https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl en-us 2021-09-07 22:34:26 UTC 2021-09-21 23:57:12 UTC hello@padlet.com mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723119664 My professional perspective is that school choice is important for families to understand so that students receive the educational experience that is best for them. My field of education is professional school counseling. The topic of this Legal Guide is school choice; parents/students having the ability to choose the school in which they attend. The intended audience of this Legal Guide is any parent interested/concerned in them having a choice in which school their child will attend.  I chose this topic because I was able to benefit from the ability to choose the school/program that was best for me and my educational journey.]]> 2021-09-07 23:36:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723119664 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723120191 I interviewed Carrianne Faulkenberry, the school counselor at Roscoe Wilson Elementary in Lubbock, TX. The school Mrs. Faulkenberry works at is actually a school lots of families within our school district transfer in to so I figured she would be a perfect person to interview regarding school choice. Mrs. Faulkenberry made it clear that knowing and understanding the current laws regarding school counseling and a student's education is crucial to a school counseling program. A school counselor has to know what is allowed for students and their parents when it comes to the role they have in the decision-making in their child's education. Mrs. Faulkenberry said it can be hard to keep up with all of the different laws/policies/statutes/rules when it comes to the counseling profession so creating a guide such as this one is a good resource to be able to refer back to as the years go on. Mrs. Faulkenberry noted that following current court cases regarding certain issues, such as school choice, is another way to ensure you are staying up to date on best practices. Another thing Mrs. Faulkenberry kept saying was, "counseling can be a very tough and emotional job but, to see a student find success on the other side of an issue makes it all worth it in the end." Mrs. Faulkenberry said that the following things were important when it comes to school choice: 1. Always keep the student's best interest in mind regardless of your personal feelings toward the transfer, 2. Ensure that the student's and their parents are well informed of the policies regarding transfers and programs they are interested in, and 3. If your opinion is asked for, make sure you remain professional and keep your personal biases out of the conversation. Mrs. Faulkenberry and I discussed how the "virtual school" option rocked the educational world. Last year, students were able to choose from regular face-to-face instruction and participate in school virtually through Google meet and Google classroom. We talked about how it will be interesting to see if families fight for more options to receive this type of instruction rather than attending "normal" school. We both believe that face-to-face instruction is hard to beat but again, the families have the right to choose which education style is best for their children when available.]]> 2021-09-07 23:37:09 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723120191 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723120530 National School Boards Association: This link takes you to a PDF providing additional information and statistics on school choice. The report describes how school choice is a major component in the educational journey of both the parent and student and provides information to aid in this decision making process.

Center for Public Education. (2017). School choice: what the research says. National School Boards Association.]]> 2021-09-07 23:37:25 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723120530 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723121204 -school choice provides equity for students
-school choice is trending towards people choosing for programs/courses more so than whole campuses
-creates personalized learning experience for each student
-school records could be a roadblock
-parents need relevant information as to what programs are available and the data reports from students who chose similar pathways]]> 2021-09-07 23:37:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723121204 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723121438 -pandemic allowed more funding to fuel school choice
-varied state to state
-mostly charter schools benefited from funding
-"Education is not one size fits all"
-whether it's controversial, parents have the right to choose what is best for their child's education]]> 2021-09-07 23:38:08 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723121438 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723122799 Texas Education Code Chapter 25b §25.033 - Statutory Law. This statute made it to where parents could have their child transferred from one school to another within the school district (2 TEC §25.033(1)).
- Families can apply for a transfer/voucher within their school district
- Bullying can play a factor in school transfer for a student]]> 2021-09-07 23:39:01 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723122799 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723123340 (19 TAC § 247.2.) Educators’ Code of Ethics, 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2. This section/rule discusses what is expected from teachers working in the state of Texas. 
-States that teachers will not intentionally deceive people of the district's or state's policies such as parents/students having the right to choose what school they wish to attend. 
-It is not the teachers job to twist the policy to stop a student from leaving their school, their job is to follow and abide by set policies.
-Teachers should support students and their families in the best way that they can.]]> 2021-09-07 23:39:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723123340 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723123972 1954: Brown vs. Board of Education - Judicial Law.
-The ruling from this monumental court case found that segregation was unconstitutional in public schooling (Brown v. Board, 1954). 
-Students were not denied entry to a school based on their race
-Teachers were not denied a job based on their race
-One of the major foundation points for the fight for equality for students]]> 2021-09-07 23:39:43 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723123972 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723124564 1866: The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution - Constitutional Law. 
-This amendment made it to where people within the United States had the right to obtain an education without interference from the state government (U.S. Const. Amend. XIV). 
-The state cannot dictate where a student attends school
-The state must provide a system where every student has the opportunity to receive a free and high-quality public eduation]]> 2021-09-07 23:40:09 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723124564 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723125235 Lubbock ISD has a transfer policy for the students of the district. Parents may complete transfer request forms for their students to attend a school outside of their attendance zone. The policy does have certain stipulations regarding the student's transfer. 
Lubbock ISD. 2020. Lubbock isd school board policy: admissions intradistrict transfers and classroom assignments. Lubbock ISD School Board Policy. ]]> 2021-09-07 23:40:39 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723125235 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723125734 B.1(b): "Respect the rights and responsibilities of custodial and
noncustodial parents/guardians and, as appropriate, establish
a collaborative relationship with parents/guardians to facilitate
students’ maximum development." (ASCA, 2016). This ethical standard states that school counselors must respect the right of the parents, which includes possibly moving their child to another campus. A school counselor could best support the parents and students by arranging a meeting with the counselor of the new campus to provide a clear and smooth transition for the family and set the student up for success.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf]]> 2021-09-07 23:41:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723125734 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723126588 This project allowed me to see the backside to the opportunities I was afforded in my educational journey. From the legal standpoint, there were many that came before me that were a part of the "pavement" that lead to laws, statutes, and codes that allow for me and other students to have school choice. From an ethical standpoint, as educators/counselors it is our job to do what is best for students and sometimes that means the student we love moving to an environment that is better suited for them. and sets them up for the greatest amount of success.]]> 2021-09-07 23:41:39 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723126588 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723127654 -Support the parent(s) in their decision
-Do not let personal feelings about the new campus interfere with your professional obligation to the parent and student
-It is not the job of the educator/counselor to impose their opinions on the family in an attempt to coerce them to not transfer
-Ensure parents have reliable and relevant information on all available options they have regarding their child's education
-If a student transfers to your campus, regardless of their background, they have the legal right to be at your campus and should not be treated differently
-There are rules/policies/laws at local, state, and federal levels stating that families have the right to choose the school/program that best serves the needs of their child]]> 2021-09-07 23:42:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1723127654 mmills101 https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1750658808 -American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf
-Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 US 483 (1954).
-Center for Public Education. (2017). School choice: what the research says. National School Boards Association.
-Educators’ Code of Ethics, 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2
-Elgart, M.A. & Wheelan, B.S. (2018). How school choice is about to fundamentally change. EducationWeek.
-Lubbock ISD. 2020. Lubbock isd school board policy: admissions intradistrict transfers and classroom assignments. Lubbock ISD School Board Policy. 
-Mulvihill, G. (2021). Some governors use federal virus aid to expand school choice. abc News.
-Texas Education Code Chapter 25b §25.033
-U.S. Const. Amend. XIV]]> 2021-09-18 17:01:33 UTC https://padlet.com/mmills101/guo0qbcne3xg9rjl/wish/1750658808