Why The Norman Family Supports ESAs
Nevada took a huge set forward in empowering all parents…and South Carolina would do well to follow their lead. Thanks to the introduction of Education Savings Account, NV parents like Zavia Norman can provide their children with high quality, individualized education. In a recent article published by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, Ms. Norman shared the blessings of the ESA program:
“My daughter Laila is happy when she goes to school. She has a smile when I pick her up. And I know that she is learning and is engaged in her classes while she is away.
These simple blessings may seem trivial to some, but they are precious for my family. They are made possible, in part, because of an Education Savings Account.
Just last school year, things were so different for my sweet girl. Laila was attending a public charter school. Her first years there were great, but things changed.
Laila is a shy, quiet child. So when she didn’t understand something, she stayed silent because she knew her teachers would ask less of her. In fifth grade, this happened until she was slowly left behind in every class.
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Meanwhile, the school didn’t notify me until it was too late about her struggles. Midyear, Laila was failing her classes, so I intervened immediately by talking to her teachers and even the school principal. We came up with a plan to help her, but it was too late and not working.
As the end of the school year approached, Laila was far behind.
As a mother, my job is to protect my children and make sure they have what they need to thrive. I knew that if Laila went directly to sixth grade, she would continue to struggle tremendously that year and likely every year after. So I suggested to the principal that we give her the chance to repeat fifth grade so she could enter sixth grade as a confident and capable student.
But her teachers and principal disagreed, saying Laila would be ok in sixth grade even though she was clearly far behind her classmates. The school seemed to blame my child’s lack of focus as the problem. I knew right then that this school was no longer beneficial for my child…”
And that’s when Zavia decided to search for a new school for her daughter. Zavia’s story is one of parental dedication to finding the best education for her daughter.
