It’s August already! For parents, we know that means school is just around the corner. As you buy school supplies and new clothes, take time to remember that nothing is more important to educational success than a parent’s involvement.

When it comes to education, all parents are basically looking for the same things: the teaching of solid, core academics – reading, writing, math, history and science – in a safe environment, with classroom time being spent on the basics before non-academic topics. More than anything, however, parents want to be involved in their child’s education, from choosing the school to having a say in how and what their child is being taught.

Arizona offers parents more education options than ever before. School choices include public, charter, private, home, and even online virtual academies. Choosing the best educational setting for your child is a highly personalized, individualized decision. Always remember that as a parent, you have the final say. No option is perfect for every child. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages. What may be right for one child might not be right for another. The choice may even change with time. At the Center for Arizona Policy, we do not endorse one educational option as “the best,” but support parents in deciding what’s best for their children and family.

A fundamental tenet of Christian parenting grants parents the ultimate responsibility and privilege to educate and raise their children. Only you, as a parent, should make that choice – not your friends, your own parents, your neighbors, your school district, or your pastor. Ultimately, you are responsible before God for how each of your children is educated.

You probably already have some ideas about what you want in your child’s education, but a step that is helpful for many parents is to put specific goals and objectives for your child’s education down in writing. This can be crafted into an “education mission statement.” Few parents do this, yet it is extremely helpful to being effectively involved in your child’s education. An education mission statement allows you to decide beforehand what you want for your child, and then provides a document for accountability as your child moves from grade to grade.

An educational mission statement, along with its specific goals and objectives, should be tailored to meet the needs and desires of your child and your family. Prayerfully consider what your child’s education should be like. Write it down. Keep the statement handy as you evaluate different education options. Then, choose the educational option that will best help you and your child fulfill your educational goals as reflected in your mission statement. Later, you can return to the mission statement as the school year progresses. If you keep your goals in mind, you are more likely to meet or exceed them.

For more hints on creating an education mission statement and for answers to hundreds of questions about educating your child in Arizona, please see The Center for Arizona Policy’s Parents’ School Survival Guide, available free of charge at www.azpolicy.org.

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Brad Frese is the Research Director for The Center for Arizona Policy www.azpolicy.org

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