State Leaders, Students to Speak at Capitol to Celebrate Educational Options

News provided by

Jan 15, 2024, 04:00 ET

Celebration to feature performance of the official National School Choice Week dance

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Students and state leaders will celebrate Alabama's K-12 educational choices — both traditional and new — with a rally in Montgomery on Monday, Jan 22. As National School Choice Week kicks off nationwide, the rally on the Capitol steps will preview what's on the horizon for K-12 education in Alabama.

The event kicks off at 9 a.m. with hundreds of students and community members gathering to sing the national anthem. Then, participants will cheer remarks from state leaders about the future of school choice in the Yellowhammer State. The event will also feature remarks from parent and student speakers, and a performance of the official National School Choice Week dance.

As education options evolve in Alabama, event planners aim to highlight the diversity of private school options and personal stories of the state's tax-credit scholarship program's impact. The capitol celebration will also help families stay informed about recent changes impacting learning choices. In 2023, for instance, legislators expanded eligibility for the Alabama Accountability Act and increased the amount families can receive for tax-credit scholarships.

The Montgomery celebration is planned to coincide with National School Choice Week 2024, which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states. The Week is held every January to empower parents to explore learning options with ample time before the upcoming school year. To mark the Week in Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey officially proclaimed Jan. 21-27 to be "Alabama School Choice Week."

"After working with Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund for almost two years, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of educational opportunity in students' lives. Having accessibility to school choice is essential in ensuring students receive a quality education that best fits their needs, whether that means enrolling in a private school, charter school, or even a public school in a different district," said Casandra Meguiar of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. "We look forward to hearing from the community about their experiences and from legislators about the future of school choice in Alabama."

This school choice celebration is hosted by the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. Established in 2013, the organization provides tax-credited scholarships to low-income K-12 children across Alabama to attend the public or private school of their choice.

The Alabama State Capitol is located at 600 Dexter Ave.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, 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