COMMENTARY: South Texas needs school choice, equal opportunities

Students in South Texas are back to school, and many are returning to schools that might not be meeting their needs. This raises an important question for parents whose children are stuck in failing schools: Why do we continue to follow the same failing education system? And why is choice only for the rich?

Fortunately, there is a wave of opportunity sweeping across our country that has the potential to improve the futures of millions of American children. This opportunity is rooted in a simple yet deeply American concept: school choice.

As Texas women actively involved in our communities, we understand the importance of school choice, particularly for women and minorities in South Texas and across the state. It is the belief that a child’s education should not be determined by their zip code. More and more states, like Arizona, Arkansas and West Virginia, are leading the charge in this movement, and it is our hope that Texas will soon follow suit.

School choice is about empowering individual students to thrive in an environment that best suits their needs regardless of their background or parents’ income level. Without this option, many parents are unable to provide the best education for their children. This is where education savings accounts (ESAs) come into play. Proposed in the Texas Legislature, ESAs would create a new funding mechanism that gives parents $8,000 to spend on tuition for public, private, charter or home schools, tutoring services and additional educational resources. This would help level the playing field for minority and low-income students who would benefit the most from such a tool. Importantly, this funding would not come at the expense of public school funding. Lawmakers in Austin should pass this commonsense proposal in the special session scheduled to begin this month.

Why should only wealthy parents have the ability to choose where their children go to school? As a mother in South Texas, I know first hand that every child is unique and one school may not be right for a family with multiple kids, like mine. Private schools are not the only answer, but not having the choice to direct educational support to a variety of options should not be a barrier for low-income families. These children are capable of extraordinary things and deserve the same opportunities as their wealthier peers. It is time to give parents and students a voice and choice in their education because one size does not fit all.

Opponents of school choice often claim it is an attack on our public school system. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, introducing competition in education will only strengthen our public schools. They will be forced to innovate and improve in order to attract students, rather than relying on guaranteed financial success even when they fail our children. We refuse to accept that Texas students on the STAAR test are thriving when 52% of third-graders meet or exceed grade-level expectations for reading, while 43% meet or exceed expectations for math. When our students are barely breaking the 50% mark in literacy, should this not be a sign that doing the same thing over and over simply isn’t working? Our teachers are doing everything they can to help, but it’s time for parents to chime in and demand more.

It is worth noting that many current politicians who argue against school choice themselves attended private schools or send their own children to private schools. This raises the question of why they would deny the same opportunity to other families who may not be as financially successful. Perhaps their opposition is influenced by the financial support they receive from public school unions?

The bottom line is that when schools compete, children win. And when children win, our country grows stronger. School choice should not be a partisan issue, and it is crucial that Texas provides this critical opportunity to every child in our state. Let’s give all Texas families the ability to choose what is best for their students.

Mayra Flores of San Benito is a former representative for Texas’ 34th Congressional District.