This week Compass Charter Schools (CCS) is celebrating National School Choice Week. We are taking a stand for our scholars, parents, and staff to help raise awareness about the importance of choice. Schools of choice, like CCS, allow scholars to choose a quality educational experience that best meets their unique needs. To celebrate, we decided to ask a few of our high school scholars to share their perspective on the importance of school choice and what it means to them, their family and their goals.
Here’s how three of our high school scholars feel about school choice and their experience at CCS:
Daniel O., a tenth-grade scholar at CCS.
Some kids are really lucky. They live in a great neighborhood with great schools. Some kids though, for one reason or another, are not that lucky. They might live in a good neighborhood, but the schools in that area might not be so great. Or, there may be problems at their local school. Some kids live in low-income neighborhoods and unfortunately, most of the time, that means the schools are also bad. This is the reason why the new paradigm of being able to choose the school that you want to attend is so important. Sometimes, the school closest to your home isn’t the right place for a scholar to get a great education. A great education is an important part of every child’s future and being able to choose puts the control directly into each scholar’s hands. Having access to a great education, no matter where they live or what their background might be, gives every scholar the ability to succeed not only in school but in all of their future endeavors.
Once my family decided that online learning was the right choice for me, we spent a lot of time looking at the different choices available. I really liked the model of learning from home that was computer-driven and allowed me to be in “classrooms” with other kids my age. My passion when I was going into the sixth-grade was science, so I chose Compass Charter Schools. My mom really likes the Compass Charter Schools format because it is challenging while still allowing me to have time to do other things that I enjoy. I also like Compass Charter Schools very much because I have great teachers and great schoolmates. I am glad that I chose Compass Charter Schools!
Alani S., an eleventh-grade scholar at CCS.
School choice is really important to me because I want to be prepared for college and my life. High school is the time that I have to prepare for college. So learning and getting the best experience as possible in school, makes all the difference for my future. School is important to my family because they want me to live a great life, they want me to be knowledgeable and know what is best for myself. A good education is necessary to prepare for a job, and more importantly life itself.
Compass Charter Schools is the best school for me. I say that in the most substantial way possible. The reason is that I want to become an actress without missing school, and CCS gives me that opportunity. Because of CCS, I have the option to do my school work anywhere, at any time. I also have the flexibility to do more school work one day if I know I will be busy with acting the next day. CCS has made it possible for me to learn and get straight A’s in eleventh-grade while working a part-time job and attending an Acting 1 class at a local college. In all, an astonishing job. A huge thank you to my teachers, and more so my school counselor, Gabriela Gonzalez and college career counselor, Edith Cruz for keeping me up to date, involved, and for their significant assistance overall. Because of Compass Charters Schools, I have the time and am able to participate in many activities.
Ariel B., a twelfth-grade scholar at CCS.
School is the stepping stone to your future. During your four years of high school,
you begin to take a good look at what you want to do with your life. For me, it was important to choose a school that would help me achieve the best grades and compliment my academic skills. My parents looked for a school that could help me achieve my academic goals, and we believe that CCS has helped me become a better scholar.
Compass Charter Schools was the best decision for me because it allows me to grow and learn at my own pace. It gives me the resources I need to exceed academically. CCS helps scholars by allowing them to create their own school schedule. Within the past three years that I have been part of CCS, having the ability to create my own school schedule has helped me be successful. This independent study program has helped me become a better scholar inside and outside of the classroom.
We would like to thank Daniel, Alani, and Ariel for sharing their experiences at CCS, a school of choice. Our scholars understand the value of school choice and we are truly proud to offer the flexible academic solutions that they need to achieve their goals. This week, we’re inviting all of our scholars and learning coaches to share their perspective on the importance of school choice in this brief survey and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Compass Charter Schools (CCS) is a WASC-accredited virtual charter school that serves families throughout California. Interested in learning more about CCS’ flexible academic programs? Visit our website, or contact our enrollment team at enrollment@compasscharters.org or (877) 506-8631.