Yesterday while watching “Forest Gump,” I found myself thinking how “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” applies to our current situation regarding transparency in the schools. Until recently, it appeared that Durango embraced charter schools and parent choice.
Having taught for three decades, I find myself puzzled by the push back over parents’ request for more transparency. What’s the big secret? Let’s be honest, when what’s being taught is not transparent, we really “don’t know what we’re going to get.” The single most effective way to ensure accountability is for parents to engage in their children’s education. As a result, numerous states are enacting a “Parents Bill of Rights.” Many are passing laws giving parents the right to view curriculum.
With Durango students scoring 13% in math and 30% in reading before the pandemic, it’s understandable that parents might be seeking alternatives. Five hundred families have written letters of intent to Ascent Classical Academy. Approximately two-thirds of those families are home-schooled, many having left Durango School District 9-R. If Ascent were approved, these families would be welcomed back into the 9-R fold, knowing exactly what they’re going to get. The early application for Ascent has been submitted and received by 9-R. The board merely needs to review it. Isn’t our school board committed to meeting the needs of families ... all families? Hopefully, they’ll truly embrace equity and give all parents a choice. With choice we’re happy and free. That’s better than a box of chocolates.
Deborah Shisler
Durango
