Spring Successes for School Choice Advocacy Across the Country

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Reposted with permission from the National Coalition for Public School Options:

Summer is just one day away which means two important things for Public School Options:

  1. School is out and the kids are home in all the glory and agony that entails.

  2. State legislative sessions across the country have mostly wrapped up for the year.

The first half of the year is always conducted at a frenetic pace for PSO. Legislative sessions begin in January and we swing into action - expanding school choice options in states across America and fighting to protect gains previously made.

This year was no different and we have plenty of success to show for it. To use an awful cliche that would definitely get a red pen mark on an AP exam: PSO left it all on the field!

Below is a rundown of some of our successes. I wish you all the best of summers!

New Mexico

What did parents say to those fighting to severely limit rural families’ ability to access online education? Not on our watch!

Parents rallied together to show New Mexico legislators that if you mess with one parent, you mess with all parents. After significant pushback from across New Mexico, lawmakers backed off plans to pass a bill that would have significantly harmed families - especially those in rural communities.

Alabama

Just a few short years ago, Alabama had limited school options for families outside of the traditional public brick-and-mortar school. But options have blossomed since 2015. Thousands of children are enrolled in virtual school throughout Alabama and - not surprisingly - they are willing to fight to keep the option! In March the Alabama Chapter of PSO hosted our largest Capitol Day event of the year, with more than 1,000 students, parents, and teachers gathered together to show their support for public school options.

Louisiana

PSO has a history of successful activism in Louisiana. Perhaps our most important achievement was a successful court battle to keep Type 2 charter schools open, despite threats from opponents to defund the schools.

This year it was our pleasure to present Rep. Nancy Landry - the House Education Committee chair - with our most prestigious state award - The Golden Apple.

We will continue to remain vigilant and active in Louisiana to protect parents’ hard fought gains.

Texas

You don’t mess with Texas parents! When legislation was introduced that would have limited school options, Texas parents swung into action. Every single week of the session our parents were meeting with lawmakers and staff to ensure no bad bills became law. Parents from across the state called their lawmakers and finally, we used our platform to speak from the pages of the Austin American Statesman. Eventually parents succeeded and no harmful legislation was passed.