LIBRE’s POV on Education
Education
Educational attainment among Hispanics and Latinos is rising. Now nearly 30 percent of all public students are Hispanic. A strong education system shapes students who are prepared to lead good lives, have the skills needed to succeed, and be valuable members of civil society, The purpose of K-12 education is to help students discover, develop, and apply their unique abilities to establishing a foundation for life. All students should have access to a quality education that helps realize their full potential.
Children have different learning styles, abilities, and talents that are best met when they have access to a number of educational options. Hispanics consistently show higher support for educational opportunity policies compared to other demographic groups. Our diversity is what makes our country and our communities strong, and we deserve educational options capable of fully leveraging it.
Unfortunately, America’s children are often stuck in a one-size-fits-all system rather than one that focuses on what every individual child needs. The same educational setting and system that is effective for one child may not be effective for another.
The LIBRE Initiative believes that students and families should have access to a quality education that fits their needs and helps them succeed. To honor the qualities and characteristics that make our children who they are, our education policies should expand the ability of families to choose the right school for their students, whether it’s public, private, charter, homeschooling or any other option. When families have the freedom to choose the best education for their children, everyone wins.
Unleashing Potential
Education should be an experience that fosters the unique potential of every student. Unfortunately, today’s system instead focuses more on the routine process of schooling—telling students to sit quietly and memorize information. The result is students who lack the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It also fails our nation’s teachers, many of whom spend an average of 45 school days each year prepping for and administering standardized tests rather than engaging students in a rich curriculum based on their needs.
An “All-of-the-Above” Approach to Increasing Opportunities in Education
Much of today’s education debate misses the point: It shouldn’t be about where students go to school. It should be about how to best meet each student’s own unique needs. It’s why we’ve united with teachers to promote various educational options that provide three-dimensional learning opportunities to students across the country—whether it be public or private, charter or home school, four-year college degrees or vocational training.