Opinion: Why School Choice Matters to Wyoming (Wyoming News)

Liz Williams began homeschooling her eldest son, Jacob, after realizing he was an advanced learner and needed more of a challenge than traditional school could provide. However, she quickly found a couple of issues with traditional homeschooling – namely, its high cost and the fact that there were no other teachers to support Jacob.

Jacob turned out to be not the only advanced learner in the Williams household. All six children are high performers. What’s more, two of the youngest Williams children, Trinity and Selah, suffer from Type 1 diabetes. The fact that Liz can help her daughters manage their diabetes at home is meaningful, as brick-and-mortar school staff are not always properly trained on how to assist students with medical conditions.

Support for school choice exists across the political spectrum and is rooted in the firm belief that parents know their children best. As the head of school for WYVA, I know that K12 Inc., the company that powers our school and others like it across the country, works hard to put students first and knows that parents are putting their children first every day. I respect parent choice in education because I firmly believe children can succeed when placed in a supportive environment that suits their individual needs. I see it occur first-hand for families like the Williamses every day in my school.

I am firmly committed to increasing education options for families, from online and blended charter schools to innovative digital learning programs offered through school districts nationwide.

Children are the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, we must do everything we can to give them the best education possible. A critical element toward achieving this goal is expanding school choice for all families and increasing the number of educational success stories for families like Williams across the nation.

Jeff Verosky is the head of school at Wyoming Virtual Academy. Email: jverosky@k12.com.