Tag: National School Choice Week

Commentary: School Choice Keeps Spreading

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In just three years, the number of states with universal or near-universal private school choice programs has grown from zero to 10, and the number of students eligible for these programs has increased by 60%. According to the latest ABCs of School Choice – EdChoice’s comprehensive report about all matters pertaining to educational freedom—32 states (plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico) are using school choice as of 2023. Additionally, policymakers in 40 states debated 111 educational choice bills last year alone. Overall, approximately 20 million students—or 36% of all kids—are now eligible for some kind of private-choice program.

But what’s good for children and their families is problematic for the teachers’ unions and their fellow travelers. As such, on January 22—not coincidentally the beginning of National School Choice Week—the Partnership for the Future of Learning released a toolkit, maintaining that “voucher programs are “deeply rooted in segregation, racism, and discrimination.” The PFL, which is comprised of predominantly left-wing outfits—the National Education Association, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Learning Policy Institute, etc.—adds that private schools “do not have necessary accountability measures.”

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Commentary: This National School Choice Week, Let’s Celebrate Return to Founding Principles

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The school choice policies sweeping the nation may be among the most innovative—and promising—enacted in recent memory. Yet they also embody a return to principles first enshrined in American law nearly 400 years ago.

In 1642, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony crafted the nation’s first education law, its objective was clear: Parents must educate their children.

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Ted Cruz Bills Aim to Advance School Choice Across the Country Through Tax Credits, 529 Expansion

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, commemorated National School Choice Week by filing two bills to advance school choice, one of which his staff said would be the most significant educational reform since the GI bill.

“We need to provide students with a variety of educational options to fit their needs,” Cruz told The Daily Signal in an email statement Tuesday. “I have often said that school choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, and I believe no differently today than I did when I began serving in the Senate a decade ago.

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Landmarks in 24 States Will Light Up for National School Choice Week

Tiffany Morgan

Parents looking to alternatives to educate their children, unhappy with state lockdowns and public school system approaches to learning can find resources available through National School Choice Week 2021 events being held all this week.

The events and resources are designed to empower parents with information about the best educational environments and options for their children.

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During National School Choice Week, Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn Receives Award for School Choice Efforts

Laura Baigert

In celebration of National School Choice Week, Tennessee Federation for Children sponsored a Champions of Choice event at the state capitol to present Representative Bill Dunn with the 2019 Champion award. Standing beside Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada (R-Franklin), Shaka Mitchell, Tennessee’s State Director of American Federation for Children, said that as National School Choice Week is being celebrated this week, they wanted to come together to recognize one of the state’s leaders in education and strong advocate for students, Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville). American Federation for Children (AFC) is a Washington, D.C. headquartered non-profit organization that seeks to “empower families, especially lower-income families with the freedom to choose the best K-12 education for their children.” The event was held in the Legislative Library located at the state capitol with as many as 100 in attendance including legislators and members of Governor Bill Lee’s staff. AFC’s partner organizations in the effort including Beacon Center of Tennessee, Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee and Tennessee CAN (The Tennessee Campaign for Achievement Now) were also there. AFC’s Mitchell started off by speaking about the quality of education in Tennessee, “The reality is we still have a long way to go,” after…

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North Carolina Lt. Governor Celebrates Charter Schools, Students’ Accomplishments

A.P. Dillon

The North Carolina Association of Public Charter Schools (NCAPCS) held a rally event in Raleigh on Tuesday that included big names such as North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Dan Forest and Ms. Aimee Viana, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). “School choice really is about our kids. It’s about young people. It’s not about institutions,” said  Forest. “It’s not about traditional public school institutions. It’s not about a charter school institution. It’s not about private school institutions or homeschool. It’s not about those things,” Forest said. “It is about the young people. It’s about the kids. It’s about providing the best opportunity for that individual child to explore their potential and get the most out of their education.” Viana told attendees that school choice isn’t about picking this school or that one and it wasn’t about private versus public. “Choice is about freedom,” Viana told the attendees. “Freedom to learn. Freedom to learn differently. Freedom to explore. Freedom to fail and to learn from falling. And to get back up and try again.” Other speakers included Joe Maimone, Chief of Staff for North Carolina, Superintendent Mark Johnson, Courtney Samuelson, 2018 NC Charter School Teacher of…

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North Carolina School Choice Week Speaker: ‘School Choice is the Civil Rights Movement of Our Time’

A.P. Dillon

“School choice is the civil rights movement of our time,” Mike Long, the President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC) told the attendees of a School Choice event in North Carolina this week. Long was speaking to a group at an event held by the John Locke Foundation, a conservative non-profit policy center located in Raleigh. Dr. Terry Stoops, Vice President for Research and Director of Education Studies at the John Locke Foundation kicked off the event. “It is fitting that the first day of National School Choice week falls on Martin Luther King day,” said Dr. Stoops. Stoops went on to cite a quote about school choice from Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Is it moral to tax families, compel their children’s attendance at schools and then give them no choice between teaching methods, religious or secular education, and in other matters? “Is it consistent to proclaim that meanwhile, America is a nation that prides itself on competition, consumer choice, freedom of religion, and parental responsibility? I can’t presume to know what my uncle would say about the current debate over school vouchers and choice, but I know what principles he…

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School Choice Provides Flexible Options That Fit Students’ Unique Needs, Beacon Center Says at Jackson Event

Jason M. Reynolds

The Beacon Center on Monday hosted a meeting on school choice issues in the upcoming legislative session for 2019. Taylor Dawson, outreach coordinator for the Beacon Center, spoke about the organization’s legislative goals regarding school choice and the ways in which volunteers can help. The meeting was held at Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store in Jackson. Beacon’s Justin Owen, president and CEO, also wrote in the Jackson Sun, “Parents should decide the best educational environment for their child. This National School Choice Week, we should remember how educational choice works to empower parents to customize their child’s education that fits his or her unique needs.” In the op-ed, Owens touts the benefits of Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs), which the General Assembly authorized in 2015 for parents of children with special needs. According to a Beacon special report, summarized here, ESAs “provide families a more flexible option than traditional voucher programs. ESA funds can be used to create a truly customized education experience including tutoring, speech and other education therapy, private school tuition, homeschool curriculum and supplies, education technology, and even help save for college.” Beacon’s two-part series is titled, “Counting Dollars and Cents: The Economic Impact of a Statewide Education Savings…

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Tennessee Celebrates School Choice With Events

Jason M. Reynolds

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…

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