On August 18, 2021, we hosted an NC School Choice outreach event with fellow collaborators Lana of Open-NC.us and Tabitha, Owner/Operator of Rising Stars Private School to lay groundwork in the community and share all K-12 educational options in a small, geographical region.
There's huge motivation -at least in my opinion- to get the word out on educational options. There's more than one choice in school settings for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade and it's much easier (but hotter in NC heat!) to have advocates go out into the community to discuss education alternatives in-person rather than online behind our keyboards.
Hopefully, you've seen, heard about, or are actively discussing and learning K12 possibilities:
-government-run
-charter
-private
-virtual
-hybrid
Here's a throwback from my NC School Choice 2020 event.
Pictured left to right are Angela and Tabitha at NC School Choice Event January 2020
I love helping and becoming a valued resource for parents to lean on, but there's nothing stopping all the groups mentioned above from helping disseminate helpful links and starting information for families who are seeking new educational settings. Here, in the month August of 2021 we are reliving 2020. If you helped NC families in 2020/21, or previously... thank you... but don't stop helping.
On a regular basis I speak with anyone who will lend an ear whether young or old and whether he/she has kids or none at all. You'll see a picture and video of me below speaking with a young lady named, Bree, who didn't have children but contemplated the possibility maybe in about five years. After our chat over punch and pizza, Bree left happy and excited to share the new information with her sister who does have kids and is actively seeking a K12 educational option outside her current situation. Bree, if you're reading this, I'm so glad we talked! She wasn't the only person I spoke to at the event. I spoke to anyone walking by and had delightful conversations with all.
Families easily decide options which work best, but only when they know they exist and are attainable. The war on masks versus no masks seem to be the driving issue for suddenly ripping a school away from a student's reach. There's been an outcry from parents, grandparents, teachers and students, yet we continue to see Boards of Education ignoring large swaths of concerns only to force more of their one-size-fits-all approach on others.
Newsflash: kids don't learn the same way and families don't all think the same way, so another onesie approach handed down by big government isn't fair to all and we should not expect it to work.
Parents aren't sure if they have the ability to pivot towards paying for private school tuition, or if that potential school option will mirror the dreaded government-run school, which just voted for forced masks for all... prior to ever listening to the people they are to represent. Here's looking at you, Winston-Forsyth County Schools.
To dig into your options just browse the website and follow links to easily access the three NC grant applications. If tuition looks like it's beyond your budget and you do not qualify for any NC K-12 grants then I need you to call, email and present yourself to the school you seek and ask how you can work off your child's tuition. You may not be able to work off the entire tuition, but you may be able to manage it. You'll never know if you don't try. If you need further help, simply subscribe to the website and contact me directly through said site.
In the meantime, the August 2021 NC School Choice outreach event is in the books and I encourage you to check out the photos and stay tuned for a few short video clips captured yesterday.
Here's a short video clip to view from our August 2021 event here. Feel free to share the clip, this article or both with your networks! Together, we can help NC families.