LANSING, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and community leaders will gather in the State Capitol Chamber Rotunda to show support for greater educational opportunity in Michigan during National School Choice Week.
The event, planned for January 23 at noon, will feature hundreds of school choice supporters showing the scope of the school choice movement in Michigan, including everything from district public schools to charter schools, online academies, private schools, and home education.
More than 400 people are expected to attend the event at the State Capitol Chamber Rotunda.
The goal of the event is to spotlight the desire for excellent educational options for Michigan students and share the difference school choice has made for many families. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 21-27, 2018), which will feature more than 32,000 events across the country.
“As we continue to make progress towards full parental choice in education, students and families have a lot to celebrate during this National School Choice Week,” said Ben DeGrow, director of education policy at Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “Michigan offers parents no public support to choose private education alternatives, yet our state is at the forefront of school choice in many other ways. Nearly one in four public school students has exercised choice, either to attend a charter school or another district outside where they live, and most of their parents are satisfied with the decisions they’ve been able to make. Michigan is also among the nation’s leaders in giving families robust freedom to educate their children at home, while some homeschoolers are forging partnerships with innovative districts in different parts of the state.”
“Empowering parents to make decisions about educational opportunities for their students is one of the most powerful tools that policy makers can implement,” said Beth DeShone, advocacy director for Great Lakes Education Project. “When every student has access to a variety of educational tools that meet their personal learning needs, they win. National School Choice Week is a chance to celebrate and advocate for expanding these opportunities.”
Event planners include Michigan Association of Public School Academies, Great Lakes Education Project, and Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through more than 32,000 independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.
