What We’re Reading: Week of January 23-27, 2023
Excited to dive into the weekend after National School Choice Week, but not without sending out WWR first!
It’s Week 3 of What We’re Reading! In case you’re a new subscriber and missed our inaugural edition from the beginning of the year, click HERE for that — or HERE if you just missed last week’s (1/17 to 1/20)! Keeping with this week’s theme of National School Choice, all our clips this week are particularly focused on the topic, from The 74 to Chalkboard Review to NY Daily News (thank you for the Partnership shoutout, Darla Romfo!).
Thank you for stopping by the Partnership Press, and we’ll see you next Friday at the end of one of our favorite weeks… Catholic Schools Week! Don’t forget to subscribe to our Substack at the end of this page so you don’t miss a single post!
Please note that inclusion of an article is not an endorsement.
National News
Survey says? The 74 reports that The National School Choice Awareness Foundation polled a little under four thousand parents and found that more than half — 53.7 percent, to be exact — had considered or are considering a new school for their child(ren) within the past year. As the school choice momentum continues, it will be interesting to see how those in power will take these parents/families into account and what future decisions and policies are on the horizon.
“Can parents who are satisfied with the quality of their child’s school still want more information about options, or even be considering new or different schools? A new survey this month says so: 68% of parents are happy with the schools their children attend, but 54% considered a new school within the last 12 months.
These findings, released last week in a survey of 3,820 U.S. parents of school-aged children by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, paint a vivid portrait of a population that is eager for new education options, willing to consider innovative alternatives and hungry for information.
High parent satisfaction while searching for something different isn’t as paradoxical as it might sound. American families want not just a good education for their children, but a great one. Sometimes that means finding a better fit that’s specific to their unique student, even if he or she already attends a strong school.”
New York Minute
Featuring Partnership Schools!
Talking about all the school choices NYC has to offer, Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) President and CEO Darla Romfo released an op-ed with New York Daily News and used some great private schools in the city as examples… including one of our very own Bronx schools, Sacred Heart! Check out the whole article linked below.
LET PARENTS CHOOSE THEIR KIDS’ SCHOOLS BY DARLA M. ROMFO
“On another recent visit to Sacred Heart School in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, we were reminded of the unique culture these schools can cultivate when they can address the needs of the whole child — body, mind, and soul. This particular school is one of seven Catholic schools in the Bronx and Harlem run by Partnership Schools, which charges families an all-in amount of $1,250 per year, per student — a far cry from the city’s high-end private schools, where tuitions can top $60,000.
Many of the children attending Sacred Heart are English-language learners whose parents are recent immigrants. The core values of this school and the others in the network — integrity, humility, hard work, and service — are posted on the walls and supported by quotes from C.S. Lewis and Mother Teresa, among others. Best of all, based on what we saw and experienced as we visited several classrooms, these aren’t just words on the wall. They are the lived experience of what it means to be educated in this school.
The schools referenced here and hundreds of others like them in every corner of the city should be an option for many more children. This is National School Choice Week, so hopefully, greater awareness that these schools exist will lead to greater support for school choice in the Big Apple from our leaders who can make it happen.”
Cleveland Clip
New bill in Ohio alert! We’re keeping an eye on Senate Bill 11, which “would make all Ohio students eligible for the state’s EdChoice Scholarship program and significantly grow the state’s homeschool tax credit.” Read more from Chalkboard Review!
UNIVERSAL EDCHOICE SCHOLARSHIP BILL INTRODUCED IN OHIO SENATE BY J.D. DAVIDSON
“Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Ashtabula, introduced the Parent Education Freedom Act in the session that recently began. She said the newly expanded EdChoice Scholarship would give $5,500 for students in K-8 and $7,500 in grades 9-12 to be used in any public, community or chartered non-public school in Ohio.
‘Now more than ever, parents understand the importance of having options when it comes to their children’s education. The Parent Educational Freedom Act empowers our parents, encourages healthy competition and makes Ohio an even better state to raise a family,” O’Brien said. “Every parent has the right to choose a school that best meets their student’s needs, and I look forward to this bill allowing Ohio’s parents to make those choices.’”
Thank you again for checking out the latest installment of the WWR series! We look forward to seeing you next week, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a post!