National School Choice Week begins today in Washington and across the country. There are 151 events planned in the Evergreen State to raise awareness about K-12 school choice, and 16,140 events nationwide.

The events in Washington, which are independently planned and independently funded, include everything from information sessions and open houses at schools to rallies, policy discussions, and movie screenings organized by community groups.

The mayors of Kent, Tacoma, and Vancouver have issued official proclamations recognizing January 24-30, 2016 as “School Choice Week.”

“School choice is an issue that remains very important to Washington families,” said Andrew R. Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “National School Choice Week will shine a positive spotlight on the options available to children and families in Washington, while raising awareness of the importance of protecting the choices available to families and expanding educational opportunity to even more children.”

With a goal of raising public awareness of effective education options for children, National School Choice Week will be the largest celebration of education options in US history.

SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR WASHINGTON FAMILIES

  • According to National School Choice Week’s organizers, families in Washington can use the Week to look for K-12 schools for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents in the Evergreen State can choose from the following education options for their children: traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling. The state also has open enrollment policies that allow parents to select the best traditional public school, regardless of where the school is located.

ABOUT NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK

National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort spotlighting effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling. The Week runs from January 24-30, 2016. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com.