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

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Jan 16, 2023, 04:00 ET

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

MONTPELIER, Vt., Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 41 celebrations of educational opportunity this month as traditional public 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 Vermont 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. Vermont 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 Vermont, there are a variety of educational options to attend including traditional public schools with flexible open enrollment, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling. Students in specific Vermont towns are eligible for a tuition program, which funds their attendance at a nonreligious public or private school outside their communities.

In Vermont, families have unrestricted open enrollment options in traditional public schools in high school, and many options in lower grades. The state is one of only 5 in the nation without public charter schools. There are a handful of public magnet schools in the state and new access to a full-time online public school through the Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative for K-8 students starting in the 22-23 school year. As most know, students in certain Vermont towns are eligible for the state's town tuitioning program, allowing them to attend independent schools in lieu of public, and as of 2022 the list of approved schools in Vermont includes religious private schools.

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 Vermont will be a student celebration in Montpelier on January 27.

"Supporting school choice and offering options that allow parents to find a school that fits perfectly the needs of their kids is common sense," said Andrew Campanella, president and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "This Week we celebrate how school choice allows families to find a great educational fit where their children are inspired, successful, and happy."

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

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