Shelby Doyle is the vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, a nonprofit that hosts National School Choice Week each January and maintains the nation’s largest online portfolio of English- and Spanish-language school navigation resources.
School choice is alive in Delaware.
Just look at the state’s flexible public school transfer options and the high percentage of families choosing charter and private schools. In many cases, moms and dads have learning options, know their learning options and are choosing the best fit for their students.
As National School Choice Week, Jan. 26 through Feb. 1, marks its 15th year, students across Delaware will celebrate their learning choices. There’s certainly much to celebrate, but there’s still a way to go, too.
This School Choice Week, let’s recognize Delaware public schools. Let’s highlight how the state has some of the most expansive open-enrollment options for public schools in the country, allowing families to enroll their children in any public school across the state, regardless of where they live or where the school is located. Delaware school districts also cannot charge tuition for transfer students, which means families have unrestricted access to search for a free public school where their child feels safe, inspired and motivated to learn.
Let’s celebrate students being able to choose magnet programs. These free specialty initiatives offer theme-based education with focuses like science or the performing arts. There are, however, only a few in the state, such as Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Conrad Schools of Science in Wilmington.
While Delaware has limited magnet options, it has more than 11% of students in over 20 public charter schools, which have extra autonomy and freedom to innovate compared to traditional public schools. In fact, Delaware ranks seventh in the nation for the highest percentage of students enrolled in charter schools. Let’s celebrate the ingenuity of these schools, which bring fresh perspectives and teaching methods to students for free.
Meanwhile, more than 12% of students attend one of Delaware’s private schools, making it the fourth-highest state in the nation for the percentage of students enrolled in these facilities. While the state does not have a state-run private school choice program, private scholarships, such as through The Delaware KIDS Fund, remove the financial barrier of tuition for some families, opening this valuable choice to more students.
When it comes to online learning options, Delaware does trail behind many states in offering families choices. Delaware does not provide an official online school; however, Christina School District in New Castle County offers a fully virtual program. Families outside of the district may be able to use open enrollment to attend the school. Online learning can be an invaluable option for students with special scheduling or health needs, as well as children in remote areas and those looking to accelerate learning.
In addition to public, private and online schools, let’s celebrate that Delaware families can choose to homeschool their kids, tailoring a curriculum and schedule to their individual child. They can also participate in a microschool, a small, innovative learning group. Across Delaware, local communities have founded microschools with focuses such as game-based learning, homestead and nature-based education, and more.
Besides the high percentages of students already using school choice, recent polling also offers evidence that Delaware families are excited about a variety of educational opportunities. As just one example, in a poll conducted by EdChoice, support for different school choice programs in Delaware is high, with 77% of parents in favor of education savings accounts, which give families funds to use flexibly for learning needs, such as tutoring, private school tuition or educational summer programs.
Even with Delaware’s menu of schools and parents’ interest in education options, there is still a long way to go to ensure that every family has the access and information to find the best learning fit for their child. This may include, for example, understanding how school lotteries work, when to apply for a school transfer and whether your student qualifies for scholarship assistance. Equipping all families with the support they need to navigate K-12 education will help Delaware meet not only the social-emotional needs of individual children but also address longstanding challenges, such as declining math and reading scores, while fostering excellence in education.
With families in Delaware already embracing a variety of learning opportunities, the state has a vibrant foundation to build on. Expanding access to high-quality educational opportunities and ensuring that all families know how to navigate their options can help even more Delaware kids succeed.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
