Student Performances to Bring School Choice Week to Life in Little Rock

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Jan 16, 2023, 07:00 ET

500+ students, parents, teachers to be joined by Gov. Sanders at celebration

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Join families and schools from across the state in celebrating K-12 learning with a school choice rally at the Statehouse Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 23. The event will be the largest celebration in the state — and among the largest in the country — during National School Choice Week 2023.

During the free celebration, which runs from 11 a.m. to noon, students will show off their talents with performances, speakers will share testimonials about the power of learning, national expert Corey DeAngelis will speak about the benefits of school choice and fun will be had by all with a performance of the official School Choice Week dance. The rally will also include an address from new Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has said education will be a priority for her administration.

This event is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week (Jan. 22-28, 2023), which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states, from school fairs to landmark light-ups. In Little Rock, the Union Plaza Building will mark the Week by lighting up in the official School Choice Week colors, yellow and red, during January 22-28.

"The celebration this year will be charged by an atmosphere we've not seen before in Arkansas," said Emmy Henley, managing director for The Reform Alliance. "School choice is at the forefront of conversations among state leaders and decision makers right now, and I can't think of a better showcase than our rally to demonstrate the possibilities open to our kids when parents have options."

The Reform Alliance, which is hosting this event, held a similar rally for School Choice Week 2020, drawing nearly 1,500 community members. After virtual and small group celebrations the past two years due to COVID-19, this year's celebration marks a return to large-scale fun.

The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting educational opportunities and providing a quality education for all students.

The Statehouse Convention Center is located at 101 W. Markham St. The celebration will take place in the Center's Wally Allen Ballroom.

For more information, contact Spencer Watson at [email protected] or (501) 244-9028.

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 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