School choice is expanding across America. More families are gaining access to education savings accounts, scholarships, and alternatives to the school assigned to them by their ZIP code. Beginning in 2027, a new federal scholarship tax credit will expand educational choice even further. But before we talk about how many choices parents have, we should ask a more important question: Do parents actually know what they are choosing?

When you pick a school, you’re choosing an environment that will influence your child during some of the most formative years of their life. Parents deserve to know what happens there.

Let’s start with something as simple as the school library.

Parents in Scottsdale, Arizona, began challenging books carried in their school libraries after discovering material they believed was inappropriate for children. In one case, an 11-year-old checked out a book containing discussions about contraception and finding sexual partners through social media. The district later removed the book from its middle school libraries.

But the school library is only one window into a much larger issue.

Colorado mother Erin Lee discovered that firsthand. Lee’s 12-year-old daughter was personally invited by a teacher to what she understood to be an after-school art club.

According to allegations later documented in federal court proceedings, the meeting was a Gender and Sexualities Alliance gathering. Students discussed gender identity and sexual orientation. The family alleged that students were told that discomfort with their bodies could indicate they were transgender and were cautioned about discussing the meeting with their parents.

Her daughter came home saying she would transition. The Lees removed her from the district the next day.

The family’s lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, and the courts did not find the district legally responsible for the alleged actions.

But for parents, there is still an important question: Wouldn’t you want to know?

Wouldn’t you want to know what conversations adults at school are having with your child about identity, sexuality, or their body?

That question reaches into athletics, too.

If your daughter plays sports, do you know your school’s policy regarding transgender athletes? Do you know the rules governing locker rooms?

These policies are being debated in courts, legislatures, and school districts across the country. Parents do not all agree on the answers. But parents should know the answers before enrolling their child.

The same is true of curriculum.

Parents should know what is being taught and what materials are being used. They should know how their school is performing academically. And they should understand whether the school’s approach to parental involvement reflects the family’s expectations.

This is not about assuming public schools are bad. There are excellent public schools across America. Teachers show up every day, and many care deeply about their students. Many families love their neighborhood schools.

School choice does not require us to tear those schools down. It simply recognizes that no single educational environment will be right for every child. Parents know when their child is struggling, even when their report card looks fine. They know when something has changed at home. They know their child’s maturity and what their family believes.

That knowledge matters when choosing the right educational environment for your child.

For one family, the neighborhood public school may be exactly right. Another may choose a charter or private school. Some parents may decide to homeschool.

The point is not which option they choose. The point is that they CAN choose after seeing the whole picture. That is why school choice and transparency cannot be separated. A parent cannot make an informed choice about an environment they cannot see.

So, before there is a controversy, look at all these aspects.

Search your child’s school library catalog. Read the curriculum notices that come home. Learn the policies that affect your child. Look at the school’s academic performance.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And when you find something you do not understand, keep asking.

Schools should welcome that involvement. Parents and educators should be partners in helping children succeed, and partnership works best when neither side is kept in the dark.

The government can expand educational options and make it easier for families to choose another path. But it cannot replace an engaged parent. Our responsibility is greater than getting our children through school. We are raising them. That means knowing what is shaping them all those hours they’re away from us.

School choice gives parents the freedom to decide which educational environment is right for their child. But first, parents must know what they are choosing.

Kim Miller is the founder and president of America’s Women and America’s Women of Action.