School Choice Movement Goes National!

The School Choice movement is gaining national momentum and we all need to join in. Missouri's movement is making headways as well...thought I would share the national scope for those interested.
LetParentsChoose.org

School Choice Movement Launches Major National Campaign to Recruit 10,000 Activists“School Choice Works” campaign is the first national outreach effort for voucher and tax credit proponents.(Washington, D.C.) November 11, 2008—The national school choice movement today launched an aggressive campaign to recruit 10,000 new activists. Coordinated by the nonprofit Alliance for School Choice, the School Choice Works campaign will promote the benefits of school vouchers and tax credit scholarship programs. The effort will coincide with the start of 2009 state legislative sessions. (Visit www.LetParentsChoose.org for details.)The Alliance, which is the nation’s largest organization promoting school vouchers and tax credit scholarships, will launch a blitz of online advertising and radio promotions to spread the word about the recruitment effort. According to the Alliance, School Choice Works is the movement’s first national outreach campaign. The Alliance estimates that it will meet its goal of recruiting 10,000 new supporters by as early as January 2009.The campaign’s Web site, www.LetParentsChoose.org, encourages supporters to sign up for free information kits, subscriptions to magazines, advocacy guides, bumper stickers, and e-mail updates.“America's hardworking families should have the right to choose the schools that work best for their children," said School Choice Works Campaign Director Andrew Campanella. “Special interests have long dominated the public debate over vouchers, but our campaign will present the true life-changing stories of the families who have benefited from school choice programs. We also look forward to providing new ways for our supporters to help advance this important cause.”More than 152,000 children participate in 18 school choice programs operating in 10 states and the District of Columbia. The bipartisan base of support for school choice is growing every year, with public opinion polls showing stronger support among Democrats, African-Americans, Latinos, and Hispanics than ever before. The School Choice Works campaign will shine a spotlight on the failures of many public schools in America. Despite the best efforts of many educators, roughly 4 million children attend failing or underperforming schools. More than 1 million kids drop out of school each year. Every 26 seconds, another child drops out of school.“Despite what defenders of the status quo have told us for decades, more money alone will not solve this problem,” said Alliance President Charles R. Hokanson. “How to improve schools is not a mystery. It simply requires the will to make the necessary changes. Wherever school choice has been tried, it has worked for participating children and parents. If we are truly serious about improving graduation rates and preparing our children to compete in the 21st century global economy—expanded parental choice must be a readily available option.”