TODAY: New School Choice Possibilities Become Personal as National School Choice Week Spurs Families to Action

Families explore school fairs, governors endorse the week at the state level, and schools invite families to discover the options for their kids.

MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A majority of U.S. parents (57 percent) say they will look for a new school for one of their children in 2024, and families thinking about making a change have a huge opportunity this month. Today starts National School Choice Week, featuring 27,112 events and activities across the country, including large-scale school fairs and community events.

NSCW runs until Jan 27th and will be celebrated by 24,875 K–12 schools; including more than 14,000 public-sector schools and more than 7,000 private schools, alongside online, homeschooling, or microschooling options. As more parents actively explore diverse school choices, NSCW remains a positive, inclusive effort to inform and empower families with straightforward information about traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education options.

Over the next six days, NSCW will spotlight a wide range of activities and events, connecting tens of thousands of families to local school options and raising national awareness about school choice through 33 school fairs and over 70 flagship events. These flagship events, characterized by student performances, collaboration between many types of schools, and leading parent voices, bring an additional layer of enthusiasm to statewide celebrations.

"In a single year, school choice options have expanded for parents by a never-before-seen magnitude. With the stage set, National School Choice Week is poised to be the catalyst that helps parents turn new education options into education solutions for their children," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "Thanks to the imagination and initiative of schools, organizations, and community leaders that celebrate the Week in their communities, countless families will find a great school that changes the trajectory of their children's lives this January."

NSCW, which is nonpartisan and nonpolitical, is organized by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In addition to hosting NSCW, NSCAF develops and promotes the nation's largest online portfolio of school navigation resources for families, available at schoolchoiceweek.com and through NSCAF's Spanish-language charitable program, Conoce tus Opciones Escolares. In just the last nine months, the resources provided at these sites have served 1.3 million parents.

Photos and videos from NSCW 2024 so far can be found at schoolchoiceweek.com/school-fair-saturday-recap/. More information for families can be found at schoolchoiceweek.com/state-guides/. 

The National School Choice Awareness Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover and navigate K–12 education options for their children. NSCAF organizes high-impact charitable programs, including National School Choice Week and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares, in collaboration with Navigate­–the National School Choice Resource Center, which is also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

SOURCE National School Choice Week