WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Education Freedom Center (EFC) at Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) honored renowned school choice advocate, Corey DeAngelis, with its “Students Over Systems” Award presented by Virginia (Ginny) Gentles, director of IWF’s Education Freedom Center. The reception hosted by IWF featured a panel discussion with Corey DeAngelis and Natalya Murakhver, a child advocate who helped organize #KeepNYCSchoolsOpen and brought a lawsuit against New York City to reopen public schools in person with teachers in classrooms.
The Students Over System Award recognizes a member of Congress or an impactful advocate who demonstrates a commitment to advancing education freedom, including by advancing school choice, exposing teachers unions, celebrating parental rights, and prioritizing academics over activism. The inaugural award was presented to Congresswoman Virginia Foxx earlier this year.
DeAngelis was presented with the Students Over System Award in celebration of the launch of his new book, The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools. In The Parent Revolution, DeAngelis details the parental rights movement and how moms and dads across the country are turning the tide against radical activists in public schools. An extraordinary advocate of school choice, DeAngelis has published in-depth research, penned regular op-eds with publications such as Wall Street Journal, and is known for his work exposing teachers unions and school choice opponents on X (formerly Twitter).
“Corey dedicates his new book, The Parent Revolution, to the parents who want more of a say in their children’s education. As one of those parents, I can say with full confidence that Corey has been a phenomenally effective champion for giving parents more opportunities, freedom, and leverage,” said Ginny Gentles.
Ginny continued, “I am grateful for Corey’s forceful advocacy on behalf of families nationwide and his relentless push to prioritize students over systems. He ensures that state leaders around the country hear parents’ pleas for alternatives to the union-controlled and profoundly broken public school system.”
DeAngelis said, “I’m incredibly honored to receive IWF’s Students Over Systems Award. I don’t feel like I deserve it, however, because Randi Weingarten is the real school choice MVP. The teachers unions overplayed their hand and have inadvertently done more to advance school choice and homeschooling than anyone could have ever imagined. The parents have awakened, like a sleeping giant, and are holding politicians accountable. We’re freeing families from the clutches of the teachers unions once and for all by funding students, not systems.”
In February, DeAngelis joined the Students Over Systems podcast to discuss the influence of teachers unions and the growth of school choice programs, combating the myth that school choice defunds public education.
Through the Students Over Systems Award, IWF’s Education Freedom Center aims to raise awareness about school choice victories and the importance of parental rights, urging members of Congress and education advocates to address issues that prioritize students over systems.
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Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.
IWF’s Education Freedom Center (EFC) advances school choice and empowers parents by advocating for a more vibrant education marketplace. The EFC informs the public about the benefits of education freedom and highlights school choice as a solution to the power imbalance between parents and unresponsive school districts.