National School Choice Week (N.S.C.W.) occurs annually in the last week of January and this year will be held from January 19 to 25. The week was established by the Gleason Family Foundation, the charitable arm of a New York-based machine tools manufacturer. For those who are looking for better schooling for their children and want to discover the options available in their respective states, this week provides access to detailed, unbiased, and updated resources for parents, that too for free. This week is for parents wanting to learn about school choices and the various options they have. Since 2011, over 131,000 N.S.C.W. programs have been organized across the U.S.
History of National School Choice Week
National School Choice Week was created in 2011 and is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-political charitable project. It is organized by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. Its goal is to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for students. The focus areas include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. The charitable programs are designed to raise awareness of school education options for children and families across the country. Thousands of schools and related organizations join each year to raise broad public awareness. This week, tens of thousands of independently planned awareness events and activities, such as school fairs, parent information sessions, student talent showcases, and open houses take place across the country.
In 2016, the education partners included the American Federation for Children, the Walton Family Fund, ALEC, SPN, the Freedom Foundation, FreedomWorks, Cato Institute, Reason Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, the James Madison Institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The N.S.C.W. has helped over 44 million families explore school choices between 2021 and 2022. It has partnered with 22,095 schools and organizations to raise awareness through virtual events and activities. Apart from that, 45 major in-person events, including school fairs, student showcases, and capitol celebrations, were planned that saw over 20,000 attendees.
Several celebrities and public officials have taken part in the events during the N.S.C.W. There is also a long list of governors and mayors across the country that have issued resolutions and proclamations supporting the movement. From 2015 to 2019, the U.S. Senate passed a commemorative resolution recognizing N.S.C.W., and the then President Donald J. Trump, issued similar announcements in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
National School Choice Week timeline
Andrew Campanella is the President of N.S.C.W. since 2012.
The Jonas Brothers kick off N.S.C.W. with a concert in Phoenix.
Former W.N.B.A. basketball player Lisa Leslie, collaborates with U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, to support an N.S.C.W. event in Washington.
Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, NFL star Desmond Howard, and U.S. Senator Marco, all appear in a nationally televised ceremony that kicks off the N.S.C.W. in 2015.
The foundation spent at least $688,000 to organize the self-described nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and independent public awareness effort.
National School Choice Week FAQs
What is school choice?
School choice is the option to send your children to other educational institutions rather than the designated local district public school.
Why are government schools not the first choice?
There is a perception that there are not enough teachers, or that the schools do not function properly.
Which U.S. states have the best education system?
The top five states for education are New Jersey Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, and Colorado.
National School Choice Week Activities
Buy some merchandise
The N.S.C.W. merchandise will help you show your support. The proceeds will benefit their charitable activities as well.
Share on social media
Make use of your social media handles. Display your support by using the hashtag #schoolchoice for sharing content related to N.S.C.W.
Join the meet-up
Participate in the yearly #schoolchoice meet-up to bring attention to all K-12 educational opportunities. Spread the word about school choices in the U.S.
5 Facts About National School Choice Week
Events across states
Since 2011, over 1,70,000 events and activities, across all 50 states have been organized under N.S.C.W.
Millions have benefited
The organization has assisted more than 1.44 million families in exploring school choices through readily available resources.
The 13th anniversary
It will be the thirteenth annual celebration of N.S.C.W. in 2022.
The signature scarves
During the events, the N.S.C.W. participants wear signature yellow scarves.
More families want to change schools
Based on a survey conducted in January 2022, around 52% of families across the U.S., considered finding a new or different school for at least one of their children within the past year.
Why We Love National School Choice Week
It is empowering
Finding a good school for your child is important. The N.S.C.W. trains families to find a learning environment that allows their children to be inspired, successful, and happy.
It is free
Apart from paying no participation or licensing fee, participants are eligible to receive a free activity packet or event kit. We all love freebies!
It is very inclusive
N.S.C.W. celebrates all education options that are available. These include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.
National School Choice Week dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2022 | January 23 | Sunday |
2023 | January 22 | Sunday |
2024 | January 21 | Sunday |
2025 | January 19 | Sunday |
2026 | January 25 | Sunday |