Jefferson County has become a flashpoint in the national debate over education reform. But when going door-to-door talking to parents across the county, one thing is crystal clear: People are seeing the effects of the Jefferson County School Board reforms in recent years — and they like what they see.

As a former middle school teacher, I know first-hand how much potential our students have. I also know that parents simply want what is best for their children. They want to provide more opportunities than they had. Access to a quality education is a major part of that.

Yet for years, our children’s interests have come second to the political agendas of adults. That’s wrong — and it’s beginning to change under the current Jeffco School Board. By expanding school choice, rewarding our hardest working teachers, and providing equal funding for all public schools, Jeffco is ensuring all students have the best shot to get ahead.

Start with school choice. Central to this reform is the idea that no child should ever be stuck in a one-size-fits-all system that classifies him or her based on street address. If a child’s unique needs and interests are better served in one school over another, parents should be free to make the decision that works best for them, regardless of where they live.

School choice also promotes competition in the world of education. When schools have to compete against one another to attract more students each year, they will continually improve their systems to ensure ever-better educational results. It’s just common sense.

Similarly, the board has implemented reforms that reward our best, hardest-working teachers. This includes a strong pay-for-performance system that bases salaries on merit, rather than simply years served. Every year, new teachers enter our school system wanting to work hard and give our children the best education possible. We should reward them — and those who have been working hard for years — commensurate with the contributions they have made to our children’s lives.

Giving every student the best shot to succeed also requires equal funding for all of our schools. Rather than arbitrarily disadvantaging public charter schools and their students with less funding — as the old system did — this school board ensured every public school receives equal funding.

The Denver Post Editorial Board applauded this reform by saying, “The children who attend charter schools deserve the same degree of taxpayer support as those who attend district-run public schools. Charters are public schools, too, though they have different governance structures.” We agree — as do most parents across Jefferson County.

Combined with other reforms — streaming all board meetings live online, focusing on fiscal responsibility to keep us out of debt, and more — educational outcomes are moving in the right direction.

This year, 13 of 32 Jeffco high schools were included among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools,” with D’Evelyn and Evergreen earning gold stars — the highest award. Also, the percentage of Jeffco graduating seniors meeting American College Testing (ACT) readiness benchmarks for English and science has increased in each of the last five years, peaking in 2015. And in 2015, Jeffco surpassed the state in overall composite ACT score in every single subset.

We know elected officials come and go, but what really matters is the policies they enact — especially ones with long-term impact. There is certainly more work to be done, but by introducing new, bold, and common-sense reforms to Jeffco’s education system, the school board has taken positive steps toward improving children’s lives and futures. Under these reforms, everybody wins — especially the Colorado children sitting behind their desks.

Michael Fields is the Colorado state director of Americans for Prosperity Foundation.