They are the women who advocate alongside. They are the ones who tell our stories.

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This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” And here at PSO we want to take the opportunity to recognize women who have embodied the spirit of this theme throughout their work with our organization. Today we celebrate Letrisha Weber, PSO Board President, and her steadfast commitment to ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education that works for them.

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How long have you been advocating and what inspired you to get involved in the school choice movement?

I believe about 8 years.  I’m not really one to count.  State virtual school budget discrepancies threatened to change logistics at our hybrid the next year which wouldn’t align with my work schedule. I asked the head of schools how to prevent the changes and he told me to be at the statehouse the next week.  I’ve been advocating ever since.

‍Having lackluster K-12 experiences ourselves, we wanted better for our children.  We wanted our children to have an educational environment that is encouraging, nurturing, and that taught them how to be learners—not just cover the material.  Independently homeschooling was an overwhelming idea as I am a working mother. That’s when I heard a radio advertisement for our beloved hybrid school.

Do you feel this alternative schooling option allowed you and your family to pursue a career or interest that you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise?  The adaptability and support from the school has made the opportunity for our oldest to progress quickly toward an interpreter career. The local schools would have limited this potential by not providing additional language levels once completing the high school’s provided courses. Maxing out their options early would have slowed progress.

What is your most memorable moment in advocacy?  My favorite moment was watching the skeptical legislators observe my oldest during a Statehouse demo day. It didn’t hurt at all that she was correctly demonstrating Pythagorean Theorem and Dominant/recessive gene predictions in seventh grade that day.  It was great to reverse some myths that day.

Are there any misconceptions you’ve witnessed about alternative schooling options? What would you like to set the record straight on?  The list of myths is ridiculously long but the most significant one for our family is the “lack of social skills”.  Our youngest is so social that it could become a potential distraction.  Hybrid and virtual school allows us to manage socialization rather than letting it hinder academics.

What does “School Freedom” mean to you?  School freedom to me means that our children are only limited by their own imaginations. ‍

What advice would you give to other parents who may be frustrated with their child’s current educational options?  There are SO MANY options out there. There is an option out there that will work for your child, you just have to find it. Don’t be afraid to make the change to find a better fit. If you need help there are others out there that exercised their right to school choice so you won’t be alone. ‍

Letrisha's daughter shared some kind words about how her mother has inspired her in her academic journey and beyond:

"I can't put into words how much my mother has done for me.  She has always encouraged me to be a high achiever and go that extra mile.  My mom has supported me in all of my endeavors, academic and otherwise. She never just handed me everything I needed to accomplish my goals, but she showed me where to start so I can achieve them on my own. She taught me that whenever I'm stuck or frustrated with something, to take a step back to gather my thoughts, then try again.  Most importantly, my mother has taught me that there is always something more to learn.  I could spend hours talking about all that I have learned from her and it still wouldn't make a dent in the list."

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