Louisiana Celebrates National School Choice Week with Statewide School Tour

The Louisiana Federation of Children, the state’s voice for educational choice; along with the Black Alliance for Educational Options, a national organization advocating for parental choice on behalf of low-income and working-class families; and the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, the only statewide entity dedicated to advocating for charter schools at both the state and local levels; announced a statewide tour of choice schools in celebration of National School Choice Week, January 25 – 31, 2015.  

“National School Choice Week is an ideal opportunity to showcase the wide array of school choice options available to Louisiana families,” said Ann Duplessis, President of the Louisiana Federation for Children. “Whether the option is voucher, charter, or course choice; it is important that parents have the option to choose the best school for their children.”  

According to a 2013 survey, 73 percent of Americans support school choice, up from 67 percent in 2010. 64 percent of parents survey also indicated that, had they had the financial resources, they would prefer to send their child to a different school.  

More than 13,000 students applied to participate in the Louisiana Scholarship Program during the 2014-2015 school year and nearly 7,400 low-income students enrolled in participating schools.  

“We believe that every child deserves access to a high-quality education, and that parental choice should not be contingent upon affluence,” said, Stacy Martin, Louisiana BAEO State Director. “With options comes opportunity. And Louisiana’s parents and students have proven that opportunity produces outcomes.”  

Orleans Parish, the state’s only 100 percent district of choice and containing the nation’s only 100 all-charter school district, has made significant academic gains as a result of the post-Katrina restructuring of the education system and wholesale introduction of choice. In 2005 the district ranked second to last in the state (67 of 68), now Orleans Parish hovers right around the state average, ranking 38 of 70. Previously, over 60 percent of schools were failing; now that figure is below 10 percent.  

“Your ZIP code should not determine your child’s fate,” said Caroline Roemer Shirley, Executive Director, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools. “Our state continues to be on a solid path to improving public education by offering more and more quality educational options for students and parents. While much credit is due to our state leaders for listening to parents' increasing calls for school choice, we must also recognize our school leaders, teachers and community members for delivering on the challenge to create world-class educational options for Louisiana’s children.”  

National School Choice Week | Louisiana Tour  
Monday, January 26
St. Benedict The Moor School
5010 Piety Street | New Orleans
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  

Tuesday, January 27
Lutheran High School
3864 Seventeenth Street
Metairie 1
0:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  

Wednesday, January 28
Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School
7600 Boone Avenue 
Baton Rouge 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  

Thursday, January 29
Vision Academy
1411 Sherrouse Street
Monroe 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  

National School Choice Week (January 25 – 31, 2015) will be America's largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education. Featuring more than 11,000 independently organized events across all 50 states, the week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children. National School Choice Week is independent, nonpolitical, and nonpartisan, and embraces all types of educational choice – from traditional public schools to public charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.