NEXT WEEK: Arizona Families Seek To Boost Awareness of Education Options During School Choice Week

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Jan 16, 2023, 06:00 ET

Arizona celebrates educational options and quality education during the annual School Choice Week

PHOENIX, Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 800 celebrations of educational opportunity this month as traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning options, private schools, and home educators highlight their unique choices.

During the last two years, families and educators in Arizona have faced the academic consequences of the pandemic. A survey this month by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation showed that 53.7 percent of parents have recently explored or are currently considering new options for their child's education. During School Choice Week 2023, parents can learn about school choice and attend local events as they consider their K-12 options for the next school year.

The Nation's Report Card (NAEP) released in 2022 underlined the need to invest in quality education options. Arizona had greater learning losses than the nation as a whole, and the economic impacts on affected youth and on the state are significant.

The Week will bring helpful and handy information that parents need in order to support their kids. The Week is the best time of the year for families to consider their education options for the next school year.

Across the country, parents can choose between traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, homeschooling, and newer options like learning pods or microschooling.

But education policy varies from state to state. In Arizona, there are a variety of educational options available, including traditional public schools with flexible open enrollment laws, many public charter schools and public magnet schools, and a plethora of full-time, tuition-free online learning options. Families who choose private schools or homeschooling may be eligible for one of the state's several private school choice programs. The newest of these, the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, is open to all students in the state.

Across Arizona, events that are positive, supportive of a wide variety of school options, and family-friendly are planned, from in-school activities to large celebrations. Among the notable celebrations in Arizona will be a student showcase and fair in Chandler, organized by Love Your School, on January 25; a school carnival in Tucson, organized by Families Empowered, on January 25; and the annual EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology) Expo where 5,000 students will gather to learn about over 40 career training programs offered in their area.

"School Choice Week is a key time to support the whole Hispanic and Latino community, and all Arizona families, in the process of finding the right school for their sons and daughters," said Krissia Campos Spivey, project director of Conoce tus Opciones Escolares at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

To download a guide to Arizona school choice, use the school finder tool to search schools in your area or see celebration photos visit schoolchoiceweek.com/arizona.

Local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request.

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