Nearly 2,000 students and families rallied in Harrisburg Tuesday at Pennsylvania's Capitol Day. Those present represented 157 charter schools and 15 cyber charter schools. The size of the crowd gave force to its message: Don't slash funding for our alternative public schools.

A Virginia parent spoke out today about the impact of Carroll County's recent decision to shut down Virginia Virtual Academy (VAVA). In response to a one-sided op-ed published by The Roanoke Times, one New Castle, VA mom explained "The real raw deal here is the more than 400 children (including my son) who just found out they have no school to attend next year."

The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted virtual school's role as a valuable public school option in Karen Rile's "Virtual Shout-out for Cyber Schools." Rile, who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, debunks a few virtual school myths and describes the success her two daughters found with cyber learning.

Andrew Rinaldi, music and audio production teacher at Pennsylvania's Agora Cyber Charter School, is the 2013 national American Pioneer of Teaching Award winner! As his students can attest, Mr. Rinaldi works tirelessly to innovate new lessons, enhance his methods, and make long-lasting personal connections with those he teaches. Congratulations, Mr. Rinaldi!

News of Carroll County's decision to shut down Virginia Virtual Academy has stunned the parents of more than 425 students statewide who attend the school. It has also revealed the pressing need for policymakers to fix the procedural issues that hinder full-time virtual options from being consistently available to Virginia families.

The only thing worse than having to choose just one of our 10 innovative American fabulous Pioneer of Teaching Award nominees is not having a say at all! So take a quick minute to vote for your favorite via our Facebook page. Voting ends tomorrow! And we will announce the winner on Facebook on Monday, May 6.

As our ongoing Pioneer of Teaching Award competition reminds us, teachers' hours of instruction translate into a lifetime of influence. Students and parents commented during the nomination period on teachers who stayed at school extra hours to offer help, who took time and energy to formulate fun games and creative lessons plans, who embodied a love for their subject matter that spilled over to the students they instructed.

Our partners at The Center for Education Reform are marking the 30th anniversary of 1983's landmark education study A Nation at Risk with a manifesto of their own. In "A Nation at Risk No More - By Any Means Necessary," CER president Jeanne Allen acknowledges how revolutionary and game-changing the first voucher and school choice programs were.

It's time to cast your vote! We have whittled down the scads of nominations we received from all over the country to select our 10 American Pioneer of Teaching Award finalists.

Hundreds gathered in Austin Wednesday to rally at Texas' third bi-annual Capitol Day. Their message was simple - Increase access to full-time virtual schools for ALL Texas families. Access is crucial because, as legislative champions noted, each child is unique and requires a unique education.

A new study from the American Legislative Exchange Council reports what many PublicSchoolOptions.org parents and students know first-hand: Choice is key to educational success.

The south steps of South Carolina's capitol brimmed Wednesday with enthusiastic parents and students who rallied in support of public school options. Hundreds of miles away, another group of parents and students met at the Massachusetts capitol to celebrate the coalition's very first Capitol Day.

Just hours are left to nominate an influential teacher in your life! Friday is the last day for submitting nominations for PublicSchoolOptions.org's 2013 American Pioneer of Teaching Award. The application takes only a few minutes to complete, but it will mean so much more to the deserving teacher who wins this year's competition.

Arizona's April 1 Capitol Day continued the coalition's legacy of fierce advocacy for state public charter school students. Arizona parents, students and educators banded together to call for equitable funding and continued public options.

The fourth annual Florida School Choice Day rally was the place to be on April 3rd. Over 1000 parents, students and teachers - supported by police escorts - came together to show support for legislation that increases access and provides equitable funding for charter schools. If you missed it, you can catch part of the rally here!

The dedicated New Mexico coalition scored yet another victory for the state's students! Last week, Governor Martinez vetoed HB 460, which passed the state legislature at the end of its 2013 session. The bill would have severely undermined charter schools' ability to offer public school options to New Mexico's students.

You know that teacher who gets students excited about the American Revolution... photosynthesis... Shakespeare... improper fractions? Beginning April 2, you can recognize him or her by submitting a nomination for PublicSchoolOptions.org's annual American Pioneer of Teaching Award.

When Michigan Governor Rick Snyder read aloud to 90 K-3 cyber charter school students Tuesday, the book was a simple one - Memoirs of a Goldfish. But the event reflected a much bigger reality about the state of cyber education in Michigan. Roughly a year after the governor signed the bill into law, SB 619 officially went into effect today, March 28. The bill, which expands public school options, promises exciting changes for students statewide.

