Patricia Levesque is the Chief Executive Officer for ExcelinEd.
Today, ExcelinEd released four new model policies that would transform public schools and make education options more accessible to students and families. If you have been following our work, you know that we are on a mission to create a student-centered education system that empowers parents, eliminates boundaries and reimagines learning. For more context, read this brief article about the criminalization of seeking a quality education.
Policies that focus on educational opportunity and student success do not have boundaries. Instead, they break down outdated practices that restrict students to certain school zones, require certain enrollment qualifications and deny flexible access to public classrooms. Check out this panel discussion from our 2021 National Summit on Education to learn more.
This policy would require that each time a new building is constructed with state funds, it is open to all students. It means the local school board must commit to open enrollment for that school, not enrollment based on a student’s residential address.
This policy requires districts to reserve a portion of their schools’ capacity for students who live outside of the district.
This policy would allow parents to enroll their children in a school that is closer to their place of employment (within a five-mile radius), regardless of the family’s residential address.
This policy would allow districts to grant funds directly to families. Funds could be used for school transportation or to access various educational opportunities. If adopted, this policy would create a more even playing field for low-income parents who seek best-fit educational opportunity for their children.
At ExcelinEd, we believe that policy changes lives. These four policies would create new opportunities for parents and students. When students succeed, so does the entire community.