Texas' Largest Ever School Choice Rally Planned for 1/30 at State Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Elected officials will join students, parents and community leaders at the Capitol in Austin on Friday, January 30 to show their support for expanding educational choice in the Lone Star State.

Senator Donna Campbell and Land Commissioner George P. Bush are among those slated to speak at the event in addition to parents, community leaders, teachers, and students.

The event will include a march (beginning on 11th street) to the South Steps of the Texas State Capitol and will feature speeches by students, parents, community leaders, and elected officials. The event will formally begin at 10:00 am.

The rally and march will focus on expanding both public and private school choice options. The coalition planning the event includes the Texas Charter School Association, Texas Private School Association, LULAC District 12 Austin, Families Empowered, Parent Revolution, Texas Business Leadership Council, Texas Institute for Education Reform, Connections Academy, Americans for Prosperity, Institute for Justice – Texas, Texas Public Policy Foundation, The Justice Foundation, and the LIBRE Initiative.

"With more than 250,000 students enrolled in private schools across Texas it's important to our association that parents have choices when it comes to their child's education," said Laura Colangelo, Executive Director of the Texas Private Schools Association. "By participating in National School Choice Week we're showcasing our support for increasing the amount of educational options in Texas and spotlighting the great opportunities afforded to students who attend one of the many private schools in our state."

"The LIBRE Initiative recognizes the importance of improving the education of our children by empowering families to choose the best schools for their kids," said Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative. "We're honored to work with National School Choice Week to help educate our communities and communicate to our leaders the value of expanding choice in education."

"TIER understands that it's time for bold education reform solutions in Texas, and we're excited to showcase our support for National School Choice Week," said Courtney Boswell, Executive Director of the Texas Institute for Education Reform. "We believe that parents should have options when it comes to their child's education, and every student deserves access to the best school to fit their individual needs. NSCW provides a great platform for these ideas to be shared."

The event is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week, which takes place every January. The Week shines a positive spotlight on all types of effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling. The celebration is nonpartisan and nonpolitical. National School Choice Week 2015 will feature a history-making 10,000 independently-planned and independently-funded events across all 50 states. 

For more information, contact:
Randan Steinhauser, Texas School Choice Coalition
[email protected] or (202) 734-1432

SOURCE National School Choice Week