Tag Archives: community ambassadors

School Choice Advocacy Days are a success!

1 Reply

School Choice Ohio’s School Choice Advocacy Days were a huge success!

We invited people from all over the state to come to the Ohio Statehouse to meet with legislators. They shared their personal stories about why school choice is so important, and their support for expanding school choice to more Ohio families.

The members from the House of Representatives were happy to take time out of their day to meet with us, and discuss what school choice means for all of Ohio’s families. During the meetings, we also had the opportunity to share with Ohio’s leaders why Governor Kasich’s income-based scholarship program proposal is so vital for our state.

Representative Smith

We would like to give a big shout out to all of the moms, dads, students, teachers and school leaders who took time out of their busy schedules to make the trip here to be an advocate for expanded school choice. It’s important that we keep letting our legislators know why Ohio needs school choice and needs to expand it so more families can send their children to the school of their choice!

If you weren’t able to make it to one of the School Choice Advocacy Days, don’t worry! You still have a chance to advocate for school choice at our upcoming Rally for School Choice on April 10th. Interested? Sign up for more information here.

Representative Huffman

Representative Beck

Representative Driehaus

Representative Adams

Cincinnati Legislative Candidates’ Night

Leave a reply

Yesterday, School Choice Ohio hosted its first Legislative Candidates’ Night at DePaul Cristo Rey High School in Cincinnati. Nearly 30 parents, candidates and school leaders came out to learn more about school choice in Ohio.

After opening remarks from SCO’s Cincinnati Mobilization and Outreach Coordinator Roni Craft, Sister Jeanne Bessette, the president of DePaul Cristo Rey, told those gathered about her school and the exciting opportunities that it presents to students in southwest Ohio, many of whom are attending the school with the help of an EdChoice scholarship.

Following Sister Bessette’s remarks, SCO Legislative Director Jason Warner spoke about our work on behalf of parents and students and presented information about the three scholarship programs available to families in southwest Ohio – the EdChoice Scholarship Program, the Autism Scholarship Program, and the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program. He also introduced four parents who spoke about their personal experiences with the scholarship programs and explained why they decided to take advantage of the scholarship programs.

Holli, the mother of two students who receive EdChoice scholarships, spoke about her personal experiences saying that her son used to struggle academically, but now he excels in school. He plans to go on to college and become a lawyer or a public servant.

Shawna and Carol each have a son with Autism. Shawna home schools her son, and Carol’s son attends Linden Grove School. Both of these moms shared their personal experiences with the Autism Scholarship and discussed how it is changing their lives.

Another parent, Havilah, who applied to be among the first to receive the new Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship, spoke about why she decided to apply for the scholarship to provide the services that her son requires to succeed.

Jason closed the program with a preview of some of the legislative issues that SCO will continue to advocate for during the next year, including the expansion of existing scholarship programs and the creation of a new, statewide income-based scholarship program, as well as continued advocacy for student-centered funding and greater availability of information to families about the existing scholarship programs.

The night was a great opportunity for parents to interact with Ohio’s present and future leaders and share their personal stories about how school choice has had a positive impact on their lives. Jason said it best in his closing statement at the event: “By working together, we can achieve the ultimate goal of ensuring that every child in the state receives the best education from the best schools.”

We are planning additional candidate events in Columbus and Akron in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more information about when these events will be coming to your area.

 

Tomorrow is School Choice Advocacy Day at Ohio Statehouse

Leave a reply

Tomorrow is School Choice Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse, and we are thrilled that more than 50 parents, students, and school choice supporters will be making the trip to Columbus to talk with their legislators about the importance of school choice.

Participants in School Choice Advocacy Day believe that every child in Ohio deserves a quality education that best meets his or her learning needs and that parents should have the life-changing opportunity to choose the school that will best prepare their child for success.

We are so excited to have such a great group of advocates joining us for the day.

Scholarship parents and students will share their personal success stories about how Ohio’s school choice programs are changing their lives. Other parents will share with their legislators that they wish they had a choice in their child’s education. Supporters will explain why they are so passionate about school choice.

We would like to extend a big thank you to all who are participating. We can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

Do you want to be involved in future events promoting school choice in Ohio? Get involved today! Check back tomorrow for photos from School Choice Advocacy Day!

Parent Ambassador Helps Inform Community about School Choice

2 Replies

It is National Volunteer Appreciation Week! This week, School Choice Ohio will highlight the work of the many volunteers who help spread the word about the importance of school choice.

Across Ohio, parents and supporters partner with School Choice Ohio to build awareness and support for school choice in every corner of the state. These community volunteers are informing their neighbors about the options that are already available and creating a groundswell of grassroots support for expanded school options.

Here we feature Rhonda Smith, an ambassador who lives in Columbus. Thank you, Rhonda, for using your time and talents to build support for school choice!

