Rio Grande Foundation to kick off “School Choice Week” Along with Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, Secretary Skandera at Roundhouse on Monday

ALBUQUERQUE — Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez and Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera will headline a rally of hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and community leaders to kick off School Choice Week in New Mexico.

School Choice Week 2017 kicks off in New Mexico with a program of student performances and remarks from political and community leaders at noon on Monday, January 23 in the rotunda of the State Capitol.

The goal of the event is to gather hundreds of school choice supporters from across the state to raise the profile of educational opportunity. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 20,000 events across the country.

Said Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing, “School Choice Week is an opportunity for us to call attention to the success and value of existing choices. We can also point out that New Mexico has a very long way to go to bring true choice to students of all income levels and backgrounds.” Noted Gessing, “In the 2017 legislative session, legislators will be considering whether to place an arbitrary moratorium on new charter schools.”

Event planners include the Rio Grande Foundation, New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools, and LIBRE Institute. Students and officials from a variety of schools of choice will also be in attendance and performing or participating.

Held every January, National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort designed to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child. Through more than 20,000 independently planned events across the country, National School Choice Week raises public awareness of all types of educational choices available to children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

The Rio Grande Foundation is New Mexico’s free market think tank. It has supported school choice in New Mexico since its founding in 2000.