We’ve had a fantastic month full of legislative engagement! March is National Reading Month, providing a great opportunity to share in student-focused conversation with our lawmakers and the opportunity to advocate for our charter students! This month we hosted Representative Will Snyder at Three Oaks Public School Academy, both Representative Jim Haadsma and Senator Thomas Albert at Battle Creek Montessori Academy, Representative Carol Glanville at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science and Representative Joey Andrews at Benton Harbor Charter School Academy. Each of these visits allowed for purposeful dialogue and the chance to experience the charter difference.
We are grateful that our schools have established a rapport with their lawmakers, and are excited to take these relationships to the next level. School visits, tours and reading to classrooms have opened the door to further connectivity and have facilitated important conversations around the charter movement. These elected officials determine funding for all public school students and these visits allow our leaders a chance to share the simple message that every student deserves equitable resources for their education. Showing first-hand how lawmaker’s constituents are positively influenced by charter schools in their district is an invaluable experience. As we move forward with our legislative engagement, we remain rooted in the student experience. We have incredible school leaders who understand the importance and urgency of this work, and we are grateful for their dedication to elevate the voice of their schools. Coffee hours and visits to the capitol are on the horizon as our next steps to further our relationship with our lawmakers as a step to move away from dissension and closer to understanding that charter students are deserving of equitable funding and opportunities.
As leaders in the charter movement, we recognize the responsibility we hold to advocate on behalf of our schools that provide parents with choices regarding their child’s education. At Choice, we take great pride in providing choices to families in environmental, Montessori, classical and traditional scholar education. No engagement is too small or worth counting out! While in-person engagement strengthens relationship building and connectivity, never underestimate the power of a letter! Whether it be a student-led tour of the school, coffee hours or a hand-written card mailed from a classroom, every touchpoint matters when advocating for the needs and interests of our students. Advocacy is a collective effort and we look forward to further opportunities to share in inspiring engagement within the charter movement!