School Choice Supporters to Hold Unprecedented 11,000+ Events Across America

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When it comes to K-12 education, more Americans are actively choosing schools for their children than ever before. Meanwhile, millions of parents are still demanding greater access to challenging, motivating education environments for their children.

Those are the key messages of the fifth annual National School Choice Week, which runs Jan. 25–31, 2015, and will include an unprecedented 11,082 independently planned events across all 50 states – making the Week the largest-ever series of education-related events in US history. In comparison, 2014's celebrations featured 5,500 events nationwide.

The goal of the events, which are organized by local schools, organizations, homeschooling groups and individuals, is to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for children.

Local event organizers seek to raise awareness – through open houses, information sessions, rallies, roundtable discussions, movie screenings and other events – about the options that parents have, or want to have, for their children's education. These include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools and homeschooling.

Event participants also hope to send clear messages to leaders in states across the country that parents want, need and deserve even more education choices for their kids.

"National School Choice Week provides all Americans with an opportunity to celebrate school choice where it exists, and demand it where it does not," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "The fact that National School Choice Week is, in 2015, 73 times larger than it was in 2011 is proof positive that interest in school choice – and the importance of providing all children with access to effective education environments – is growing exponentially."

In addition to events in local communities, rallies and celebrations have been planned at more than 15 state capitols across the country, organized by state-based school choice supporters. Governors, mayors and county leaders from across the nation are also expected to use the Week as an opportunity to encourage parents to begin looking at school choice options for their children for the 2015–2016 school year, and to show their support for education options, by issuing proclamations recognizing School Choice Week in their states, cities and counties.

National School Choice Week 2015 will officially commence at a special, nationally televised Kickoff Celebration on Friday, January 23, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time in Jacksonville, Florida. Featured speakers at the inaugural event include US Sen. John McCain; civil rights pioneer Rev. HK Matthews, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma and Montgomery; Democratic strategist Joe Trippi; and former NFL and college football star Desmond Howard.

For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com, or visit www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek.

For more information, contact:
Shelby Tankersley, Press Secretary
[email protected] or 202-480-2927 ext. 820

SOURCE National School Choice Week

Related Links

http://www.schoolchoiceweek.com