School Choice, A Family Choice: The Rodriguez Family

For the fourth installment of “School Choice, A Family Choice” during LFC’s celebration of National School Choice Week, we share the story of a Louisiana family that is taking advantage of the state’s educational choice options, including public charter schools, traditional public schools, scholarship schools, online schools, and homeschooling.

Rodriquez FamilyLouisiana’s school choice options are working for thousands of families like Jenifer Rodriguez’s. The mother of four is thankful for the flexibility it affords her in educating her children.

Gregory, her 14-year-old, is academically advanced, and also has a severe congenital heart defect. He was traditionally homeschooled for 10 years, but now attends Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy (LAVCA), a public charter school that uses the K12 online curriculum to offer students in grades K-12 an innovative learning environment.

Jenifer also has two children attending Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet School. Students are taught in a setting where the teacher teaches without speaking English to the students.

“My family is one of those examples of where it’s not a cookie cutter situation, one size fits all. Every child is different and may not have the same needs as another sibling. So, I have explored different options for all my children,” said Jenifer.

What would Jenifer say to elected officials who want to take away school choice options?

“If everybody is forced to go to a neighborhood school, you’re putting your kids back in a box and they are not allowed to explore their gifts and talents. That would take away opportunity for these kids, not only socially, but academically. I think we would be moving back in time. We fought too hard for our civil rights to move back in time. I believe in a parent’s right to choose. These are our children.”

Listen to Jenifer Rodriguez discuss the flexibility Louisiana’s school choice options provide families: http://bit.ly/2juZt8M

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