Private schools in Missouri are beginning a campaign to bring parental choice in education to the state.

Choice, these educators say, could help bring about educational reform.

Mary Ann Fischer, principal at Notre Dame High School, attended a workshop Monday and Tuesday to discuss the issue of school choice.

Talk about education reform and funding is being discussed throughout the state as many public school districts face budget shortfalls.

"I believe choice would affect educational reform in both private and public schools," Fischer said. She said competition often motivates change.

"This is an issue that needs to be dealt with," Fischer said. "The momentum is building."

Specifically, the Missouri Council for American Private Education (MO-CAPE) and the Missouri Catholic Council are interested in research about school choice conducted by John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe. These men recommend a new system of public education built around parent-student choice and school competition.

On Jan. 29, Chubb will speak at a legislative luncheon in Jefferson City sponsored by the Missouri Council for American Private Education.

Members of the Missouri General Assembly, the state government administration, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, educators, and parents with children in private and parochial schools are expected to attend.

Felecia Blanton, development director at the school, said: "Everyone is resolved that something needs to be done about education. Whether or not the state would go with this idea, it could spark people to begin thinking about different ideas. I think a lot of people looking for good ideas."

Fischer said, "MO-CAPE and the Missouri Catholic Conference are taking leadership in the effort to educate people about parental choice."

Fischer explained that researchers Chubb and Moe did a 10-year study of 20,000 students, teachers and principals in 500 public and private schools throughout the country. Their report calls for an end to government operation of schools and instead create a market system in which all students would get publicly financed "scholarships" that could be used at either public or private schools.

The plan would operate from the state level. Federal funds now directed to certain students for example, special education students would still go to those students.

Chubb is a senior fellow in the governmental studies program at the Brookings Institute. Moe is a former senior fellow at the institute and now is a professor of political science at Stanford University.

Fischer said choice is far from a revolutionary idea for education.

"The GI Bill, federal Pell grants and lots of other scholarships enable individuals to exercise their choice of institutions at the post-secondary level," said Fischer.

She said people receive state and federal tax credits for day care in either private or public settings.

"If preschool and post-secondary funding of students are successful and constitutional, how can a K-12 exception be justified?" she said.

Fischer said educational choice has been implemented throughout western democracies including England, Ireland, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Israel, Canada and Australia. In this country, 28 states have some form of choice in law.

"I don't really know what effect such a change would have in Cape Girardeau, but I don't anticipate it would be a really big one. It's a matter of principle: All parents need to have the right to choose," Fischer said.

While private schools are eager to consider choice, administrators are cautious about the regulations that would govern government dollars.

"How this will be implemented will have to be carefully studied," Fischer said. "Catholic schools will not accept a statewide choice plan that interferes with the mission of the school or the right of the school to reject admission to students who do not support the mission of the school, or the right of the school to be selective in hiring teachers who support the mission of the school."