Oceania Digital Media
“Experts to Talk School Choice Policy in Florida at Roundtable Discussion, Film Screening”
Event moderated by award-winning director Bob Bowdon; timed to coincide with National School Choice Week
January 20, 2015TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –When it comes to school choice policy inFlorida, what are leaders in Tallahassee doing right, and where could they improve? And what new information do parents need to know about choosing the right education environments for their children?On Thursday, January 29 at 7:00pm, a panel of education experts from across the Sunshine State will gather to answer those questions, and more, at a special event planned to coincide with National School Choice Week (January 25-31, 2015).The panel, which will be moderated by award-winning education filmmaker and Executive Director of Choice MediaBob Bowdon, will include: Sara Clements, regional advocacy director, Foundation for Excellence in Education; andWilliam Mattox, resident fellow, James Madison Institute.The discussion will follow a screening of Bowdon’s 2014 documentary short “The Ticket: The Many Faces of School Choice,” which provides a closer look at the unique and distinctive education options available to students and parents in different states across the country.The event is planned by The James Madison Institute in partnership with Choice Media, Inc.”A great debate has been taking place in Florida for years centered on school choice. Who has the right to determine what is best for an individual student — the families of that student or government officials? Expanding opportunities for students to learn in the environment that best suits their individual needs is of critical importance,” said Dr. Bob McClure, president and CEO of The James Madison Institute. “We have a generation of data here in Florida that shows that empowering families and not bureaucrats improves education measurables across the board. There’s always room for improvement, but protecting and promoting educational options for Florida families has been an unqualified success. We are excited to partner with National School Choice Week to highlight these issues while spotlighting how far America has come but also how much more needs to be done.””We’re excited to bring ‘The Ticket,’ and a robust discussion of school choice, to Florida,” Bowdon said. “National School Choice Week provides a unique opportunity, every year, to shine a positive spotlight on the need for, and benefits of, educational choice. That’s exactly what we’ll do at this event.”Celebrated every year in January, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on all types of effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling. The celebration is nonpartisan and nonpolitical. National School Choice Week 2015 will feature a history-makingmore than independently planned and independently funded events across all 50 states.For more information, contact:
Valerie Wickboldt, James Madison Institute
vwickboldt@jamesmadison.org or 850-386-3131Article: http://oceania.digitalmedianet.com/article/Experts-to-Talk-School-Choice-Policy-in-Florida-at-Roundtable-Discussion-Film-Screening-3707957
2015
