School choice is at the heart of a nationwide event taking place Jan. 21-27.
Held every January, National School Choice Week (NSCW) brings the idea of education options to the forefront.
Schools, homeschool groups and other organizations plan tens of thousands of events during the annual event, according to the movement’s website. Plans include rallies, receptions, coffeehouse meet-ups, festivals, school fairs, and other activities.
Tennesseans have planned 640 events around the state that week, the group said in a press release. Gov. Bill Haslam proclaimed Jan. 21-27 as Tennessee School Choice Week, while Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke proclaimed the same on behalf of his city.
Andrew Campanella, president of NSCW, said, “Parents in Chattanooga, like parents everywhere, simply want the best for their kids. We’re grateful to Mayor Berke for issuing this proclamation, raising parents’ awareness of the educational options available for their children. Every kid is unique, and parents know their kids better than anyone else. We hope to empower parents in Chattanooga and across the country to find the school or educational option that they know is best for their own kids.”
NSCW recognizes all K-12 options, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.
Tennessee does not allow parents to choose any traditional public school for their child, regardless of location, NSCW says. The organization does give the state kudos for such policies as allowing for the creation of charter school and offering a private school choice scholarship or tax deduction program.
Started in 2011, NSCW is now the world’s largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. Over the past seven years, there have been more than 58,000 NSCW events planned across the country.
To find an event in Tennessee, click here.
Great ! I’m a product of Tennessee public schools and it shows.