Students, parents, teachers, and community leaders from across the Lone Star State will head to the Capitol to celebrate opportunity in education on Friday, January 29.

The event, which will take place at 11 a.m. on the South Capitol Steps, will feature student performances and school choice success stories from parents, students, and educators from every educational option available in Texas – traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and home education.

The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 24-30, 2016), which will be America’s largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education, with more than 16,000 events being planned.

“The Texas Institute for Education Reform (TIER) is proud to stand with Texas families and educators for high-quality educational options,” said Courtney Boswell, executive director of TIER. “There is a growing appetite in Texas for more parental control over where and how children are educated, and National School Choice Week gives us a fantastic opportunity to amplify that message.”

“Families Empowered is committed to the idea that every parent should be able to choose the right school for their child, regardless of ZIP code or income,” said Colleen Dippel, executive director of Families Empowered in Houston. “Texas is exemplary in so many ways – it’s time to lead the way when it comes to educational opportunity.”

The event is being planned by a coalition of Texas organizations, including Families Empowered, Texas Institute for Education Reform, ResponsiveEd, Americans for Prosperity – Texas, The LIBRE Initiative, The Texas Catholic Conference, Texas Charter Schools Association, Texas Private Schools Association, Connections Academy, Texas Business Leadership Council, Reason Foundation, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Liberty Action Texas.

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 thousands of 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.