Hundreds of parents, students, teachers and advocates gathered for School Choice Day at the State House on April 21 to show support for school choice and our many wonderful options in South Carolina.

After receiving our Champion of School Choice Award, Sen. Wes Hayes said “school choice is all about giving options to parents. One size doesn’t fit all students. Options within the public-school system are helpful for our state.”

South Carolinians are lucky: We have so many great options for our children’s education — charter schools, virtual schools, private schools, magnet schools and traditional public schools. We parents know better than anyone that our children all thrive in different environments. My son is succeeding through his dual enrollment at a local charter high school and our local community college, while my daughter is able to complete classes in her virtual classroom at her own pace.

One household. Two students. Three different learning environments.

Unfortunately, many children across the country are stuck in an outdated education system with schools that can’t cater to the individual needs of all their students. As education policy continues to develop with technology and innovation, these states will only fall further behind.

The Palmetto State has elected federal, state and local officials who have said #ITrustParents with school choice. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is a leading voice for education reform in Washington. We have several school-choice champions in the State House, whom we honored last week: Sens. Larry Grooms, Wes Hayes, Nikki Setzler and Tom Davis and Reps. Rick Quinn, Brian White, Mike Anthony and Rita Allison and state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman.

As my leadership role within this national parent advocacy organization comes to an end, I hope our work has shed light on the need for all elected officials to put their political parties and allegiances aside — and vote for children. Can’t we all support a culture of choice and equal opportunities in education for all students?

National president and S.C. chapter chair

PublicSchoolOptions.org

Greer