Hundreds of students, parents, and teachers are expected to gather on the Capitol steps on Tuesday, January 26, to show support for educational opportunity.

At 9:30 a.m., families and educators from various schools will come together to celebrate school choice. Governor Phil Bryant and Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves will join grassroots supporters to stand behind educational opportunity for all students in Mississippi.

The goal of the event is to demonstrate unprecedented support for school choice in the Magnolia State. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 24-30, 2016), which will be America’s largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education, with more than 16,000 events being planned nationwide.

“We look forward to making the most out of National School Choice Week to raise awareness among Mississippi families about the education options available to children in our state,” said Grant Callen of Empower Mississippi. “There’s no better time to celebrate the ability of parents to find the right school fit for their child.

“This unprecedented event is a great platform for students, parents, and educators in our state to demonstrate how valuable education options are to parents in our state. No matter what kind of school a parent chooses, we gather this month to celebrate their freedom to do so. Every child deserves the opportunity to choose a school that will meet their needs.”

Event planners include Empower Mississippi, Mississippi First, and the Mississippi Charter Schools Association.

Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through thousands of independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.