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

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Jan 16, 2023, 05:00 ET

Tennessee celebrates educational options and quality schools during annual School Choice Week

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 348 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 Tennessee 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. Tennessee 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 Tennessee, there are a variety of educational options to attend including traditional public schools. In 2021, a bill requiring all school districts to offer an open enrollment period by fall 2022 was approved. This expansion of open enrollment means that parents may be able to transfer their child to any public school. Tennesseeans also have the options of public charter schools, public magnet schools, and online public schools run by school districts around the state. Homeschooling remains a popular choice for many families. In addition, Tennessee students with special needs may be eligible for a publicly funded Individualized Education Account, and students in Shelby County, Metro Nashville public school, or a school in an Achievement School District may be eligible for an Education Savings Account as of 2022.

"Tenneseeans will explore all their education options during School Choice Week, some of which are newly accessible to families thanks to updates to the state's public school open enrollment policy and a new private school choice program passed in recent years," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "We look forward to families exploring and choosing amongst their ever-growing list of education options."

To download a guide to Tennessee school choice, use the school finder tool to search schools in your area or see celebration photos visit schoolchoiceweek.com/tennessee.

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