National School Choice Week 2013 To Be World's Largest-Ever Celebration Of Education Reform

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

National School Choice Week 2013 will make history as the world's largest celebration of education reform, school choice supporters announced today.

The Week (Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, 2013) will feature 3,500 independently-planned events across all 50 states. Millions of students, parents, teachers and community leaders will participate, with the goal of shining a spotlight on the need to increase access to great schools for all children.

Participants in National School Choice Week believe that to improve student achievement, boost graduation rates, and improve American competitiveness in the global job marketplace, families must be empowered to choose the best educational options for their children. These options include high-performing public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, digital/online learning, and homeschooling (www.schoolchoiceweek.com).

National School Choice Week will officially begin at a blockbuster, 7,500-person Kickoff Celebration held in Phoenix, on Jan. 25, 2013. In addition, the Week will feature a cross country, 14-city whistle-stop train tour for education reform, the National School Choice Week ‘Special,' which will depart Los Angeles on Jan. 25 and arrive in New York on Feb. 2. (www.schoolchoiceweek.com/train)

“At a groundbreaking period in America's educational history, it's clear that no issue unites us more strongly than school choice,” said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “During National School Choice Week, millions of Americans will come together to champion bold and meaningful reform, and in the process, make history.”

The number of events planned for National School Choice Week 2013 marks an eight-fold increase over the number of festivities in 2012, which included 406 events.

Individuals, organizations and schools independently plan National School Choice Week's state and local events. There is no fee to host an event or promote an event on the National School Choice Week website; events include rallies, roundtable discussions, movie screenings, public speakers, open houses at schools, and much more.

To check out just a fraction of the events being planned for National School Choice Week 2013, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/events. Additional public events will be posted by event organizers between now and the beginning of National School Choice Week.