'An advocate discloses how the school choice program rescued him from a challenging environment.'

Walter Blanks Jr., spokesman for the American Federation for Children, is commending school choice, stating that it "rescued" him from a "difficult upbringing" as a child.

"School choice was my lifeline," Blanks stated on Planet Chronicle. "If it weren't for school choice, I wouldn't know where I'd be. The principal at the public school I attended told my mom, 'If you just give us five years, we'll have the middle school turned around and the high school turned around.' My mom replied, 'In five years, Walter will either be in jail or in a body bag.' Now, I'm nine days away from becoming a father, and I want my son to have the same opportunities that I had."

"Parents and families across the country are demanding more options, and they are expressing their desire through their actions. This has resulted in a school choice wave, which we are continuing to ride."

Rep. Antonio Parkinson recently criticized Blanks, accusing him of being used as a pawn on the issue.

"Parkinson stated, "I always predict they will select someone who resembles me to represent them, and I'm not mocking you. I simply do so to exercise caution.""

A few seconds after being called out on his statement, the representative publicly apologized.

"Maybe I was out of line," he said.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Tenn., claimed that the school he attended had worse outcomes than the school he was zoned for.

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