Rhonda Smith is a central Ohio ambassador who works with SCO Outreach and Mobilization Associate Shari Perkins to spread the word about school choice in the Columbus community.

“Thanks to the school choice ambassadors in central Ohio, like Rhonda, we are able to spread the word about school choice to many more families,” says Shari. “Rhonda is a valuable part of the School Choice Ohio family. She is an exceptional member of our parent ambassador team, and her commitment is truly appreciated.”

Rhonda joined the parent ambassador team four years ago. She felt it was her duty to become involved because she was so grateful for the EdChoice scholarship.

As an ambassador, Rhonda volunteers at various community activities to encourage and inform local families about their school choice options. She also coordinates meetings for parents at her local school during which she hand out information about school choice. In addition, Rhonda helps to coordinate opportunities for parents and school officials to talk with legislators during a school tour.

Rhonda has developed these simple steps to set up school tours with legislators:

  1. Contact the legislative representative(s) for your school and ask he or she to consider visiting/touring the school that has made a positive impact on your child’s education through the EdChoice Scholarship Program. Rhonda’s Tip: Check the representative’s availability during school hours so that they can observe or engage with students when school is in session.
  2. Contact the school administrator and advise them of the above. Determine what day and time would work best for the school tour.
  3. Once a date has been set, confirm with all parties.
  4. The tour should consist of parents, school leaders, and the legislative representative(s) touring the facility. Rhonda’s Tip: Inform the school leader that he or she should expect questions regarding the impact of the EdChoice Scholarship Program on the school/community.
  5. Once the tour is complete, you could also set up a question and answer session with parents, school leaders, and the legislator(s).

Rhonda’s vision for the future of school choice in Ohio is that one day all children in our state will have the opportunity to receive a quality education. She also has a very important message for Ohio parents. “To other parents, I would say make an effort to be involved in some aspect of school choice,” says Rhonda. “The future of your child’s education depends on it!”

Parent ambassadors play a crucial role in expanding school choice options to more Ohio families, and we are so thankful for all they do! To find out how to become a school choice parent ambassador like Rhonda, sign up here or call 614-223-1555.

 

Virginia Walden Ford: A Message for Ohio Parents

Leave a reply

We had the pleasure of having Virginia Walden Ford in Ohio for National School Choice Week. She inspired many parents and school choice supporters across the state while talking about the importance of empowering parents to find the best learning environment for their children. She also shared an important message for all Ohio parents, which you can watch below. 

 

 

Are you interested in spreading the word about school choice in your community? Do you believe that all children deserve a quality education that best fits their learning needs? Do you think that all students should learn in a great school that is a great fit? If so, sign up today to become a school choice ambassador. 

 

Parents testify in support of Tax Credit Scholarship Bill

Leave a reply

Ohio parents offered testimony on Tuesday to the House Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill 242, which would create a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for individuals, couples, and businesses that donate to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations.

Parents with children who currently receive a scholarship through the Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund (NOSF) to attend a private school were among the witnesses. Through their testimony, committee members heard how receiving a scholarship made a positive impact on the lives of their children. The parents encouraged the legislators to pass HB 242 so that many more students could have the same opportunity given to their children.

Below are excerpts from their testimony.

“I am pleading with you to pass House Bill 242. For myself, this will allow me more flexibility to pay for the additional tutoring and academic needs my son may have. For others it will allow them to attend the school that they know will give their sons and daughters a better opportunity.”
- Crystal Posey, Parent

“Without this scholarship we would not have been able to send our children to the private school. I can’t tell you how grateful we are for this scholarship and for all the kind and considerate people that have made this possible. It is my hope that the tax credit proposed in House Bill 242 would make this same opportunity available to more families like mine.”
- Martha Meek, NOSF Parent

“House Bill 242 would provide additional incentive for current donors as well as encourage new donors to support the program which would mean more scholarships for students to have the choice to attend private schools.”
- Ann Riddle, NOSF Program Coordinator

School choice ambassadors help keep communities informed

Leave a reply

In Ohio, you don’t have to look far to witness a school choice success story. At School Choice Ohio, we are lucky to work with many wonderful families who are so pleased with their experience that they have become school choice ambassadors. Located all across the state, each one has a unique story about how school choice has impacted their lives.

The recent expansions made to the school choice programs in Ohio’s state budget are thanks in large part to their commitment and dedication to spreading the word about school choice. They talked to newspapers, radio hosts, TV interviewers, legislators, community members, friends, and family members about the positive impact of school choice and the need to open it to more families.

Families asked for more educational options, and Ohio’s leaders listened. Now, more families than ever will have the opportunity to choose the best school for their children. These are great steps forward, but we must also remember that there is still work that must be done to ensure all families in the state have that same opportunity.

Public involvement is more important now than ever, and we are always looking for new ambassadors! If you are passionate about school choice and want to share your story, let us know. Sign up to become a school choice ambassador now.

