In 2015 & 2016, we at Demme Learning filled our office and warehouse space with friends from the tri-state area to talk about what school choice meant to them during School Choice Week, and to say to all you parents, “you know what’s best for your child! Don’t settle for a poor education!”

If you missed out on the #TrustParents rallies in person, you can find the speakers’ talks below.

2015 #TrustParents Rally

Ethan Demme

Ethan Demme, CEO of Demme Learning, made opening remarks about school choice, shared his personal story as a homeschool graduate, and closed with a plea to trust and empower parents to make the best educational decisions for their families.

#SchoolChoice means empowering parents with the freedom to choose the best educational environments for their children. #TrustParents

— Ethan Demme (@EthanDemme) January 29, 2015

State Senator Ryan Aument

Pennsylvania Senator Ryan Aument talked about the educational challenges in Pennsylvania, and outlined some of the ways that we can improve our educational policies.

@SenatorAument: We ought not rest until every child across this Commonwealth, regardless of socioeconomic status, has a choice. #SCW

— StudentsFirst in PA (@PAStudentsFirst) January 29, 2015

Joanne Martin

Joanne Martin, the director of advancement at Dayspring Christian Academy, talked about Dayspring and explained how the valuable EITC/OSTC program is to families who attend their school.

“This program is really vital to Dayspring; it’s vital to our families; it’s vital to all of the Christian schools and the private schools in Lancaster County that continue to grow and continue to allow families to have a different option.”

Anthony Barr

Anthony Barr is a homeschool graduate and was a public relations assistant at Demme Learning. In his talk, Anthony describes what it was like as a homeschooler, and offers some points about the merits of homeschooling.

“Today, we’re talking about trusting parents. My whole homeschooling experience can be summed up in that one phrase.” #trustparents

— Anthony Barr (@AnthonyMBarr) January 29, 2015

Aimee Crawford

Aimee Crawford is an ELA Curriculum Specialist at Demme Learning and is a mother of three. Aimee talks about her personal experiences with educating her children, and all of the educational options that her family explored.

“The responsibility of the parent is to know their child and know the options and be willing to step outside the traditional path or outside their comfort zone to best meet their child’s needs.”

2016 #TrustParents Rally

Ethan Demme

Ethan Demme encourages educators of all stripes to teach students how to make a living, and how to live.

Dan Beasley

Dan Beasley (HLSDA) explains the legal supports available for homeschoolers.

Brandon Detweiler

Brandon Detweiler (Veritas Press) tells how his parents struck out on their own to fill in a gap in education.

Ben Kafferlin

Ben Kafferlin (Kafferlin Strategies) explains how innovative legislation can free parents to make the best choices for their students.

Keith and Courtney Dunlap

Keith and Courtney Dunlap (CHALC) encourage parents to look beyond themselves for support in homeschooling. They also share a story about their own experiences as educators.

Ginger Wayde

Ginger Wayde (CHAP) shares a Christian perspective on supporting homeschooling.

The #TrustParents rally was just the beginning of the day, though! Some of the same speakers participated in panel discussions, along with some new faces. Together they took audience questions, told stories, and shared candidly about their educational journeys.

The panel discussions made for a more personal and encouraging time for the parents and educators in the room. But the best parts of the day were those one-on-one conversations at the booths and at tables. While their kids hunted all over the building for Math-U-See blocks to complete a scavenger hunt, parents and other educators held cups of coffee discussing how to teach multiple grades at once, how to teach students with special needs, how to make their voices heard in legislation and everything else people need to discuss when they’re looking for new ways to do things.