Agrees Students And Parents Act Calls for Access to Schools Best Suited for Each Student

Washington, D.C., February 3, 2015 – During National School Choice Week, PublicSchoolOptions.org, a national parent-led non-profit advocacy organization that supports education policies promoting access to high quality options in education, praised U.S. Senator Tim Scott’s bill calling for more school choice across the country.Senator Scott (R-SC) introduced his CHOICE — Creating Hope and Opportunities for Individuals and Communities through Education — Act on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Cosponsors of this legislation include Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senator Dan Coats, (R-IN), Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator David Vitter (R-LA), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS).“Senator Scott has been a legislative champion for education reform and school choice in my home state of South Carolina and in the United States Senate. He is a legislator who truly trusts parents to make the best educational choices for their children,” said Beth Purcell, President of PublicSchoolOptions.org and mother of two children in charter schools.She continued, “The CHOICE Act is a real opportunity for students across our country to attend the school that best fits their specific needs. This is a decision that should be discussed and agreed upon at the dinner table by parents — not based on an outdated one size fits all model.”Senator Scott’s legislation includes several school choice provisions. The Scott legislation:-- Encourages states to establish school choice programs for students with disabilities.-- Creates a pilot program for military families.-- Expands educational options for low-income students in Washington, D.C.-- Supports great teachers who make a difference in a child’s life.“It’s great to see several elected officials who say ‘I Trust Parents’ to choose the best school for their children. Our collective thanks to Senators Alexander, Coats, Coburn, Cornyn, Cruz, McConnell, Rubio, Vitter, and Wicker for supporting Senator Scott’s legislation that would give choice to more parents,” stated Purcell.PublicSchoolOptions.org is a national alliance of over 60,000 parents that supports and defends parents’ rights to access the best public school options for their children. The Coalition supports the creation of public school options, including charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, open enrollment policies and other innovative education programs. Additionally, we advocate for equal access without restrictions to the school that best suits the individual student’s learning needs whether it is public, non-public or home-based.With active parent-led organizations in over thirty states, PublicSchoolOptions.org is an advocacy organization that is unmatched at the grassroots level. Just as parents have fought for years at the state level to support education policies that improve access and provide greater public school options, the parents of PublicSchoolOptions.org stand ready to support policy at the federal level that matches the principles outlined above.

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