Los Angeles Prepares to Celebrate Launch of Nation's First Whistle-Stop Train Tour Promoting School Choice

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The nation’s first cross-country, whistle-stop train tour promoting education reform – the National School Choice Week ‘Special’ (www.schoolchoiceweek.com/train) – will depart Los Angeles Union Station on Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, and school choice supporters from across California are preparing to celebrate its historic launch.

“Just as whistle-stop tours were used to promote civil rights like women's suffrage and the end of segregation, the National School Choice Week Special will draw attention to the greatest civil rights fight of the 21st century: the need to provide every child with access to a quality school.”

More than 750 students, parents, teachers and community members will hold a special rally to kick off the tour. The event, which will be held at Union Station at 4 p.m., will focus on the importance of expanding educational options for children, with a special emphasis on the benefits of public charter schooling and the importance of parental empowerment.

“We are excited to celebrate the launch of our whistle-stop tour in Los Angeles, where reformers are celebrating the 20th anniversary of public charter schooling and the passage of new ‘parent trigger’ laws designed to empower parents with the rights they deserve,” said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “Just as whistle-stop tours were used to promote civil rights like women's suffrage and the end of segregation, the National School Choice Week Special will draw attention to the greatest civil rights fight of the 21st century: the need to provide every child with access to a quality school.”

Speakers at the event include California Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, former California Sen. Gloria Romero, Parent Revolution Founder Ben Austin, 2011 California Charter Teacher of the Year Meredith Dadigan, National School Choice Week President Andrew Campanella, and parents and students benefiting from school choice in California.

National School Choice Week is planning the event in cooperation with the California Charter Schools Association, Alliance College Ready Public Schools, Aspire Public Schools, Democrats for Education Reform, Education Reform Now, Green Dot Public Schools, Parent Revolution, Reason and StudentsFirst.

This is the third annual National School Choice Week. Planned by a diverse, bipartisan coalition of citizens and organizations, National School Choice Week 2013, runs from Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 and will feature more than 3,500 events spanning all 50 states.

Supporters of National School Choice Week believe that states must do more to expand access to challenging and motivating educational options, from high-performing public schools to public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, digital and online learning and homeschooling.

The National School Choice Week ‘Special’ is scheduled to travel through the following cities, each of which will host whistle-stop-themed events with parents, students and dynamic speakers:

Los Angeles, CA (Friday, Jan. 25)
Albuquerque, NM (Saturday, Jan. 26)
Topeka, KS (Monday, Jan. 28)
Kansas City, MO (Monday, Jan. 28)
Chicago, IL (Tuesday, Jan. 29)
Milwaukee, WI (Wednesday, Jan. 30)
South Bend, IN (Wednesday, Jan. 30)
Toledo, OH (Thursday, Jan. 31)
Cleveland, OH (Thursday, Jan. 31)
Erie, PA (Thursday, Jan. 31)
Buffalo, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
Rochester, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
Albany, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
New York, NY (Saturday, Feb. 2)

Track the tour’s progress, and check out exclusive photos and videos, online at www.schoolchoiceweek.com/train. Follow the tour on Twitter at @SCWSpecial, and Tweet about the tour with the hashtags #SCW and #whistlestop.

www.nationalschoolchoiceweek.com
@schoolchoiceweek
will@schoolchoiceweek.com