As schools and families across the nation celebrate National School Choice Week, the American Federation for Children is using celebrities to try to bring new supporters into the movement.
The group’s new public service announcement features 15 athletes and celebrities, including retired boxer Laila Ali, retired WNBA star Lisa Leslie, retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, retired NBA player and current ESPN analyst Jalen Rose, Boyz II Men member Shawn Stockman and actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
“Every year, 1.3 million children drop out of school,” Leslie says in the ad. “Together, we can help every child succeed.”
“We can help every child find a school that works,” O’Neal says. “We can help make a difference [by supporting] school choice.”
“By helping children attend a quality school that their parents choose,” Stockman says.
“Don’t do it for me, don’t do it for you” the celebrities say. “Do it for the 1.3 million children who dropped out of school last year. Do it for the millions trapped in underperforming schools nationwide. But most of all, do it today.”
The ad then tells viewers to text a given number that adds them to an American Federation for Children list. The resulting text includes a link to contact lawmakers to share their support for school choice.
The ad will be targeted to parents across the country, including in Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago, as well as smaller cities like Reno, Nev.
The American Federation for Children previously released a PSA in 2014 that featured Deion Sanders and Kathy Lee Gifford, as well as Leslie and Rose.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.