Thread by @teach0r

I'm not a large enough account to make a difference but I wanted to share our "school choice" experience in AZ. Our neighborhood public school failed last year. No gifted services, no teacher for half the year, etc. So I pulled her and signed her up for a charter.

We went to an "Academy" that focused on science and was accelerated. It was "free" but we had to drive 30 mins, no lunch, etc... pick up lines were horrible. Then I found out my gifted kid was getting remediation in math and reading because the whole school got that.

Turns out, 77% of this accelerated academy's students were minimally or partially proficient on the state's ELA and math test so their school plan included remediation. My 5th grade gifted kid was getting phonics lessons. I pulled her out...

Sent her to another charter school known for academic excellence. Three weeks in, and they were failing her and she was suicidal because the work was insane, there was little adjustment period, and they were focused on overloading kids rather than engaging them.

The school we wanted to choose was further away in Phoenix, based on our religion. But tuition was 18k a year, and we got only 6k in a voucher. If we used the voucher, we couldn't claim the rest on our taxes. So, we were left to fund the other 12k a year ourselves.

None of these schools, charter or independent offered buses, reduced lunch options, etc. After care was expensive. Sometimes I waited 2 hours to pick up my kid, which isn't sustainable for working people.

So, we're back at our neighborhood school. My kid is now in therapy because of the one school experience. She's not getting gifted care, or support, and I am left to educate her on our off time.

We couldn't afford school choice, and so her education will suffer because her neighborhood public school is massively underfunded to pay for school choice, so that people who can afford it, get a break. My kid is being sacrificed so the rich can get a 6k coupon.

So, that's our experience. Poorly run charters, expensive independents where the voucher didn't help... and people who can't find the extra 12k a year end up at the underfunded public schools suffering because of these school choice laws.

The kicker is, we've got some opportunity. We aren't desperately poor. We would be considered "middle class" and we couldn't afford it. I can't imagine what people with less income can do. School choice is only for the wealthy elite. end my TedTalk.

Also, at least one class my kid has a basis had no curriculum. The teacher couldn’t give me study materials because they were creating it the night before.