Selfless Choices

Selfless Choices raises awareness of the education options afforded to our children as it offers encouragement and empowers the reader. Through the eyes of a person of color living in the inner city—the Bronx—Sharon  shares her extensive search for better education opportunities for their  son. She explains how she met and handled the various challenges—both pro and con —and what the results were as she gained access to information for her son’s elementary, middle, and high school education. In her memoir, she also shares with the reader how the inner-city public schools had failed her and so many of her contemporaries. 

During her search, she stumbles upon the private independent school system. Having little knowledge of how it all worked, yet possessing a very clear internal and external vision of her own journey, she is able to navigate this seldom-traveled path for parents of color and those from underserved communities. This veteran mom’s discoveries have now equipped her with a road map to share with the reader the necessary tools to seek admissions.  

A private independent school education will help shape and prepare the child for higher education, their careers, as well as provide an awareness of a wider range of opportunities that will impact their communities, and many times the world at large. 

Through a connection to the author’s personal story, the reader may recognize their own or similar stories, and learn that they are not alone on their journey to educate their children more adequately.

Overview

Purpose and Need

The public schools are at a disadvantage, especially the inner-city public schools. For decades, funding discrepancies have plagued our education system, where the dollars allocated per child are substantially lower in underserved communities. This inequity of funding has not only negatively affected African American children, but also children of other ethnic backgrounds and those children coming from lower economic means or underserved communities who attend these substandard schools. Public schools are publicly funded and are mandated to offer equal education and academic opportunities for all. But many fall short. 

Given the complexity of this topic and the variety of paths this book could have taken, she has chosen to enlighten, encourage, and empower the parents of the millions of children who are subjected to this ongoing state of affairs with an alternative solution. This book provides information on the private independent schools : how to navigate, search for schools, apply, and prepare for this experience, should parents decide to pursue this route. One caveat: there are always advantages and potential disadvantages of the private school experience; the expense is sometimes a factor, yet it does not have to prevent or obstruct the opportunity. 

U.S. private independent schools offer one of the best educational experiences any caring parent could hope and expect for their child. We were fortunate to have come upon this information, which resulted in our son being afforded this outstanding education, that later led to his acceptance to leading Ivy League universities. Private independent schools will effectively shape and prepare the child for higher education, their careers, as well as provide an awareness of a wider range of opportunities that will positively impact their communities and the world at large. 

Unique Angles

In this book, the author

· Elaborates on her own experiences and challenges to help parents work through their education options. The book provides a step-by-step guide for parents who are interested in investigating and applying to a private independent school.

· Addresses the reality of pursuing a private independent school education by genuinely embracing its merit.

· Provides the reader with information on a variety of programs available to the family, which will inspire and encourage them to stay on course, take the leap, and follow their inclination to seek a private independent school education, or make meaningful noise at the school that the child/children attend(s).  

· Presents compelling reasons, given her true-life experiences, about why wiser choices are necessary to educate the child of today, not only for the individual and their family, but for the whole of our nation.

· Provides the reader with information and further readings that shine a spotlight on the public schools and how they are affected by the disparity of funding, with the inner-city public schools suffering to an even greater extent.

· Addresses how America has turned a blind eye and deaf ear, requiring many parents to accept the current state of a broken public education system.

· Touches upon widespread discrimination, especially in our education system.

· Elaborates on the benefits of a private independent school education and how it prepares a student for competent leadership skills, a prerequisite for the real world. 

· Gives the reader the necessary tools to pursue this all too seldom traveled path, with a section specifically dedicated to how to begin: “Helpful Organizations and Websites.” 

Selfless Choices is a beautiful look at how parents can and should advocate for their child’s education. Sharon Young gives an honest and heartfelt look at how her efforts allowed her son to get the most value from his education. This story will inspire and motivate other parents to view their school options with positivity and hope.

- Christina Yother, Ph.D.