Celebrate National School Choice Week

Education is the foundation for the future. National School Choice Week (NSCW) recognizes the education options available for every child. Options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling. NSCW encourages schools, organizations, and individuals to celebrate school choice by holding different events so that their voices can be heard.

“The vision behind School Choice Week is to give parents, teachers, students, and community members all across the country an opportunity to celebrate the fact that in education one size doesn’t fit all. There are different learning styles out there, every child is unique, every child is different, and we need to provide parents with access to the right education environment for their individual kids,” says Andrew Campanella the president of National School Choice Week. “That’s what K12 and other groups across the country do, and we want to celebrate that during School Choice Week.”

NSCW started in 2011 with 150 events and each year participation has continued to grow. In 2016, NSCW broke records with the largest series of education-related events in U.S. history and featured:

• 16,745 total events across all 50 states
• 13,224 schools of all types holding events
• 808 homeschool groups holding events
• 1,012 chambers of commerce holding events
• 27 governors issuing proclamations recognizing School Choice Week in their states
• More than 200 mayors and county leaders issuing School Choice Week proclamations
• Rallies and special events held at 20 state capitol buildings

In 2017, more than 21,000 events were planned all across the nation. “There are so many cool things that go on, and I’m always amazed at what I see from different schools,” says Campanella. Open houses, information sessions, pep rallies, carnivals, festivals, bake-offs, talent shows, poster contests, essay contests, and even ringing the bell of the NY Stock Exchange are just some of the great events. “They’re all different. Just like every child is different. Just like every school has its own unique personality and culture,” says Campanella. All children have unique talents and so do all schools. If parents can pair up their child with a school that will inspire and motivate their child, then we’ll see great results like higher graduation rates and increased student performance.

“School Choice Week provides hope for a brighter future for kids and families. Every parent wants their child to be able to achieve their dreams. Every parent wants their child to have something better than they did, and they know that education is the way to make that happen,” says Campanella. The goal is to make sure that the funding is being used appropriately for the individual student. Each student is different, therefore, what works for one child in a public school may not work for another child who learns better in an online school. “The goal is educating kids and funding the education of the student,” Campanella emphasizes.

Would you like to join K12 and support School Choice Week? Download the placard below, fill it out, and a take a picture. Share your selfies* on K12’s Facebook page with the hashtags #K12SupportsNSCW and #SchoolChoice.

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