National Charter Schools Week 2025 is coming up soon–on May 11-17! We have some ideas and resources to help you celebrate the many contributions of NC charter schools.
Invite your lawmakers to visit your school
Whether you’re on a first-name basis with your state and local lawmakers or you’ve never met them, this is a perfect time to build and grow your relationship with elected officials. Why does this matter? North Carolina’s political climate is favorable to public charter schools right now. But, we can’t count on that always being the case. The time to build trusting relationships, and to show elected officials the amazing things happening at public charter schools, is right now.
We strongly encourage you to invite your state and local representatives to tour your school, meet your faculty, and engage with your students. View this template for a short and simple invitation letter to elected officials.
Itinerary options for a lawmaker tour include:
- Showing off your facilities: This is a great time to explain that facility funding for public charter schools comes out of your educational allotment. So, your school is by definition doing more with less.
- Introducing your faculty: This can be a meet-and-greet in the faculty lounge or a formal sit-down with the team. Your educators are probably constituents of the lawmakers, too.
- Speaking in a civics class or reading to students: There are many age-appropriate options for a legislator to engage with students. This can include talking politics to high schoolers to reading from a picture book to kindergartners.
Have students write letters to lawmakers about why they love their charter school
The Coalition and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools have brainstormed a number of creative ways to both celebrate public charter schools and engage with state lawmakers. Public charter schools are of course authorized and funded by the NC General Assembly, so showing lawmakers the amazing things happening at your school should always be a priority!
One practice that’s been successfully deployed here and elsewhere around the country is encouraging students – especially elementary schoolers – to write letters to their elected officials. The theme of the letter should be nonpolitical and positive. For example:
- Why students love their school.
- What subject students like most.
- What book students enjoy the most.
- What students are learning about this week/month/semester.
Celebrate NCSW on social media
Be sure to promote NCSW on your school’s social media platforms. Here are some ideas from the Alliance for your social media posts:
- Happy National #CharterSchools Week! We’re proud to be one of the 8,150 charter schools bringing innovative and high-quality public education to students across the country.
- At [SCHOOL NAME], students have the opportunity to learn in an environment that meets their unique needs. We’re proud to serve our community and grateful to our incredible educators, students, and families for being a part of this journey! #CharterSchoolsWeek
- Don’t forget to tag your state lawmakers and members of Congress! Find out who represents you here.
Above: Shutterstock photo.
