School Choice Programs

School choice programs allow public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that parents/guardians select to meet their child’s needs—whether that’s to a public school, private school, charter school, home school, or any other learning environment. ASHA supports the right of a child’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to choose the education setting for their child. However, it is critical to maintain appropriate funding for public school systems that serve both general education and special education students as well as those that attend specialized schools.

School Choice Impacts School-Based Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)

School based audiology and speech-language pathology services are funded by public federal and state funds. Here are ways that funding for school choice programs can impact you and public school programs.

Allocating public funding to school choice programs may reduce funding for services and supports provided in public schools.
Loss of revenue in the public school system can lead to reduced special education services and loss of jobs for special education providers, including educational audiologists and SLPs.
Higher caseloads may occur when students who left the public school system to attend a choice program return to the public system because they are dissatisfied with the school choice option. Once public funds are allocated for school choice programs that funding does not return to the public system resulting in less funding for programs and services.

Stay informed and get involved!

Read the full Issue Brief [PDF] on ASHA’s position and advocacy strategy with decision makers.
Be an advocate! Review ASHA’s talking points so you know what to say on this issue.
See an overview of school choice programs and trends developed by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Get information on school choice options [PDF] from the Congressional Research Service
See an overview of history and types of school choice programs in the United States.
See the ti ps for considering school choice options for parents and families to ensure that they are fully informed about the opportunities and consequences of those decisions.