My name is Priscilla Mercado and I have a family of four with a baby on the way. The Opportunity Scholarship is important for me because it helps me to help provide the education that my kids need. Private education is individualized. I feel like they learn more and there’s more personalized attention, so they have that opportunity to be at a new school. Without that scholarship, it’s very difficult; it’s a struggle.
I chose private education for my children because it’s a better opportunity for my kids. They learn more, they get more attention from teachers and they’re also learning religious values.
My kids did attend public school one time before, but I didn’t like it. They didn’t get personalized attention and I felt like there was a lot of bullying. My kids struggled a lot. There was a lack of social skills. There was a lot of bullying and no discipline. At their new school there is discipline. They’re learning values, discipline, and respect. Everything we teach them at home, they’re learning at their new school.
School choice is important because we can give them a better opportunity. They are able to learn more, have more attention and I feel like my kids will be more successful in their futures. That individualized attention is so important.
I would tell legislators to bring the scholarship back for the many families who rely on it, especially for someone like me, who has medical costs and has been through cancer, and with a baby on the way, it makes it very hard to afford the school without the scholarship. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have the scholarship for my children. It’s so hard on the family.
I hope legislators will allow families to get the scholarship so we have the opportunity for our kids to be in the school that works best for them, so we can give them the education they deserve.
