National School Choice Week begins today in Iowa and across the country. There are 207 events planned in the Hawkeye State to raise awareness about K-12 school choice, and 21,392 events nationwide.

The events in Iowa, 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. Highlighted events include a large school choice celebration January 25 at 10:00 a.m. at the State Historic Building Auditorium.

The counties of Monona, Dallas, and Jackson and cities of Burlington, Calmar, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Grimes, Maquoketa, Melcher-Dallas, Milford, Perry, Polk City, and Webster City have issued official proclamations recognizing January 22-28, 2017 as “School Choice Week.”

National School Choice Week provides families in Iowa with the opportunity to research and evaluate the K-12 school choices available for their children in advance of the 2017-2018 school year. The Week also raises awareness of the importance of providing every child with effective education options.

“We enjoy many great educational options in Iowa and National School Choice Week is a great time to raise awareness among parents about the choices available to them,” said Trish Wilger of Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education.

"Iowa provides a strong model for the effective implementation of school choice options in a rural state," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "We are grateful that so many Iowa families are benefiting from school choice, and that so many students, parents, teachers, and community leaders will be celebrating National School Choice Week."

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 IOWA FAMILIES

  • According to National School Choice Week’s organizers, families in Iowa can use the Week to look for K-12 schools for the 2017-2018 school year. Parents in the Hawkeye 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. In some parts of the state, open enrollment policies allow parents to select the best traditional public school, regardless of where the school is located. The state also has programs allowing qualifying children, in some cases, to receive scholarships or tax credits to attend private schools.

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 22-28, 2017. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com.