Tera & Samuel Myers – Our School Choice Story

Why is school choice important to you?

School choice is important to us because every child deserves a quality education, no matter their physical address, economic background, or cognitive ability.
School choice/education freedom allows parents and families to make decisions about what is best for their children. Parents and family members know their children best and are the most informed and educated to make the decision of where to send them to school. With choice comes responsibility and parents welcome the responsibility to be a stakeholder in the education journey, adding value by making sure that education is fostered across environments.
When there is buy-in from families, when children “fit in” an environment, they succeed.
An education that is tailored to a student’s needs eliminates boredom, creates interest and reaches children based on their learning style and needs.

Why was this trip to DC so important to you?

This trip to D.C. was so important to our family because children with special needs have for so long been looked at as less than, and unable to be reached. Though our son has needs above those of his typical developing peers, he is capable of learning and contributing to society. When he participated in the first interview he was nervous and choppy, difficult to understand and articulation was difficult. By the end of day two, he had poise and confidence and felt valued as an individual, he brought joy and confidence to the event and was encouraging to the other students. This is a quality that we all need more of and he was able to “fit in” with his peers and be a part of sharing his journey with enthusiasm and confidence. By the end of the trip he was able to share his story – that education in an environment of choice helped him learn at his pace, in his way, to become all that he can be. He shared that he was able to make friends, and fit in just as he did on this trip. This was an amazing opportunity and an uplifting experience for students of need.

What was your best memory from your visit? Why?

Our best memory from the trip was the opportunity to share our story with the media and other parents. Though there were so many memorable experiences it was nice to see that it wasn’t just our family. Education freedom is for all, no matter where you come from, your zip code, or background. The education of our youth is about the future of our country. It is not an “us” against “them” situation. It is an all hands-on deck opportunity to save our nation. We need to get this right and hearing the stories of others and sharing our story gave us the opportunity to share that we all have a stake in this!