As Jenell Blackmon, a school choice ambassador from Akron, explains in the video below, it is so important to spread the word about educational options within your community.

Ohio School Choice Supporters Honor Dr. Friedman’s Legacy

Leave a reply

School leaders, school choice families, and elected officials gathered on Friday in Akron, Cincinnati, and Columbus at events to honor Dr. Milton Friedman, the father of school choice, during a national day of recognition for the Nobel Laureate, his work, theories, and contributions.

Although he typically is recognized for his contributions to the study of economics, Dr. Friedman spent the last decade of his life fighting to bring educational freedom to all of America’s children. In 1996, he and his wife Rose created the Foundation for Educational Choice to promote his vision for universal school choice—an idea he first proposed in 1955.

Dr. Friedman’s vision led the way for school choice programs across the nation. 

In Ohio, with the recent school choice expansions in the budget, more parents than ever before will now have the opportunity to choose the best learning environment for their child. School Choice Ohio was happy to remember Dr. Friedman, who paved the way, as we celebrated these recent expansions with school choice supporters from all across the state last Friday.

Below are photos from the events.

Akron Celebration

Akron school leaders and parents enjoyed a dinner celebration of Dr. Friedman's legacy and recent expansions to school choice programs in Ohio.

 

Cincinnati families gathered at LaRosa's to honor Dr. Friedman.

State Budget: Proposed Impact on School Vouchers

Leave a reply

The two-year state budget process is moving forward, and it is taking school vouchers forward with it.

Today, the Ohio Senate proposed the creation of a Special Education Scholarship, much to the delight of the many families who have been sharing their stories with legislators for the past several months and years. The Senate also maintained the school voucher expansions proposed in the Ohio House and Senate.

Senate’s Special Education Scholarship proposal:

  • For many years, parents of students with special needs have been asking for the same opportunities that students with autism already enjoy with the Autism Scholarship.
  • The Autism Scholarship is a proven program that is making a difference for students. This scholarship expands eligibility beyond just one type of disability.
  • A special education scholarship would allow any student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to receive a voucher worth approximately 80% of their public school funding.
  • The program is capped at 5% of the students in the state with special needs which would provide just more than 13,000 scholarship opportunities statewide.

House of Representatives’ proposed expansions (proposed in April):

  • Increase the Cleveland voucher amount to parity with the EdChoice Scholarship. Cleveland vouchers are now worth $1,100-$1,900 less than EdChoice, just because they’re in a different city. The House proposal addresses this historical inequity.
  • Allow high school students to apply for a Cleveland voucher to address another historical inequity in the Cleveland voucher versus the EdChoice voucher – the inability of students of high school age to access a Cleveland voucher. The House proposal would allow Cleveland students in any grade to apply for a voucher.

Governor Kasich’s proposed expansions (proposed in March):

  • Expand eligibility for the EdChoice Scholarship by adding a 2nd definition of low-rated schools based on performance index score. This change is estimated to increase EdChoice eligibility by more than 60% from 85,000 to 140,000 students.
  • Quadruple the number of EdChoice Scholarships available to eliminate the current waiting list for families
  • Add a summer EdChoice application window to allow newly-eligible families to apply for the upcoming school year.

All of these proposals build on each other and would mean major increases in voucher eligibility for Ohio families. If all these changes pass, eligibility would nearly quadruple from 120,000 to 440,000 and the number of vouchers available in capped programs would increase from 20,000 to almost 80,000 spots.

Voucher Program Current Capacity Proposed Capacity Current Eligibility Proposed Eligibility
EdChoice Scholarship 14,000 60,000 85,000 140,000*
Special Education/Autism n/a 13,000 15,000 260,000
Cleveland voucher 6,000 6,000 26,000 40,000
Total: 20,000 79,000 121,000 440,000

* estimated

The state budget is required to be finalized by June 30, after the House and Senate hammer out the differences between their versions in June.

 

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Barb’s Story

Leave a reply

While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

I was very excited when I learned that my daughter was able to get an EdChoice Scholarship because the middle school she was enrolled in was failing.  I enrolled her in a private, Christian school, which she loves. It was a night-and-day difference from her previous school. She came home telling me about all the things she was learning that she hadn’t learned in public school. She also noticed the positive attitudes of students and staff. Rather than loud, rowdy students pushing their way through hallways, the students in her new school were quieter, more orderly, and full of joy.

I am so grateful to have the EdChoice scholarship for my oldest daughter, but I am very disappointed that my other children are not able to access that same opportunity because they are enrolled in a school that is not failing. Although their school is not in the lowest 5% of the state’s schools, it still is not the environment that I would choose for them or an environment that I feel is helping them reach their highest potential. I wish all my children could go to a private Christian school for free, not just one of my kids.  I hold onto that hope, wishing I had a choice.