Before Samuel was even born, I was told his life wouldn’t be worth living. After Samuel and I visited the White House this week, sitting across from President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, it warmed my heart to know how far we’d come.
When we went to register Samuel for Kindergarten, we were told to just “put him where he would be comfortable, don’t stress him out by trying to teach him.” When we pushed for him to attend his neighborhood school, we were told just “go home and take the six-hour break” and “let us do what we do.”
As a parent, that simply wasn’t good enough. My wonderful son, who has Down syndrome, deserved an appropriate education. We were not looking for a “break.”
We fought for better resources and programs and tried other avenues like virtual school. We finally called our state Department of Education, only to be told, “This is all you get, like it or not. You can’t do it without us. We control all the funds.”
This mother didn’t like it. I went on a search to find someone who would listen. It was then that I heard about school choice — the freedom in education to choose your child’s school or educational program. I was thrilled, but only for a minute, because at that time in our state of Ohio, choice offerings were limited to only typical learners with special circumstances or to those with autism.
Thankfully, a new bill was being introduced in the state senate for a scholarship to educate students with all special needs. I helped work to pass that bill, and Samuel was one of the first students to receive the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship. I worked to start a new functional learning program at our local private school, and finally Samuel had an appropriate place to learn. He finally felt that he fit in. He made friends and developed a love for learning. Now, all students with special needs in the state of Ohio can choose where they go to school.
It is time for that to be the case in the entire country for every student. It is time for true education freedom.
I have seen first-hand what can happen when parents are given the power to choose. I have seen the benefits of children being in the right learning environment for their unique learning style. Here are my son Samuel’s words on what choice meant to him: “School choice helped my dreams come true. I have a job and I volunteer in my community. I do things with my friends and family because of the skills I learned at my school. My school taught me the way I learn best and I was able to fit in. I made many friends and became part of my community. My teachers helped me become the best I can be.”
There are too many Samuels out there who are denied their dreams, simply because of politics.
I believe in education freedom for all students because it can be done better when everyone comes together in collaboration for what is best for the students.
The visit to the White House this week was such an emotionally positive experience. The opportunity to sit at the table with Trump, Pence, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and share our personal story was a dream come true. To be in the company of those that support freedom for all students regardless of their learning style, address, or income level was so inspiring. Samuel and I felt honored to be able to discuss options that have helped us and can help others – like the federal proposal called Education Freedom Scholarships.
To say that the Education Freedom Scholarships would be a blessing to other families like ours would be an understatement. Parents of children with special needs, especially with significant cognitive delays, are looking for resources that often go way beyond the typical realm of education. Most public schools offer a bare minimum of service, and the Education Freedom Scholarships would allow parents at the local and state level to access additional services to bridge the gap. The proposal would allow states to craft allowable services, which may include additional therapies, testing, transportation, and transitional services. Some students may require expensive ambulatory, medical, or assistive technology, and having that bridge could literally make the difference between success and failure for the entire family.
I applaud Trump and DeVos and the entire administration for their support of education freedom. I humbly ask for their continued support and continued discussion on how we can make sure that this is carried out for every student and every family in our great country.
I ask that we call upon Congress to finally embrace true education reform and pass this bill so we can take it to the states and make a real and equitable difference on the lives of America’s youth. We owe it to the youth of today and the future leaders of tomorrow. They are counting on us.
Tera and Samuel Myers live in Mansfield, Ohio.
