NEXT WEEK: North Carolina Families Seek to Boost Awareness of K-12 Options During School Choice Week

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Jan 16, 2023, 04:00 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 787 celebrations of educational opportunity this month as traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning options, private schools, and home educators highlight their unique choices.

During the last two years, families and educators in North Carolina have faced the academic consequences of the pandemic. A survey this month by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation showed that 53.7 percent of parents have recently explored or are currently considering new options for their child's education. During School Choice Week 2023, parents can learn about school choice and attend local events as they consider their K-12 options for the next school year.

The Nation's Report Card (NAEP) released in 2022 underlined the need to invest in quality education options. North Carolina students experienced greater learning losses than the national average.

The Week will bring helpful and handy information that parents need in order to support their kids. The Week is the best time of the year for families to consider their education options for the next school year.

Across the country, parents can choose between traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, homeschooling, and newer options like learning pods or microschooling.

But education policies vary from state to state. In North Carolina, parents can choose from plentiful public charter and public magnet schools, or select a full-time online public school available to students statewide. Additionally, students with disabilities, or whose families meet certain income guidelines, can qualify for state-run scholarships for private schooling. On the other hand, the state offers almost no open enrollment options for families, which are readily available in almost all other states.

Across the state, events that are positive, supportive of a wide variety of school options, and family-friendly are planned, from in-school activities to large celebrations. Among the notable celebrations in North Carolina will be a student showcase breakfast in Raleigh, organized by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC), a student rally in Raleigh organized by the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools and a school fair in the Triad.

"North Carolina is a state full of students with bright futures, and School Choice Week is a time when they and their parents will have the opportunity to explore all the education options that can help them achieve their dreams," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "In a state that spans from ocean to plains to mountains, the need for meaningfully different options in K-12 education is abundantly clear."

To download a guide to North Carolina school choice, use the school finder tool to search schools in your area or see celebration photos visit schoolchoiceweek.com/north-carolina.

Local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request.

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 homeschooling. 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