Texas Families First amplifies parents voices in school choice

Finding the best school for your child can be an overwhelming, daunting and frustrating task, according to Colleen Dippel, a former teacher.

When it came time to enroll her son in kindergarten, she thought she had everything figured out. They had selected a house in a neighborhood that would ensure they were zoned to a specific school. She saw the test scores and feeder patterns and thought it would be perfect for their family, according to San Antonio Charter Moms. 

After taking a tour of the school, her hopes were dashed. It was obvious this school would not work. They were now on the hunt for a school that would be right for their son. The process of researching, applying to and enrolling in a school other than the neighborhood option turned out to be much more trouble than she anticipated. 

When she asked other parents about their school search experiences, she learned that most information came by word of mouth from parent to parent. There was no organization in Texas that provided information about school choice with families as the priority instead of the school system or teacher interests. 

Dippel launched Families Empowered with the goal of listening to parents and meeting their unique needs as they navigate finding the best schools for their children.

In the past 11 years, Families Empowered has served more than 100,000 Texans interested in school choice for their families. Services include sharing school information, connecting families to the schools they want and providing assistance via a call center, according to San Antonio Charter Moms. 

Due to the COVID pandemic, more parents are looking for alternative ways to educate their children, looking for schools that are of high quality and more attentive. 

In order to position parents at the bargaining table, Families Empowered announces Texas Families First, an advocacy organization that supports parent voices, identifies parent advocates and fights for policies that lead to student-centered education options.

Texas Families First will advocate for smaller, more autonomous schools; micro grants to equip students with technology, tutoring or special education services; a shift toward competency-based education; and more flexibility within districts for families to choose schools through open enrollment policies, district charters and hybrid high school options.

Because of the pandemic, more parents are engaged than ever in their children's education. Their voices must be heard in order to help reshape education options moving forward, according to San Antonio Charter Moms.

More information about Texas Families can be found here.