Oklahoma legislators came out in force to acknowledge the importance of public school options. Among them were Rep. Lee Denney, Rep. Jason Nelson, Sen. Gary Stanislawski, and State Superintendent Janet Barresi. Rep. Lee Denney in particular encouraged parents to educate their legislators about virtual, charter and magnet options and their importance for Oklahoma families.

The Chicago Tribune editorial page uses some bold - and true - numbers to make a powerful call more charter options in Chicago.

In an important reverse decision, the Greenfield School Committee voted on Thursday night to pursue continued operations for Massachusetts Virtual Academy (MAVA). The decision effectively repeals the committee's February 28 vote, which would have closed down the school.

PublicSchoolOptions.org is excited to welcome Beth Purcell as our new Board President. Beth takes on this new role after serving as Vice President of the Board this past year and as State Chair of our South Carolina Chapter since 2009.

Families have been calling their elected officials and urging their senators to oppose HB 460. The New Mexico students who have realized academic success through online learning deserve to continue this learning path.

Like many other states form coast to coast, Tennessee and Nevada are using annual Capitol Days to proactively raise awareness and rally legislative support for access to public school option, fair and equal funding and the elimination of abitrary enrollment caps.

It was another successful Capitol Day in Ohio for eSchool advocacy, and legislators heard loud and clear our message of equal treatment and funding for eSchools.

Students and families enrolled in the Massachusetts Virtual Academy may be faced with some unexpected changes this year. On February 28, the Greenfield School Committee, which has operated the Massachusetts Virtual Academy since 2010, cast a preliminary vote to close the school this summer.

A sea of red took over the state capitol in Washington on February 25 as hundreds of parents, students, teachers and school choice advocates donned red scarves as a symbol of unity as they gathered for the annual capitol day.

Sandeep Thomas, a junior at the University of Washington and PublicSchoolOptions.org Student Ambassador Chair, tells readers how online learning prepared him for life on campus in a guest post for Getting Smart

Thanks to award recipients Representative Marcus Brandon, Senator Thom Goolsby, Representative Paul "Skip" Stam, Speaker Pro Tempore, and Senator Jerry Tillman for your commitment to North Carolina students.

Following the first Capitol Day in Virginia in January, families in Wyoming took to the Capitol steps on Digital Learning Day, February 6.

On February 6, families, students, teachers and elected officials gathered to support charter school options at Idaho's annual Capitol Day.

Fresh off of the heels of National School Choice week comes Digital Learning Day 2013.

By holding its first of many Capitol Days, the Virginia chapter of PublicSchoolOptions.org joins the growing movement of parents, students, and teachers holding annual Capitol Days to make sure their voices for choice are heard.

A new report just released by the Center for School Options pulls back the curtain to reveal the motivations driving the opposition to innovative learning options

PublicSchoolOptions.org President Jennifer Roy issued a national call to elected officials urging them hear the voices of parents this week.

Dr. Matthew Lynch, Chair and Associate Professor of Education at Langston University, calls out his home state of Mississippi for its lack of charter school options for students as state leaders take up the issue.

With the success we saw last year in Michigan, it only makes sense that PublicSchoolOptions.org Board member and Michigan parent Sandy Smith is looking forward to celebrating National School Choice Week.

In 5-4 vote, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused to hear a legal challenge to a law passed last year that authorized a statewide virtual charter school and $30 million for textbooks for public schools.

Check out the Getting Smart blog piece by PublicSchoolOptions.org Vice President Beth Purcell

Options continue to be limited for Maine students as the Maine Charter School Commission decided this week to reject four out of five pending applications for new charter schools in the state.

After a failed attempt last year to pass a charter reform bill, some Mississippi lawmakers are hoping 2013 will be the year to bring educational options to students across the state.

As we meet with legislators in our own states and across the country, more often than not they are interested in what a typical day looks like for an online student. The Silicon Valley Mercury News featured a story following one California Virtual Academies student through a typical day.

New year, new fights across the country to expand school choice. In the coming weeks and months we will be highlighting some of the school choice battles across the country that we will be focused on in 2013.

Texas Senate leaders proposed a school choice plan on Wednesday that would lift the cap on the number of independent charter schools in the state. In addition to its charter provision, the plan would also create a new tax credit aimed at helping lower-income public school students transfer to religious or private schools.

