“Washington School Choice Week” offers new resources for parents
WA Governor Proclaims “Washington School Choice Week” January 23-29, 2022
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Washington Governor Jay Inslee has proclaimed January 23-29, 2022, as Washington School Choice Week.
“The goal of the week’s celebrations is to raise awareness about educational opportunities, bringing parents from every background and income level clear information about their learning options,” according to the proclamation.
During the fourth week of January, the National School Choice Week is also taking place. Schools across the country will host school fairs, open houses, rallies, student showcases, at-home virtual visits, all to highlight the K-12 education options of kids, according to the press release. Across the State of Washington, the proclamation said that schools have planned 279 events, and 26,000 events are planned nationwide.
“Quality education is critically important to the economic vitality of Washington and the well-being of individuals and families,” Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation.
The not-for-profit week focuses on sharing information on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options.
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Washington School Options
Magnet Schools
Free public schools allow children to focus on a specific learning track such as engineering or performing arts. Education experts from the School Choice Week program said this is an exciting option if your child has a particular interest.
Private Schools
These schools are nonpublic schools that charge tuition and may offer “unique curriculum, smaller class sizes, a faith-based tradition and programs designed for children with special needs,” according to the National School Choice Week team. There are 750 private schools in Washington with tuition starting around $11,000 to $13,000 depending on the grade level. According to experts, there is no state-run tuition assistance for Washington families, but scholarships may be available.
Learn more at the Washington Federation of Independent Schools and Private School Review: Washington.
Online Learning
Washington offers students free, full-time online learning options, and experts said this is a good option if you’re looking for accelerated learning or a quiet environment.
To learn more about online learning and the technical support in Washington:
- Digital Public School Alliance – WA
- Washington Virtual Academies
- Washington Connections Academy
- Virtual Prep Academy of Washington
- Insight School of Washington (Extra learning assistance for grades 9-12.)
Homeschooling
If parents are interested in a flexible learning program and want to customize their children’s education at home, this option is available.
Learn more about homeschooling and the state requirements:
- Home School Legal Defense Association
- Washington Homeschool Organization
- Christian Family Home Educators
- Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington.
Learning Pods
“Micro-schools, pods, pandemic pods, and learning pods all refer to the same concept: students gathering together in a small group – with adult supervision – to learn, explore, and socialize,” according to the National School Choice team. Education experts said there are two types of pods, self-directed pod and learning support pod.
- Self-Director Pods (Homeschool, Homeschool Collaborative, or Micro-school): Parents are solely responsible for determining their own curriculum, lesson plans, and methods of instruction, in accordance with state laws and regulations.
- Learning Support Pods: The purpose of these pods is to help students better acclimate to learning provided by existing schools so that students can learn together and parents can accommodate their individual work needs.
Learn more about learning pods on National School Choice Week.
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Additional Education Resources
In addition, visit these resources to learn more about school choices in Washington:
- National School Choice Week
- Washington’s Department of Education
- Washington State Charter Schools Association
- Washington Federation of Independent Schools
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