Parents Deserve Real Choices, Not Empty Promises: Expanding Public and Accountable School Choice

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By Keri Rodrigues, President, National Parents Union

The state of education in America is at a crisis point, and as parents we are demanding action. Despite billions of federal investments, student outcomes continue to decline, leaving our most vulnerable children behind. It’s time for real accountability, bold leadership and policies that prioritize student success. Parents aren’t just stakeholders, we are the driving force for change. If I had the opportunity to testify before the Education and Workforce Committee yesterday, I would have made one thing clear: the system is failing, and families will no longer be ignored. Read more below.

Chairperson, Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before Congress on a matter that defines the future of our children: ensuring that every family has access to high-quality, publicly accountable school options. My name is Keri Rodrigues, and I am the President of the National Parents Union, a coalition of 1,800 parent organizations representing over 2 million families in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

I am here today not as a policy wonk or a think tank executive—I am here as a mother and a fighter who has lived through the failures of our public education system. I didn’t attend some elite private school where opportunities were handed to me. I went to public schools that failed me, schools that didn’t see my potential or nurture my talents. And now, as the mother of five sons, I am fighting to make sure my children—and every other child in this country—don’t have to experience the same thing.

I represent the true voice of modern American families—parents who love public education, but not in the way a five-year-old loves their mommy, where she is perfect, can do no wrong, and never needs to change. We love public education because it is the cornerstone of our democracy, because it provides opportunities for every child, and because we believe in its potential. But real love isn’t blind—it demands accountability, growth, and evolution. We cannot afford to romanticize a system that has allowed generations of children, especially Black, Brown, low-income, and neurodivergent students, to fall through the cracks. Our public schools must be willing to change, to innovate, and to break the cycles of generational trauma that have held too many students back for too long.

Public School Choice is the Real Solution

Public school choice options—charter schools, magnet schools, and open enrollment policies—are not just about expanding access; they are about raising the bar for quality and ensuring every school is working for students and families, not bureaucracies. These options are free, accessible to all families, and held to clear, transparent, and public accountability measures. They must:

  • Meet state academic standards and conduct standardized testing to track progress.
  • Operate under performance-based contracts that require proof of student success—or risk closure.
  • Preserve the civil rights of all students and educators, ensuring no child is denied access to a quality education based on ability, language, or background.

Public charter schools must demonstrate their effectiveness—or they lose their right to operate. Magnet schools provide specialized curricula that allow students to thrive in environments tailored to their talents and interests. And interdistrict open enrollment policies give families the freedom to find the best educational fit for their children—without being restricted by outdated district boundaries.

And let’s be clear: parents from every demographic and political background overwhelmingly support these options. According to the National Parents Union January 2025 poll:

  • 80% of families support increasing the number of public charter and magnet schools to create more choices.
  • 83% of families support a universal enrollment platform for K-12 public schools, making it easier for parents to navigate their options.
  • 83% of families believe that children should be able to attend a public school of their choice—not just one assigned by their home address.
  • 76% of families support eliminating punitive laws that penalize parents for crossing district lines in search of a better school for their child.

Proven Success, Tangible Results

We have real-world evidence that public school choice works. In Denver, the universal open enrollment system ensures that families—not bureaucrats—choose the best school for their children. The result? Denver’s fourth-grade reading scores on the NAEP have steadily increased, with a seven-point gain in 2024, outpacing other large cities. Parents want this kind of success replicated nationwide.

What Parents Won’t Stand For

We want schools that work. Period. What we do not want are so-called “school choice” policies that funnel public dollars into private institutions that refuse to be held accountable to families. Here’s what’s unacceptable:

  • Programs that disproportionately benefit higher-income families while leaving low-income families without meaningful options. In Arizona, for example, voucher usage is 28 times higher in wealthy communities than in lower-income neighborhoods. That’s not equity—that’s exclusion.
  • Schools that take public funds but refuse to demonstrate student success. In many states, private school voucher programs have led to lower academic achievement, leaving parents to gamble with their child’s education.
  • Private institutions that discriminate. Every school receiving public dollars should be required to accept all students—regardless of disability status, language ability, or background. Federal funding must come with clear, enforceable civil rights protections..

Demanding Better for Our Children

The demand for public school options is high, and parents are leading this fight. We are not willing to sit back and watch our children’s futures dictated by outdated systems that prioritize institutions over kids. It is time for Congress to act.

Parents want high-quality, publicly accountable schools that answer to families. We are calling on lawmakers to expand public school choice options—not programs that allow private institutions to take public money without public accountability. Every child deserves access to a great education, not just those with financial means.

This is not a partisan issue—it’s a parent issue. And we won’t stop fighting until every family has the power to choose a great public school for their child.