A just-released survey finds majority of Virginians want more school choices-even though most of them believe their traditional public schooling system is good. Survey responses indicate:

• 40% of parents said they would choose a regular public school for their child, but about 90% of Virginia's enrolled K-12 students attend regular public schools.
  
• 39% of K-12 parents say they would like to send their child to a private school, but only 9% of Virginia's K-12 students attend private schools.
  
• 11% of Virginia parents prefer to homeschool their child, but less than 2% of Virginia children are homeschooled.
  
• 8% of parents say they would like to send their child to a charter school; however, there are only three charter schools in operation in Virginia, serving approximately 190 students.

"Opponents of school choice are running out of excuses as evidence continues to roll in about the positive impact of charter schools," declared the Wall Street Journal last week.

In recent months research has shown that charter schools benefit their own students as well as students in surrounding traditional public schools. Low-income NYC students attending charter schools from kindergarten through 8th grade can nearly close achievement gaps with their peers in the affluent suburbs, 86 percent of the reading gap and 66 percent of the math gap.