#DefendSchoolChoice was a student movement supported by parents, teachers and communities who defended the rights of students and their families to make their own educational choices.
Lifelong Learning established the grassroots campaign and formed a group to speak up for themselves in the face of threats and lawsuits against innovative alternative schools by big traditional public-school districts that were trying to shut down charter schools. Instead of investing money in educating students, these districts spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with expensive corporate law firms to go after the schools that were successfully educating students.
The choice in education belongs to students and families who make their will known by where they decide to enroll their children. They chose to leave traditional public schools that didn’t work for them. At a local school board meeting, the group made their public outcry for support and to Defend School Choice.
Support
- Legal counsel and support
- Press conference planning & logistics
- Messaging development
- Media training
- Materials development
- Media targeting & outreach
- Speechwriting
Results
- Board Meeting – 20 minutes of testimony split among charter representatives, students and community partners.
- Press Conference with three charter principals, two students, two community partners and 150+students, parents, supporters.
- News Coverage: Six media outlets covered the story with two TV stations running live and taped segments during multiple newscasts, generating 8.6M potential impressions.
The school won the lawsuit under appeal and was awarded total reimbursement of all attorney fees. Not one day of school was disrupted for more than 1,000 students and families.
