NEXT WEEK: Ohio Families Seek to Boost Awareness of K-12 Options During School Choice Week

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Jan 16, 2023, 04:00 ET

Ohio celebrates educational options and quality schools during annual School Choice Week

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio schools, organizations, and individuals are planning 975 celebrations of educational opportunity this month as traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, and home educators highlight their unique choices.

During the last two years, families and educators in Ohio 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. Ohio students experienced greater learning losses than the national average.

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 policies vary from state to state. Ohio has restricted open enrollment for public school, public charter schools or community schools, public magnet schools, and several full-time online public schools. Ohio also offers state-run scholarship programs for students with autism spectrum disorders, students assigned to underperforming schools, and students from low or middle-income families.

Across the state, 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 Ohio will be a school fair in Toledo organized by Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund and the illumination of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

"Ohio families are more interested than ever in high-quality school choices that suit their kids' needs," said Andrew Campanella, President and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "This School Choice Week is a time to celebrate great schools where they exist, and to create new opportunities where they're needed in Ohio communities."

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

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