THIS WEEK: 201 Celebrations of School Choice Week Organized by Schools, Organizations, and Individuals Underway in Maine

Pine Tree State Parents to Explore Education Options for Upcoming School Year

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Jan 24, 2020, 06:00 ET

AUGUSTA, Maine, Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of Maine families are gathering at schools, homes, and the capitol to celebrate the state's unique landscape of education options during Maine School Choice Week.

Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 201 events and activities, making up some of the 51,300 events planned nationwide to draw attention to K-12 education options. National School Choice Week (Jan. 26-Feb. 1) will be the largest celebration of educational choice in U.S. history, with a record-shattering 13.7 million Americans expected to participate.

One of the biggest events taking place in Maine will be a Capitol Rally on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the Maine Statehouse's Hall of Flags. Around the country, Americans will be celebrating at school open houses, pep rallies, screenings of the movie "Miss Virginia," sports competitions, school fairs, and more. For a preview of local events planned in Maine, explore the events and updates listed at schoolchoiceweek.com/states/maine.

The city of Woodstock issued a proclamation recognizing Jan. 26 - Feb. 1 as School Choice Week in its community.

In Maine, there are a variety of educational options to attend including: traditional public schools with open enrollment at the discretion of each district, charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschooling. Students in certain Maine towns may be eligible for the state's tuitioning program, allowing them to attend schools in other communities.

National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort celebrated since 2011. The week is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and not related to any legislative advocacy campaign.

"National School Choice Week is an opportunity for families to celebrate the school options they have and to show their support for even more educational opportunity in Maine," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week.

"The availability of "school choice" is important to many Maine families for meeting the unique educational needs of their child," said Roger Brainerd, executive director of Maine Association for Charter Schools. "It can play a major role in their choice of a place to live, as residing in some towns provides a variety of publicly funded public and private school options. Expanding publicly supported education options is important for Maine, as we work to overcome rural/urban disparities, income-related achievement gaps, and attracting new workers in an aging population."

To download a guide to school choice in Maine, see celebration photos and proclamation updates, or learn more about featured events, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/states/maine.

National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a spotlight on effective education options for children. National School Choice Week celebrates all types of school choice options, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling. Learn more at www.schoolchoiceweek.com or explore the conversation about school choice on social media using hashtag #schoolchoice.

SOURCE National School Choice Week