What’s Your (School Choice) Story?

Sharing stories of educational choice is key to understanding its importance for Ohio families.  While the issue of educational choice may be debated, the experience and success of students who were given a choice are powerful.

It is clear to see that Brandy Williams is a mama bear.  As the parents of 9 children, Brandy and her husband have taken their children’s education very seriously, choosing home education and making financial sacrifices when educational choice was out of their financial reach.

Tell us your story – Has school choice made a difference in your child’s education?  If so, how?

I have a large family.  My husband and I have 9 children and have been marries for 22 years.  We had started homeschooling our young children but were hoping to be able to one day send our children to Christian Community School.  We were able to get a small scholarship for one of our daughters and she was able to attend CCS while we homeschooled others.  It was growing increasingly harder to come up with the (tuition) funds, so we homeschooled all our children for quite a few years.

When I was pregnant with our 7^th child, we decided that I really needed help.  We decided to ask for help to have our children attend CCS.  There were donors that stepped up to help pay the tuition so our children could attend.  It really was a blessing.  Since then we have had to pay into the tuition each year which is still a large sum considering our family size.  We are so thankful to be able to continue sending our children to CCS because we have a choice!

Why do you feel school choice is important for Ohio families?

I feel there should be opportunities for lower income families to be able to choose where their children attend according to their beliefs.

Why did you look for an educational path other than traditional public school?

I am a Christian.  My husband and I believe, as followers of Jesus Christ, that He should be at the basis of what our children are taught.

Why did you choose Christian Community School for your children’s education?

We love that we can be a part of what our children are being taught.  It is such a small community which gives it more like a family atmosphere.  Also, our children get more one-on-one interaction with their teachers because of the smaller class sizes.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when considering private education?

The cost to send our large family has been the most challenging part of sending our children to a private school.

Brag on your students!  Tell us about all their accomplishments!  Where are they now?

School Choice Ohio wishes to thank the entire Williams family for their willingness to share their school choice story!  A special shoutout to Brandy for her commitment to her children’s education.

She truly is a mama bear!