Show your support at the Texas School Choice Week Rally in Austin on January 30, 2015. Families Empowered is coordinating free transportation, meals, and activities at the Texas State Capitol as part of National School Choice Week (January 25-31, 2015).
In 2014, my kids and I celebrated National School Choice week at a whistle-stop event at Sunset Station. I was impressed by the prestigious guest speakers, and my kids enjoyed the DJ, the dancing, and the flurry of bright yellow fleece scarves. National School Choice Week is a great organization because it’s inclusive: they welcome students from charter schools, private schools, magnet schools, and public schools, as well as homeschoolers.
This year, San Antonio families (including parents and kids, aunts, uncles, and grandparents) can catch a ride to the Austin rally on the Families Empowered bus. Austin locals and a couple of more buses from Houston will meet us there. The goal of the rally is for school choice supporters to show up in a big group to sing, dance, shout, and get noticed. School spirit T-shirts and handmade signs are encouraged.
We’ll meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Pearl Brewery parking lot, 303 Pearl Parkway (map). Free breakfast and lunch will be provided—thank you, Brackenridge Foundation. We’ll all get School Choice Week scarves to wear, too.
The Texas School Choice Week Rally will take place at 10:00 a.m. on the steps of the Capitol building. There will be distinguished guest speakers, as well as teachers, parents, and kids to represent the grass-roots side of the movement. Kids will have fun with the high-energy music and entertainment. If you plan on participating in the official dance, you might want to start practicing now.
http://youtu.be/L0M5nCsKObc
There will be time in the afternoon for exploring the Texas State Capitol. If you are interested in sharing your story about why you support school choice, then there may be opportunities to meet with your state senator and representative. (Not sure who represents you? Look them up here.) We’ll return to the bus by 2:00 p.m. for the drive back to San Antonio.
To register for the rally, or if you have questions, contact Barbie Leal-Hallam, at Families Empowered‘s San Antonio office, at (210) 347-2972 or blealhallam@familiesempowered.org. Download a printable flyer here.
Why is it important for school choice supporters to take action? Because, in the words of Senator Mike Enzi, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
As a charter school parent, I want to tell my elected officials about how important charter schools are to my family. In the upcoming legislative session, I want to see charter schools get more funding for operations (to bring them in line with what traditional school districts get) and for charter schools to get funding for school facilities. Also, I want to pave the way for high-performing charter schools to continue to grow: I know how it feels to be on a waiting list (earlier post), and I know many families who are still trying to get in.
By reading this blog—thank you!—you are already taking action to support school choice and improve education. The Texas School Choice Week Rally is a fun opportunity to get more involved. On this trip, you will get to meet other school choice supporters in our community, and learn more about how the legislature works. By gathering in one place, school choice supporters send our leaders a message that there are lots of us, that we are diverse, and that we are paying close attention to changes in the laws.
I am grateful to Families Empowered for coordinating this trip. Please come join us on January 30 to raise your voices in support of school choice.
