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Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options Stands with Louisiana Families in Fight to Protect School Choice

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LaBAEO Continues to Advocate for Educational Programs that Offer Access and Opportunity to Children

November 28, 2012 – Baton Rouge, LA – The Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options (LaBAEO) stands today with Louisiana parents and students, and other education reform advocates, in full support of protecting the Louisiana scholarship program. With oral arguments set to begin in the Louisiana school choice trial, LaBAEO and supporters are asking the Court to consider the civil rights of the students whose education could suffer as a result of an adverse ruling in favor of unions and school boards.

“Today, we join together calling for the protection of a critical program that is already proving to be a viable option for children throughout our State. Under no circumstances should our children be denied access to better educational options, and we will not stand by and watch these attempts to promote inequality against our most vulnerable families.” said Shree’ Medlock, National Advocacy Director, Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO). “A decision against the parental choice program will not only be a detriment to our families, but it will also undermine all of the hard work that has taken place to advance our education system and give Louisiana children the best possible chance at success.”

LaBAEO played a significant role in helping to expand the program in Louisiana, and the group continues to work on the ground to advocate for and empower parents to fight for its continuation. The newly expanded scholarship program, which affords thousands of parents the opportunity to decide on an educational option that best meets the needs of their children, has increased chances of achievement and provided a sense of hope for many families whose children have been able to escape failing neighborhood schools. The outcome of the lawsuit could take away these options and deny children the basic civil right of access to a quality education while setting a precedent for future parent choice decisions.

“With parent choice under attack in Louisiana, we are pledging to fight even harder to save the scholarship program to ensure that our children’s constitutional rights are protected,” said Medlock. “We know that our parents’ deserve the right to choose and ultimately, our children deserve the right to a high-quality education the sets them up for success, not failure.”

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About BAEO

BAEO is a national, non-profit, membership organization. Its mission is to increase access to high-quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower low-income and working-class Black families.

Tanzi West Barbour
tanzi@baeo.org
202-253-6233

About BAEO

BAEO is a national, non-profit, membership organization. Its mission is to increase access to high-quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower low-income and working-class Black families.

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education reform Louisiana BAEO Black Alliance for Educational Options Black students parent choice Governor Jindal

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Quick facts

LaBAEO played a significant role in helping to expand the program in Louisiana, and the group continues to work on the ground to advocate for and empower parents to fight for its continuation. The newly expanded scholarship program, which affords thousands of parents the opportunity to decide on an educational option that best meets the needs of their children, has increased chances of achievement and provided a sense of hope for many families whose children have been able to escape failing neighborhood schools. The outcome of the lawsuit could take away these options and deny children the basic civil right of access to a quality education while setting a precedent for future parent choice decisions.
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Quotes

“Today, we join together calling for the protection of a critical program that is already proving to be a viable option for children throughout our State. Under no circumstances should our children be denied access to better educational options, and we will not stand by and watch these attempts to promote inequality against our most vulnerable families.” said Shree’ Medlock, National Advocacy Director, Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO). “A decision against the parental choice program will not only be a detriment to our families, but it will also undermine all of the hard work that has taken place to advance our education system and give Louisiana children the best possible chance at success.”
Shree' Medlock