This is “School Choice Week” in Iowa and across the nation. Lisa Keegan , a senior advisor to the National School Choice Week event says they don’t focus public, private, charter schools. “Our attitude is we want to celebrate whatever is excellent. And we want parents to understand they do have more choices than they think — and they may need more choices then they have,” Keegan says. “So, we basically celebrate excellent choices where it exists, and demand it where it doesn’t.”

Over 30 events are scheduled across Iowa that include rallies, school fairs, roundtable discussions, open houses, and parent information sessions. A yellow scarf is the symbol of the week. “There will be over 5,000, almost 6,000 now, events around the country at individual schools or advocacy organizations. We put on a yellow scarf and say ‘we are in favor of anything that is excellent’ and this week we are not going to argue, we are going to celebrate,” according to Keegan. “So, it’s a really great opportunity for parents to pay attention to what’s going on in their community.”

Keegan said the event has grown through the past few years. “We started in 2011 with 140 events and we thought that was really outstanding — and it was — but it is growing very quickly,” Keegan says. She says people like that the party celebrating education includes everybody. You can find out about events your area at: www.schoolchoiceweek.com.

(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)