San Antonio – The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) will release a free Parents’ Handbook For Successful Schools to parents in Texas school districts. On the heels of the recent announcement of CEO Foundation that it will provide $50 million in scholarships to students in the Edgewood Independent School District in San Antonio, TPPF Vice President Melinda Wheatley believes the Handbook will be especially useful. “The Parent’s Handbook can serve as a blueprint for parents to determine the best schools for their children,” Wheatley said. Citing critic’s charges that private schools aren’t necessarily better than public schools, she said the Handbook will allow parents to make an educated decision on the best academic environment for their children’s individual needs. “Some children may flourish in a public school setting, while others would be better off in a private school. The keys are curriculum and instructional practices, and there are both public and private schools doing a great job in these areas,” Wheatley said.
The Handbook, which has been endorsed by national experts in education* such as Dr. Lynne Cheney, contains a checklist with questions for parents to ask of prospective schools relating to curricula and general instructional practices in each subject area. The elements of good textbook usage and elements of good testing and grading practices are also contained in the checklist.
TPPF is a nonprofit research institute based in San Antonio which is dedicated to the principles of limited government and individual responsibility. Education reform has been a primary focus of the Foundation since its inception.