Hundreds of school choice supporters – parents, students, teachers, and community leaders – will band together at a coalition-style celebration timed to coincide with National School Choice Week in Montgomery on Thursday, January 25.

The event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and will feature student performances and testimonials from students, education and business leaders, and legislators in support of all types of educational options. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the event at the Alabama State Capitol.

The goal of the event is to spotlight educational opportunities for Alabama students and tell student success stories. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 21-27, 2018), which will feature more than 32,000 events across the country.

"Year after year our Alabama School Choice Rally in Montgomery continues to grow. Not only that but we have seen demand for education options explode across the state and we're excited to be hosting several regional events this week, " said Lesley Searcy, executive director of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. "Parents in Alabama want more options, students in Alabama deserve more opportunities, and the time for our legislators to act boldly is now!"

Event planners include Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund, Business Education Alliance, Business Council of Alabama, Federation for Excellence in Education, American Federation for Children, Public School Options, Alabama Connections Academy authorised by Limestone County School District, and Alabama Federation for Children.

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 more than 32,000 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.