U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia) will join students, parents, teachers and community leaders at a National School Choice Week whistle-stop event in Philadelphia on Wednesday, January 22, organizers announced today.

Toomey and Williams will deliver remarks at the indoor rally and luncheon, which will be moderated by Center for Education Reform Founder Jeanne Allen. The event is one of 14 events along the National School Choice Week whistle-stop train and motor coach tour. The rally will be held at Noon at the National Constitution Center, and is free to attend. It will be followed by a lunch at 1:00pm. (RSVP at www.schoolchoicetrain.com)

Additional speakers include David Hardy, Principal of Boys Latin School; Monica Allison, President of PA Families For Public Cyber Schools; Samuel Casey Carter, CEO of Faith In The Future; and Alberta Wilson, President of Faith First Educational Assistance Corporation.

The goal of the event is to demonstrate support for educational opportunity in Pennsylvania and across the country. National School Choice Week -- which will feature more than 5,500 independently-planned events across the country -- will be the nation's largest-ever celebration of educational opportunity. The Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning and homeschooling.

"More families in Pennsylvania are actively choosing schools for their children than at any other time in history," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "But there are still tens of thousands of families across Pennsylvania who need and deserve educational opportunities. This event will demonstrate that school choice works, and that parents and families need even greater opportunities."

The event is hosted by National School Choice Week in partnership with The Center for Education Reform, Faith First Educational Assistance Corporation, Faith in the Future, Foundation for Excellence in Education, GreatSchools.org, KIPP Philadelphia, PennCAN, Pennsylvania Families for Public Cyber Schools, PublicSchoolOptions.org, REACH Foundation and StudentsFirst.

National School Choice Week (Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2014) is an independent public awareness campaign designed to shine a spotlight on effective education options for children. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com or follow NSCW on Twitter at www.twitter.com/schoolchoicewk

National School Choice Week
Allison Schneider, 800-640-2671 ext. 104
allison@schoolchoiceweek.com