School Choice Week starts today in Georgia and across America. Throughout the Week, which runs until January 31, there will be 360 school choice events across the Peach State.
“In recent years, Georgia has made significant growth in providing parents with increased access to challenging, motivating and effective schools. Georgia parents have far more options today than they did a decade ago,” said Andrew R. Campanella, president, National School Choice Week
School Choice Week events in Georgia include open houses, information sessions, policy roundtable discussions and more – planned by schools, organizations, homeschool groups and individuals. The goal of the events is to inform parents about the K-12 education options available for their children, while raising awareness of the benefits providing families with a variety of different options for their children’s education.
Georgia cities with the most events include Atlanta (98), Alpharetta (31), Roswell (19), Duluth (11), and Marrietta (10). To help raise additional awareness, the mayors of Columbus and Savannah – as well as county leaders in Fulton County – have issued proclamations officially recognizing Jan. 25-31, 2015 as School Choice Week in their localities.
Parents across Georgia have a variety of K-12 education options for their children. Families in the Peach 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 has also enacted laws making it easier for children to attend traditional public schools outside of their zoned districts, policies known as open enrollment. In addition, the state allows qualifying children, in some cases, to receive scholarships to attend private schools.