Students, educators, parents, public officials and others rallied in Columbus recently to promote school choice in Ohio.
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and the Diocese of Toledo were among about a dozen partners for the School Choice Rally.
Schools from the diocese represented at the event were St. Thomas More, Brooklyn; St. Angela Merici, Fairview Park; Incarnate Word Academy, Parma Heights; St. Francis, Cleveland; and Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria. The group traveled to Columbus by chartered bus.
Before the rally, diocesan attendees visited with staff members from the Catholic Conference of Ohio including Michelle Duffy, associate director of communications and outreach; Brian Hickey, executive director; and Larry Keough, associate director, Department on Education). They explained to the students how the Catholic Conference engages in political advocacy on behalf of the Catholic community.
The rally, which lasted about an hour, featured several public officials including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and leaders from the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives. Also speaking were national leaders in the school choice movement.
“Every child is a gift from God,” said Sen. President Matt Huffman, who has championed bills to protect life at all stages and to give parents control over their children’s education.
Keynote speaker was Core Deangelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children.
Parents, students and educators also spoke expressing their support for school choice and expanding the program.
Many of the attendees carried signs advocating for school choice. Some of the students changed, “Fund students, not systems,” as they tried to share their message with state legislators and others.
Rally attendees said school choice empowers parents to make the best educational choice for their children. One of those options are Catholic schools which focus on spiritual, academic and personal growth for all who seek to learn.
The Diocese of Cleveland offers numerous scholarships and programs that help make tuition affordable to those who want to attend a Catholic school.
More information on Catholic schools in the diocese is available here.
Click here to send a message to your state representative expressing support for the proposed Ohio EdChoice legislation (House Bill 33) or a personal message sharing how increased EdChoice scholarship availability would impact your family.