Southern Pines, North Carolina — Just two days after the most pro-school choice president in history takes the oath of office, Donald Trump and other school choice supporters will celebrate the beginning of National School Choice Week on Jan. 22.
Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, Inc., is also chairman of Homeschool Now USA, a primary promoter of National School Choice Week. Homeschool Now USA is a nonprofit coalition of homeschool organizations dedicated to unifying homeschoolers in a shared mission to promote homeschooling during School Choice Week.
“Our goal is for homeschoolers across the country to speak in a loud, unified voice, reaching Americans who may not know that homeschooling is a feasible option and encouraging more families to educate their children at home,” Bortins said. “I encourage all CC communities and families to plan their own event or get involved with one of the 17,500 local events already planned for National School Choice Week Jan. 22-28.”
School Choice Week participants include 13,500 schools, 2,100 homeschool groups, and 1,200 local chambers of commerce, according to Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. CC families can find National School Choice Week events in their area by visiting schoolchoiceweek.com/map. Events include everything from student dance performances to citywide school fairs to large rallies on the steps of state capitols.
President-elect Trump made school choice the centerpiece of his education policy during the campaign and followed through by naming a long-time school choice advocate, Betsy DeVos, as his nominee for Secretary of Education.
In announcing his pick Nov. 24, Trump said of DeVos, “Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and passionate education advocate. Under her leadership we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families.”
While Classical Conversations thoroughly supports school choice, Bortins clarified, it does not support government funding of homeschooling but encourages private funds for private education.
National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning and homeschooling.
“Every year more and more schools, organizations and individuals are jumping at the chance to shine a positive spotlight on school choice during the last week of January,” Campanella said. “We invite everyone to get involved and have their voices heard.”
National School Choice Week is a nonpartisan public awareness effort. For more information, visit http://news.schoolchoiceweek.com/ or www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek.
