Houston Mom Shares Her Experience in School Choice After Moving Out of a School District She Loved

Mom of two teenagers Dolores Amaro is proud that both of her children have unique academic strengths. Her oldest, Alexander, excels in math while her daughter Judith is dedicated to overcoming any challenges that she faces in the classroom. Products of their traditional zoned school, both kids excelled in their learning environment. It wasn’t until the family moved to a new school district that Amaro began to think about other options for her kids.

Like many parents, Amaro was under the impression that public charter schools charged tuition and hadn’t considered a charter school as an option for her family. After a friend’s children began attending Harmony Public Schools, Amaro began her own search for a charter that would work for her family. After speaking with Families Empowered staff about her options, Amaro chose to apply to a Harmony campus close to her new home.

Today, both of her children attend Harmony and she is thrilled that they are able to thrive in their new learning environment. “I like Harmony because of the discipline that they offer my kids,” Amaro said. “They’re focused on their studies, but they also have clubs so that my kids can participate in sports, dance, or any other extracurricular they’re interested in. I like that the school works to incite enthusiasm for learning in my kids and challenges them academically.”

Amaro credits Families Empowered with contacting her and helping to put her fears at ease. She was grateful for the personal help that Families Empowered staff offered to her family and was excited to learn about all of her options outside of her new zoned school.

“Parents should have access to help,” Amaro said. “Sometimes, though, parents don’t even know that organizations like Families Empowered exist. Not all children are the same. As a parent, you want a better future for your kids. By placing my children in a school that sets rules, teaches them to be more respectful, and helps them to become more responsible young people, I believe I am helping them to succeed.”


Harmony Public Schools is a system of 57 Texas public charter schools that provides rigorous, high-quality education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Through a caring and collaborative environment, Harmony provides students from traditionally underserved communities the opportunity to excel through project-based learning where they learn the skills necessary to become a contributing global citizen. Click here to learn more about Harmony Public Schools.