[January 09, 2013]

Albuquerque Families to Celebrate School Choice, Welcome Nation's First-Ever Whistle-Stop Train Tour Promoting Education Reform

One hundred and ten years after Albuquerque hosted a whistle-stop train tour by President Theodore Roosevelt, the city is poised to make history once again by welcoming the nation's first-ever whistle-stop train tour in support of education reform. The National School Choice Week 'Special' (www.schoolchoiceweek.com/train) will arrive in Albuquerque on Saturday, Jan. 26, and school choice supporters from across New Mexico are preparing to celebrate the tour with a special event.

Approximately 300 students, parents, teachers and community members will gather at a reception at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History on Jan. 26 at 5:30 pm. The event will focus on the importance of expanding educational options for children, with a special emphasis on the benefits of public charter schooling in New Mexico and the need for enhanced public and private school choice options.

"We look forward to our stop in New Mexico, where bold reformers continue to fight for greater access to quality schools for all children," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "This tour will celebrate the choices that parents have, while providing a platform for students, parents, teachers ad community leaders to demand additional educational options for all children."

Speakers at the event include Campanella, New Mexico Sen. John Sapien, D-Corrales, second and third grade school choice students John and Alana Lykins, and school choice parents Matthew and Stephanie Chaves.

National School Choice Week is planning the event in cooperation with Educate New Mexico, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools and the Rio Grande Foundation.

This is the third annual National School Choice Week. Planned by a diverse, bipartisan coalition of citizens and organizations, National School Choice Week 2013, runs from Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 and will feature more than 3,500 events spanning all 50 states. Supporters of National School Choice Week believe that states must do more to expand access to challenging and motivating educational options, from high-performing public schools to public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, digital and online learning and homeschooling.

The National School Choice Week 'Special' is scheduled to travel through the following cities, each of which will host whistle-stop-themed events with parents, students and dynamic speakers:

• Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) (Friday, Jan. 25)
• Albuquerque, NM (Saturday, Jan. 26)
• Topeka, KS (Monday, Jan. 28)
• Kansas City, MO (Monday, Jan. 28)
• Chicago, IL (Tuesday, Jan. 29)
• Milwaukee, WI (Wednesday, Jan. 30)
• South Bend, IN (Wednesday, Jan. 30)
• Toledo, OH (Thursday, Jan. 31)
• Cleveland, OH (Thursday, Jan. 31)
• Erie, PA (Thursday, Jan. 31)
• Buffalo, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
• Rochester, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
• Albany, NY (Friday, Feb. 1)
• New York, NY (Saturday, Feb. 2)

Track the tour's progress, and check out exclusive photos and videos, online at www.schoolchoiceweek.com/train. Follow the tour on Twitter (News - Alert) at @SCWSpecial, and Tweet about the tour with the hashtags #SCW and #whistlestop.

www.nationalschoolchoiceweek.com
@schoolchoiceweek
will@schoolchoiceweek.com

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