A Milwaukee mom’s take on why more parents need educational choice Celebrating 35 years of advancing freedom in Wisconsin 'Such a blessing' A Milwaukee mom’s take on why more parents need educational choice August 16, 2022 - Elita Williams is the heart of a bustling home in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood. She and her husband preside over a household of six children plus extended family, three dogs and a cat. In addition to managing the comings and goings of her active family, she’s a teacher’s assistant at nearby Milwaukee Math and Science Academy. “I’ve been working with the second-graders for about six years now. And I love my job. I love working with the kids,” she says. The children in her blended family of three boys and three girls are ages 6, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14. All attend Milwaukee College Prep, a K3-8 public charter school open to all children who live in the city of Milwaukee. Elita’s oldest child, Brielle King, will be a freshman in the fall at Milwaukee Lutheran High School through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Brielle likes to play volleyball, dance, write and do a little math. She’s a bit uncertain about what high school will be like. “I’ve gone to Milwaukee College Prep from K4 to eighth for my entire life, so switching is going to be something new for me. But hopefully, it'll be OK,” she says. Elita and Brielle recently sat down for a Q&A with veteran journalist Marilyn Krause to talk about the benefits to their family of being able to choose a school and education program for the children and the key role the choice program plays in providing access and funding to attend a private school. Q: Elita, what made you choose to enroll your children in a charter school (Milwaukee College Prep) rather than traditional public schools? Elita: I was actually introduced to Milwaukee College Prep by the kids’ dad. His niece and nephew went there. I was young and inexperienced as a mom, so I relied a lot on his side of the family during that time. My mom and dad were both living out of town, so it was really just me learning and coasting and trying to figure it out. Q: Why do you think it’s important for parents to be able to choose where their children attend school or to have impact on their education — what they’re learning and how they’re learning it? Elita: I think because everybody deserves a chance to actually do something for their children or at least feel like they’re doing something that’s best for them. Q: Could your children have an education similar to what they have at Milwaukee College Prep without having access to a charter or choice school? If so, would you have been able to afford the cost? Elita: My children have never been in a regular public school, so I have no comparison. But I would not be able to send them to a school with this type of education without the choice program. I probably would not be able to afford anything other than a public school because my income is on the low end. This has been such a blessing. It started with Brielle in K4 when her father enrolled her. Once she was there, we knew the other children in the family could go there, too. Read more Video: A Successful school journey Elita Williams is a Milwaukee mom with five kids attending Milwaukee College Prep, a charter school, and a sixth who’s about to begin attending Milwaukee Lutheran High School, a private school that participates in the parental choice program. Williams says that having access to options like charter and choice schools have made all the difference for her kids, providing them with opportunities to grow academically and pursue their interests. Her daughter Brielle King says she’s been happy with the school choices she’s made, recognizing that a lot of students don’t have the same opportunity. 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