by Rachel Hunter
National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017) has been recognized and proclaimed by municipalities in the North Country, including Gouverneur, DeKalb, and Edwards.
School choice means giving parents the opportunity to select the best K-12 education environments for their individual kids. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.
During National School Choice Week, millions of Americans will celebrate these effective education options for children.
National School Choice Week 2017 will eclipse the 16,745 events last year with nearly 4,000 more rallies, open houses, roundtable discussions and other planned events centered on highlighting the virtues of a wide variety of school choice options, from homeschooling to private schools, to online academies and charter schools.
National School Choice Week 2017 will run from January 22-28, just days after New York businessman Donald Trump is slated to be sworn into office on January 20.
President-Elect Trump in November announced he intends to appoint Michigan philanthropist and longtime school choice advocate Betsy DeVos as his education secretary.
“Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and passionate education advocate,” Trump said. “Under her leadership, we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver a world-class education and school choice to all families.”
DeVos is chairman of the American Federation for Children and board member of other school choice organizations that have supported National School Choice Week.
“The status quo in education is not acceptable,” DeVos said in November. “Together, we can work to make transformational change that ensures every student in America has the opportunity to fulfill his or her highest potential.”
DeVos has a long history of championing private school vouchers and other educational options in Michigan and other states, and helped to found the charter high school West Michigan Aviation Academy in Grand Rapids.
She’s also earned high praises from a variety of influential political leaders, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
“Betsy’s appointment will mean great things for Michigan and for children around the nation as she takes her no-nonsense commitment to empowering parents to the highest levels in Washington,” Gov. Snyder said.
Empowering parents with options for their children’s education is the whole goal of National School Choice Week.
“Every January, National School Choice Week spotlights the millions of students, parents, teachers, and civic leaders who make education options a reality in their own communities and states,” NSCW president Andrew Campanella said.
“With 2017 poised to be a pivotal year for school choice, National School Choice Week will provide an unprecedented chance to celebrate school choice where it exists, and demand it where it doesn’t.”
For more information, visit SchoolChoiceWeek.com.