As you have read on PublicSchoolOptions.org, Georgia voters passed a historic school choice amendment last month. While you have heard from parents and students in regards to what the passage of the amendment means to them, let's hear it from our teachers!

The saga continues in North Carolina as the state Board of Education plans to vote on proposed online learning rules in January.

The Brookings Institute released an education choice and competition index this week, ranking school districts across the country according to the number of educational options available to students.

An increasing number of families across the country are choosing innovative educational options for their children.

The North Carolina State Board of Education decided to delay a vote on proposed rules to limit online learning in the state.

A state voucher program in Louisiana is under attack thanks to a recent lawsuit brought on by the educational establishment.

Tennessee State Senator Brian Kelsey recently drafted an opinion piece for the Tennessean on the need for lawmakers and other decision makers to not abandon hope on online learning programs in the state.

Sandy Smith, PublicSchoolOptions.org board member and chair of the Michigan Chapter of PublicSchoolOptions.org, was a featured columnist this week on MLive.com. Writing in response to an anti-choice piece by Michigan State Board of Education President John Austin, Sandy issued her support for proposed education reform legislation.

Education funding in Michigan may undergo a major face lift! A draft bill prepared for Gov. Rick Snyder by the Oxford Foundation is being considered that would allow students to make greater use of online learning options available in the state. The bill, which is expected to be introduced as part of Gov. Snyder's budget presentation in February, would remove district ownership of students, giving students the ability to access online learning options available across the state.

PublicSchoolOptions.org president Jennifer Roy discussed why families choose innovative educational options with GettingSmart, and why state lawmakers need to do more to ensure all students have access to these options.

PublicSchoolOptions.org was a sponsor of the annual State Policy Network (SPN) meeting this past week in Amelia Island, Florida. SPN provides a great opportunity for many different state-based groups, including nonprofits, think tanks, academics, and policy analysts, to come together and learn from each other's successful activities and campaigns.

An increasing number of families across the country are taking advantage of public charter school options, according to a report released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Check out the video of some of our board members discussing why parents should get involved in promoting educational options for their children.

While both Democrats and Republicans saw their share of victories this election year, there was no bigger victor than America's students.

Happy Election Day everyone! Millions of Americans will be heading to their local polling places to vote for the candidates they feel are the best for America. Unsure who to vote for? Check out the voting guides below to help you determine which candidates on your ballot will stand up for your right to choose the educational option that works best for your family.

With Election Day just days away, Iowans for Public School Options released the results of its candidate survey, in an effort to help Iowans decide which candidates will promote and support school choice efforts in the state.

The 2012 iNACOL Virtual School Symposium was held last week and I was fortunate to be part of the PublicSchoolOptions.org panel on "Living While Learning." Socialization is a big buzzword that everyone likes to throw around when considering virtual schooling or any non-traditional schooling options. Our panel aimed to dispel some of the myths of socialization and shed light on realistic scenarios of student socialization while learning online. As with any school choice, there are positive and negative factors to consider when schooling virtually. The key thing to remember is that it is important for families to have a choice available!

Since our inception in 2008, PublicSchoolOptions.org has been an advocate of amplifying the parent voice in education. And as our membership has grown, teachers have become involved in our efforts as they look to joining parents in communicating the benefits of alternative learning options.

The MacIver Institute released a report this week on the number of students exercising their right to choose the education that works best for them in the Badger State.

The 2012 iNACOL Virtual School Symposium brought online learning providers, developers and advocates together to have a discussion on the status of online learning across the country and what can be done to make online learning an even better option for families.

Members of the PublicSchoolOptions.org board will be taking over New Orleans on Monday at the 2012 Virtual School Symposium, sponsored by iNACOL.

The fight in Georgia over Amendment One is heating up as we head into the final stretch before the election. Speaking out in support of passing the amendment, Alisa Hug, Director of PublicSchoolOptions.org, drafted a guest piece for Getting Smart this week.

PublicSchoolOptions.org President Jennifer Roy testified this week at a hearing before the Texas Senate Education Committee on a study regarding the growing demand for online schools in the state. According to the Committee, the study will primarily focus on examining successful policies in other states, in addition to determining what changes are necessary to remove access barriers.

Georgia Attorney General Samuel Olens drafted a letter to State School Superintendent John Barge, calling on the prohibition of local school boards and other local educational entities from using public resources to weigh in on constitutional amendments.

