(Grand Canyon State Parents Encouraged to Look Into Education Options for Children During National School Choice Week; Governor Douglas Ducey Issues Proclamation Recognizing Jan. 21-27 as Arizona School Choice Week )
PHOENIX – School Choice Week began in Arizona and across America this past Sunday, with the goal of raising awareness about the options that parents have for their children’s education.
The Week will feature 1,024 events and activities across the Grand Canyon State, including open house events at schools, school fairs, homeschool information sessions, and other celebrations.
Nationwide, 32,240 events and activities are being organized to raise awareness during National School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27, 2018), and nearly 7 million Americans are expected to participate. It will be the largest series of education-related events and activities in U.S. history.
The Week brings attention to the different education environments that are available for Arizona’s 1.6 million children. For example, families in Arizona can choose from traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling. The state’s public school open enrollment policy is one of the nation’s broadest and most accommodating. The state also offers a private school choice program as well as tuition-free, public online schooling.
Governor Douglas Ducey issued an official proclamation recognizing Jan. 21-27 as Arizona School Choice Week. In addition, the cities of Chandler, Flagstaff, Surprise, Coolidge, Prescott Valley, Scottsdale, and Thatcher have issued proclamations recognizing School Choice Week in their community.
“We participate because parents are shopping around and we love to show off all the positives of our public school to future students and their families. Our school is A+ because of the incredible teamwork of our staff. School choice is important in our state and district because Tucsonans need to have the right to pick which school is best suited for their child’s needs,” said Peter Wells, principal of J. Robert Hendricks Elementary School, a public K-6 school serving 497 students in Tucson, Arizona.
Celebrated since 2011, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort. The Week is nonpartisan and nonpolitical, and it is not related to any legislative advocacy campaign.
“When it comes to educational choices, Arizona families have more options than parents in many other states,” said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “We hope that families across the state will use National School Choice Week as an opportunity to evaluate the education options available for their children. We are grateful that so many schools, homeschool groups, organizations, and community leaders are using National School Choice Week in Arizona and across America as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the transformational work that they do.”
To download a guide to school choice in Arizona, or to learn more about featured events in the Grand Canyon State, visit https://schoolchoiceweek.com/states/arizona.
For information on events planned near you, please send us an email with information about your coverage area to [email protected].
