SPOTLIGHT ON…National School Choice Week
WHAT IS IT? A national happening with events being held everywhere from the White House to your house… It’s a cultural shift… The concept of school choice (better and more effectively known aseducation opportunity )has moved from being simply an idea (dismissed by the establishment) to a cause (derided by the status quo) to a growing reality (decried by unions and bureaucrats), to a dominating philosophy that is reshaping education in America ( much to the on-going anger and indignation of the power elite)… The obstacles and objections range from annoying to outrageous. Annoying in the paternalistic eye-rolling and rejection of parental demands by the we-know-best establishment . Outrageous in the billions of dollars spent propping up failed systems at the expense of expanding opportunities and options, and in the hundreds-of-millions spent on lobbying and political action to stifle reform and preserve the status quo—with a thousand battles, large and small, waged –and still being fought– in between.
CHOICE IS WINNING. Parents and children are claiming rights that should have been theirs from the beginning. Another point: NSCW is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and independent (now how many things can you say that about?!) … Having started small in 2011 with 150 events, National School Choice Week is now a huge occasion, with an estimated 6.7 million people expected to celebrate the week at 32,000 events around the country to raise public awareness of all the different K-12 education options available to children and families and why.
DON’T BELIEVE IT? LOOK HERE. No matter who …or where… from urban to rural America, across political, racial and socioeconomic lines – support for new opportunities and new schools of choice for children and families nationwide, is irrefutable. Listen to the voices of visionary students, parents, school leaders and lawmakers on thisspecial edition of Reality Check with Jeanne Allen, and follow the campaign featuring interviews, event coverage and school presentations , available now at www.edreform.com , onFacebook , and via Twitter @edreform . Watch charter school teacher and student-produced content from classrooms around the country. Featured schools, to name just a few, include Inlet Grove Community Academy, Purpose Preparatory Academy, Southland College Prep and STRIVE Prep SMART Academy.
READ VOICES OF COLOR, Voices for Opportunity. Published in newspapers nationwide, the testimony of national, state and local leaders is concrete evidence of the widespread and diverse perspectives for educational choice that exist all over the country.
Did You Know?
Schools are not working for most students, and that to succeed in life they need expanded educational opportunities – driven by innovation, freedom and flexibility – that will lead to improved economic outcomes and bring the American Dream within the reach of all. That’s why polls like this one from the AFC show dramatic support for educational choice.
In the News… and what’s coming up in education innovation and opportunity
- EduCon 2018 January 26 – 28, 2018 – Philadelphia
- EduCon is both a conversation and a conference. It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.
- LearnLaunch Institute’s 2018 Conference February 1-2, 2018 – Boston
- Across Boundaries conference brings together a community that wants to transform learning and increase achievement through the use of digital technologies.
Tell Us Your Story! Families all over the country have school choice stories to tell. Send us yours!
Here’s what families told the Foundation in Excellence in Education. These come to us courtesy the 74 and ExcelinEd CEO Patricia Levesque.