Celebrating School Choice: Parents to Rally in Albany on Jan. 24

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Jan 17, 2023, 06:00 ET

ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive, succeed, and be happy. And every parent in New York should have the freedom to choose the type of education that works best for their individual kids. Families of schoolchildren across the state are preparing to spread those messages next week in Albany at an awareness-raising celebration of school choice at the New York State Capitol.

The event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 2:15 PM at the New York State Capitol (State Street and Washington Avenue in Albany). Families will meet at the Million Dollar Staircase at 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM to rally in celebration of school choice. More than 50 participants are expected to attend.

Hosted by Children's Scholarship Fund, New York Charter Schools Association, Families for NYC, and the Empire Center for Public Policy, the event will bring parents representing traditional public, public charter, and private schools from across the state to meet with their representatives and other statewide elected officials and share their stories of exercising school choice on behalf of their children. The celebration is open to the press and the public.

"All children in New York deserve a quality, effective education, regardless of how much money their parents earn or where they live," said Darla Romfo, President and CEO of Children's Scholarship Fund. "At this rally, we will celebrate how school choice can reduce inequality in education, and provide families with hope for an even brighter future for their children."

"School choice allows families to make the best decisions possible based on their children's unique circumstances. As educators and parents, our highest priority is always to ensure the well-being of our children. The ability to select a school education that provides the most appropriate academic, social, and emotional supports is paramount to that effort and should not be considered a luxury," said Yomika S. Bennett, executive director of the New York Charter Schools Association. "Parents' voices must be respected and we stand in solidarity with our partners to protect families' rights not only during School Choice Week but every day as families make one of the most important decisions that will shape their children's future."

Children's Scholarship Fund is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on expanding educational opportunity by providing scholarships to families in need so children can attend the K-8 schools that are the best fit, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live.

The New York Charter Schools Association is a nonprofit organization that serves as a unified voice for the over 350 public charter schools serving approximately 160,000 students, representing their interests at the state and local levels.

Families for NYC is a news, resource, and opinion platform dedicated to helping New York City-based families fight for a safer and better city.

The Empire Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank with a mission of making New York a better place to live and work by promoting public policy reforms grounded in free-market principles, personal responsibility, and the ideals of effective and accountable government.

The Jan. 24 event is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (NSCW), which will feature more than 26,000 school choice events across all 50 states to raise equal and positive awareness of the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education options available for families.

In addition to this event, 1,197 public and private schools in New York will host independent events and activities during NSCW. These schools enroll an estimated 459,359 students across all grade levels.

For more information, visit scholarshipfund.org or schoolchoiceweek.com.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, public charter, public magnet, online, private, and home schooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week