New Jersey Senator Tom Kean and Assemblyman Troy Singleton will join students, parents, teachers and community leaders at a National School Choice Week whistle-stop rally in Newark on Wednesday, January 22, organizers announced today. A special "New Jersey School Choice Summit" will immediately follow the event, and will feature remarks by Sen. Ray Lesniak, Sen. Steven Oroho and Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, Jr.

The indoor event is one of 14 events along the National School Choice Week whistle-stop train and motor coach tour. The celebration will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Newark Club.

Additional speakers include award-winning filmmaker Bob Bowdon, the founder of Choice Media, and Dr. Sonn Sam, Head of Newark Prep Charter School, as well as students, parents and other education leaders.

The goal of the rally portion of the event is to demonstrate support for school choice and educational opportunity in New Jersey and across the country; the summit will explore specific issues related to school choice policy in New Jersey.

National School Choice Week -- which will feature more than 5,500 independently-planned events across the country -- will be the nation's largest-ever celebration of educational opportunity. The Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning and homeschooling.

"School choice is one issue that crosses political and ideological lines," Bowdon said. "At this event, we look forward to bringing people from across the Garden State together to send a clear message to leaders in Trenton and across the state: that school choice works."

The event is hosted by National School Choice Week in partnership with Choice Media. Additional partners include the Alliance For Free Choice In Education, Association of American Educators, Common Sense Institute, Foundation for Excellence in Education, GreatSchools.org, KIPP New Jersey, Orthodox Union, New Jersey Network of Catholic School Families, New Jersey Charter School Association, Parental Rights NJ, PublicSchoolOptions.org, StudentsFirst, Uncommon Schools, K12, Newark Prep Charter School, and We Can Do Better NJ.

National School Choice Week (Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2014) is an independent public awareness campaign designed to shine a spotlight on effective education options for children. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com or follow NSCW on Twitter at www.twitter.com/schoolchoicewk.

National School Choice Week
Allison Schneider, 800-640-2671 ext. 104
allison@schoolchoiceweek.com