This election day Georgia voters will be deciding on the future of the schools of 50,000 Georgia public charter school students. Last year, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that only local districts can create and run public charter schools. If this ruling stands, many of the state's charter schools face closure.

The Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association (PMA) spoke out this week in support of improving charter laws in the Keystone State. One of the major points of contention between charter supporters and those looking to block any changes is the call to remove a local school district's power to deny charter schools from opening within their district.

More than 30,000 Ohio students currently attend school online, according to a report released by the Evergreen Education Group. This number is nearly 12 times the number of students enrolled in an online program in 2000 when the first virtual school opened.

Viola Davis, one of the stars of the upcoming "Won't Back Down" (which opens nationwide in theaters TOMORROW) showed her support for school choice in an appearance on the Jay Leno Show last week.

The Center for Education Reform released a new interactive tool last week, aimed at showing parents how much influence they have over their children's education, versus parents in other states.

Two applications have been filed in Rhode Ilsand to give at-risk students an alternative to the traditional school system.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) has launched an unfounded and ridiculous attack against The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), an organization that has literally helped change the course for thousands of low-income and working class African American students.

As the school year is underway for millions of students across the country, it is pencils down for over 400,000 Chicago Public School students, as Day 2 of the recent strike by the Chicago Teachers Union.

28 new charter schools opened their doors this year in Ohio, offering students in the Buckeye State a plethora of options, including blended learning models.

Misconceptions and false reporting are again plaguing reality when it comes to online school performance.

Oklahoma parent Lauren Marshall shared her family's story for choosing online learning with the Oklahoman.

Lisa Godfrey, a parent from Rio Rancho, New Mexico shared her family's story on why they chose online learning with the Rio Rancho Observer last week.

Check out this video of Georgia parent James Y. discussing why he chose to enroll his children in an online charter school and the benefits his family has seen as a result of that decision.

Jon Valentine, a parent and member of the Iowa Chapter of PublicSchoolOptions.org shared his thoughts on online learning with The Gazette and the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Parents across the country are increasingly getting more involved in school reform debates and political advocacy in an effort to provide their children with better educational opportunities.

Representative John Kline, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with committee member Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), issued a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta this week, calling on fair treatment of online students who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Check out this video of Michigan parent Sandy, and her daughter Charis, discussing why school choice is the right fit for their family.

A big "thumbs-down" is in order for Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. This week, Superintendent Barge released a statement in opposition to a constitutional amendment that would give the state legislature the power to create special schools.

We don't want to give anything away, but you will see some familiar scenes - parents marching to rally together in matching shirts armed with homemade signs and megaphones - just like many of the photos you see throughout our scrapbook and on our website!

On July 31st, PublicSchoolOptions.org Treasurer Cherie Nielsen attended a parent choice event at the American Enterprise Institute. Watch Cherie discussing the need for parent choice and innovation in the classroom!

At this year's Family Reunion event, we heard from parent leaders across the country on why they chose choice schools for their children and the importance of parental involvement in advocating for public school options. We will be releasing a series of videos featuring the stories of families from coast-to-coast, allowing you to hear in their own words why school choice rocks!

iNACOL's Susan Patrick seeks to level the playing field in correcting a recent New York Times story on online learning.

Giving students a soapbox to tell their stories - how online learning has helped them grow into better students and/or achieve their goals - is just one way PublicSchoolOptions.org is working to get the message out about the benefits of school choice. Who can better attest to the quality of an online education than a student who has experienced it first-hand?

Digital learning advocate Michael Horn set the record straight on misconceptions surrounding online learning this week in an opinion piece featured on Forbes.com.

Did you know many young Olympic athletes are enrolled in public virtual charter schools so they can have the flexibility to train and keep up with their school work?

We understand that some people disagree with parents having more choice when it comes to doing what is best for their children's education. But, when you misrepresent the facts, you misrepresent the individual needs of every single student looking to adult leaders to set the right example.

The 2012 Annual Publicschooloptions.org Family Reunion came to a close yesterday as our parent leaders spent their final day in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill meeting with their home legislative offices and participating in a Congressional briefing.

With new charter schools opening and demand growing, some New Jersey leaders are fighting to do what's right for students.

According to a recent article in Forbes, there are five things all great schools possess: robust teacher support; active family engagement; supportive environmental conditions; strong social and emotional student growth; and a school-wide climate of high expectations.

Charter schools exist because parents don't feel their needs are being met by local schools.

It is Monday morning and some significant action is taking place in North Carolina that will impact thousands of students and their parents.