4,000 School Choice Supporters to Rally in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Thousands of students, parents, teachers, and community leaders from around the state will travel to Montgomery for a large rally in support of National School Choice Week.

On Friday, January 27, at 11 a.m. in the Marriott Renaissance Ballroom, more than 4,000 attendees are expected to take part in a school choice celebration, featuring student performances and testimonials from the families and school leaders who have been most impacted by educational opportunity in Alabama.

The goal of the event is to raise awareness among parents about school choice and demonstrate the statewide support for expanding opportunities. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country.

"The number of parents, students, and teachers who have attended this rally for the past few years demonstrates just how strong grassroots support for this issue is," said Lesley Searcy, executive director of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund . "National School Choice Week is an opportunity to bring together families and school leaders from every corner of education around our ultimate mission: improving the future of every child through education."

"The stories students and parents share about how school choice has changed their lives never cease to amaze me," said Ryan Cantrell of Alabama Federation for Children. "Every parent should know how powerful this opportunity can be, and every leader in our state should hear how much good school choice does in their communities."

Event planners include the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund, Alabama Federation for Children, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Business Education Alliance, Business Council of Alabama, Foundation for Excellence in Education, Public School Options, and local schools from across the state.

Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through more than 21,000 independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

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