Submitted by: Myke
While politicians dither, parents are doing everything they can to improve their children's education
By Karen Gray
Parents want the best education possible for their children — and they're willing to do almost anything to get it.
For instance, this past April, Reno's MyNews4 reported that approximately 50 families in Churchill County began sleeping overnight April 27 at the county fairgrounds. They stayed and slept there until April 30 in hopes of securing enrollment spots for Oasis Charter.
Melissa Mackedon, a founding member of Oasis, was asked by the TV station why parents felt so strongly. Was it because of the 20-student cap on classroom size at Oasis Charter? Or was it parents' frustration with the public school system and its looming cutbacks?
"I think it's both," said Mackedon.
"I'd camp out for a week. And I think parents across the country who might think 'they are crazy'... well, you can laugh about it and joke, but I think 1,000 people watching this would say they'd absolutely do the exact same thing for their son or daughter," said Mackedon.
Those parents — the ones "crazy" enough to camp out for a week to give their children a better education — are why the school-choice movement is gaining steam in Nevada and nationwide.