Capitol Celebration to Mark School Choice Week in Vermont, Elevate Student Voices

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Jan 19, 2022, 06:30 ET

MONTPELIER, Vt., Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As school fairs, rallies, and student showcases take place across the nation, Vermonters will join in celebrating School Choice Week 2022 with their own celebration at the capitol.

Private school and homeschool students, teachers, and legislators will gather at the capitol on Thursday, Jan. 27 to call attention to the impact of school choice. The event will kick off with a group photo wearing School Choice Week's signature yellow scarves and a press conference at 11:20 a.m. at the Vermont Capitol Plaza. At noon, attendees will share a community lunch and hear a school choice story from featured speaker Hera Varmah, a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship recipient and recent high school alumna.

Retta Dunlop, who champions homeschooling in Vermont, will speak to the incredible rise in homeschooling across the state. Additionally, students from Vermont utilizing school choice options will share their experiences with school choice options and how these options have changed their lives.

This event is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week Jan. 23-29, 2022, which will feature more than 26,000 school choice events across all 50 states.

"Many may not know it, but Vermont actually pioneered the concept of school choice more than a century and a half ago," said Brad Ferland, one of the lead organizers of the event. "The town tuitioning program, created in 1869, allows families living in towns without public schools to select other schools, whether public or private."

"More, and better, quality educational options will encourage families to move from urban centers to Vermont — or will keep families thinking of moving elsewhere to maintain their roots in the Green Mountain State," ," said Ferland. "Here in Vermont, school choice will not only brighten individual children's future — it can help to brighten our economy as well. Let's work to bring the hope of school choice — the hope that Vermont created over 153 years ago — to every family and child in our state."

The event is organized by a coalition of citizens, stakeholder groups, schools and students.

The Capitol Plaza is located at 100 State St.

National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective K-12 education options for children, focusing equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of celebrations –– such as school fairs and open houses–– to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. School Choice Week also develops resources and guides to K-12 education for families. As a not-for-profit effort, the Week is nonpolitical and nonpartisan and does not advocate for legislation. For more information visit schoolchoiceweek.com.

SOURCE National School Choice Week