Quantcast
728 x 90
728 x 90
728 x 90
728 x 90
728 x 90

Tools of Choice: Dougco’s Press for Informed Parental Decisions

Making choices is tough. Would Spiderman or Batman win in a fight? Should I have ice cream for dessert, or should I have ice cream and candy for dessert? What should I do with my finger after picking my nose? Should I ask for a smaller present on both my birthday and Christmas, or should I just ask for one really big present? It all gets a little confusing if you ask me.

If you think that little guys like me have it rough, you should talk to our parents. They have to make hundreds of decisions, all (ok, most) of which are more important than the already stressful choices I outlined above. Among those choices, one stands out as particularly consequential: Which school best fits my child’s needs?

That, my friends, is a tough nut to crack. In fact, one of the most commonly cited arguments against school choice is that some parents—particularly those who don’t earn much or who have lower levels of education themselves—simply aren’t able to find the information they need to make good choices for their children. In one district, that may be about to change.

This year, Douglas County School District, already one of my favorite districts because of their ongoing battle for school choice, is working to make sure every parent can learn about their options using some pretty neat tools. These tools include:

  • A full-time Parent and Community Liaison to assist Dougco parents.
  • A Parent University designed to “provide training, information, and resources to parents and caregivers that will aid parents in their essential responsibility for influencing children’s lives.”
  • A School Selector Tool that will allow families to help families match their students with the right schools.
  •  Four Choice Fairs this week that “will highlight the unique learning styles, environments, and programs offered at different schools.”

Pretty cool, huh? I’m especially excited to see how the School Selector Tool will work when it is officially released next month. If you are in Dougco and looking for more information before then, you should head over to the last Choice Fair tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Castle Rock Middle School.

And remember, DCSD’s Open Enrollment Window begins on November 1 and runs through January 6.

Good luck on your choice adventures, fellow school explorers! Just be glad that your parents are out getting the information they need to make big choices while we’re still talking about Spiderman and Batman fighting.

Batman wins, by the way. Batman always wins.