster than the fires recently witnessed. The state superintendent was removed from office, and the mandate never saw the light of day. Currently, families choose to independently homeschool or enroll in the government homeschool program.
While some see this as a “government” encroachment, I see it as a change of thought. The local systems recognized the market for this approach, and they could either offer this option or continue to lose families.
Recently in Mecklenburg County the “First Annual School Fair” was held at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart — the first time in history all types of education providers were under one roof for “customers” to review. Private schools, religious schools, boarding schools, military schools, homeschooling associations, tutoring services, charter schools, and traditional school systems were represented.
School choice at its best? A huge step is missing, but a step the public is beginning to understand. Publicly funded scholarships programs and tax credits are necessary for lower-income families to fully participate. With more options, it is only a matter of time before a “tipping point” occurs. The “fires” of opportunity for all students are only beginning!