ICYMI: Sen. Scott Celebrated National School Choice Week, Championed Educational Freedom for Parents and Kids

WASHINGTON — During National School Choice Week, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, championed educational freedom and thanked the school choice heroes who fight to ensure every child has access to a quality education. Senator Scott celebrated the week with a variety of school choice initiatives, such as hosting his annual School Choice Reception in the U.S. Capitol and visiting with charter school students in South Carolina.

“It is unacceptable that today – in the United States of America – millions of kids who grew up just like I did still lack access to quality education simply because of their zip code,” said Senator Scott upon introducing his National School Choice Week resolution on Monday. “We cannot leave our kids’ education and the future of America’s children to chance. Instead, transforming our nation’s education system and ensuring every child has access to a quality education must be our call to action every single day.”

Watch the School Choice Week video recap video here.

BACKGROUND

Senator Scott celebrated National School Choice Week with a series of events and initiatives:

• On Monday, Senator Scott joined South Carolina Superintendent Ellen Weaver on a school visit to Orange Grove Charter School in Charleston; 
• Senator Scott, along with Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), led their colleagues in introducing a resolution designating January 21 through January 27, 2024, as National School Choice Week; and
• On Wednesday, Senator Scott welcomed over one hundred school choice stakeholders to the United States Capitol, including students, parents and leaders of the school choice movement.

Senator Scott has fought to provide all Americans access to a quality education by:

• Calling out a teachers union-allied group for weaponizing race to promote its anti-school choice agenda;
• Introducing the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, which affirms parents have a fundamental right to control the upbringing of their child;
• Slamming Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Board of Education President Jianan Shi for the city’s recently passed resolution that could eliminate school choice for Chicago families, strip minority and low-income students of their preferred high schools and widen the achievement gap;
• Leading the fight to protect high-quality, tuition-free charter schools that serve disadvantaged students when the Biden administration took steps to undermine charter schools;
• Championing the Educational Choice for Children Act to expand educational freedom and opportunity for millions of students by creating $10 billion annually in scholarships for K-12 students;
• Introducing the CHOICE Act to give more than 6.2 million students nationwide, primarily students from military and low-income families and students with disabilities, access to quality education of their choosing;
• Hosting the largest ever National School Choice Week Student Rally at the U.S. Capitol, which was attended by more than 300 students from 10 D.C.-area public charter and private schools;
• Leading two bipartisan Senate resolutions – National Charter School Week and National School Choice Week – both of which unanimously passed, raising attention to critical education issues and priorities; and
• Securing House passage of his Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their (PROTECT) Kids Act to protect parental rights and ensure parents remain the lead decision makers in their child’s life.