January 21st – 27th is National School Choice Week, a special week set aside to inform, inspire, and empower parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling.
Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.
In Arizona, the American Federation for Children and Padres Unidos in collaboration with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation hosted the School Choice Celebration on the Arizona State Capitol lawn, where students, parents, and educators from across the state gathered. The event raised awareness of the K–12 education options for Arizona families, while providing an opportunity for community and state stakeholders to hear directly from families about how school choice has helped them learn and succeed.
The rain did not keep people away from the lively outdoor event, which included entertainment, giveaways, and swag. Great Hearts Christos was there with a tent to offer information about the new private, Christian schools that have opened this year, offering another choice for parents in Phoenix.
In Arizona, you have access to more K-12 education options than you might realize. Navigating these options can help you find a school where your child thrives, but it can also feel overwhelming. Families can choose from traditional public district schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online learning, homeschooling, micro schooling, and mix-and-match learning. Of course, we are partial to the classical education that is available to all students throughout the Valley at any of our academies in our Great Hearts Charter Network, our online academies, and our private, Christian academies at Great Hearts Christos.
“As a parent, school choice simply means that I have the autonomy to make decisions concerning my kids’ education,” explained Great Hearts Christos Executive Director, Toyin Atolagbe. “It means that I have the opportunity to choose the school that I want for my children that aligns with our family values, our principles, and our belief system. In short, I want to be able to go to work, leave my kids behind at school, and feel comfortable that the values, the principles, the virtues – they’re learning aligns with the things that we hold very dear to our hearts.”
At its core, school choice is the process of allowing every family to choose the K-12 educational options that best fit their children. Every child is unique, and all children learn differently. Some children might succeed at the neighborhood public school, while others might fit in better at a charter, magnet, online, private or home learning environment. That’s why school choice is so important!
Every child deserves an effective, challenging, and motivating education. And, because each student has their own unique set of talents, interests, and challenges, having a variety of options in education is crucial. What works well for one child may not work well for another child! In short, school choice ensures that each student can find a learning environment that allows them to be inspired, successful, and happy. Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jason.moore@greathearts.org