Rally celebrates 30 years of school choice in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota is celebrating more than 30 years of providing families with a variety of public and nonpublic education options for their children.
A rally in St. Paul to kick off National School Choice Week gave families an opportunity to explore their options while kids enjoyed music and play.
It allowed hundreds of Twin Cities kids to start the school week with a field trip.
It was a chance for students to celebrate with sing-alongs, dancing and playtime at the Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul.
School choice supporter Bree Kruse chaperoned her daughter Haven's class.
"Every family has their own set of values and things that are important to them and so being able to have the freedom to decide where your kids are going to spend most of their week and most of their day," said Bree Kruse, a school choice supporter.
In Minnesota, it's the freedom to choose between traditional public schools, public charters and magnets, private schools as well as online and homeschooling.
Kelli Schulte has had 20 years of experience teaching in nearly all types of schools. She also has used school choice to the maximum in her own family.
"One year we had five kids in five schools in three cities," said Kelli Schulte, a teacher at Hope Academy.
Schulte says parents considering a school should use their gut.
"Look at what's out there and where you're being drawn and go visit. Because when you walk inside the building. you feel the culture. You meet the people. That's how you know this is where your child should be or not," said Schulte.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on school choice in Minnesota. Families are now more open to different types of schools.
"That really woke parents up to literally paying attention to what's going on in their schools, in their school districts," said Schulte.
Schulte believes it's leading to greater competition, forcing schools to improve.
"Now we have all of these options which I think have been strengthened through the Covid era. Now those schools are getting stronger and getting more momentum," said Schulte.