ECOT Founder Bill Lager Will Address May 9 Rally at Ohio Statehouse - West Lawn

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Students, families, staff and other supporters of ECOT and school choice in Ohio will hold a rally Tuesday at noon on the West Lawn of the Ohio Statehouse.  ECOT graduates more students than any other school in Ohio.

Thousands of Ohio families choose ECOT because it is the best option for their child. Some families choose ECOT because their child feels safer, others choose it so their child can take classes their public school doesn't offer, while others need ECOT's flexibility due to a chronic illness or because they work to support their families. Unlike traditional public schools ECOT doesn't give up on its students and always works with them to help them graduate even when doing so may hurt ECOT's rankings.

The keynote speech will be given by Dr. Steve Perry, a national figure in charter school and education reform movement. Dr. Perry is the founder of numerous charter schools, an author on education reform, and a contributing education expert on CNN and other news programs. The program will also include remarks from students, an ECOT teacher, ECOT Board President Andrew Brush and ECOT founder Bill Lager. "With this event, we hope to start a conversation in state government about the thousands of real students and families who have come to rely on ECOT. This is their day," said Superintendent Rick Teeters.

In an unprecedented claw back, the Ohio Department of Education seeks to re-calculate funding to ECOT for the 2015-16 school years and demand retroactive reimbursement for funds already paid to ECOT. They ignore 2,384 successful graduates in 2015 and 2,491 in 2016. This could end education access for 35,193 students statewide and more than 15,000 currently enrolled at ECOT, 885 jobs held by teachers and over 300 staff including guidance counselors, software programmers and support staff.

FACT:            ECOT is a tuition-free, fully accredited online K-12 school
FACT:            ECOT graduates more students than any school or district in Ohio
FACT:            ECOT gives the graduate a diploma

Where:           Ohio Statehouse ? West Lawn  
When:             Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 12-1pm Eastern

Streaming via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ECOTSchool

Press check in at 11:15am at the statehouse steps, mult box available, b-roll online at www.ecotohio.org, individual interviews available with speakers.

SOURCE ECOT