Awareness and support of educational choice is gaining steam, according to advocates who noted the crowd at Wednesday's local rally celebrating National School Choice Week was larger this year than in the past. "I do think there's a big change in the culture and options for students, which is great because not everybody learns the same," said Dessa Baxman, who teaches character classes at Colorado Springs Early Colleges, a charter school. A diverse crowd of 350 to 400 people attended, estimated organizer Deborah Hendrix of Parents Challenge. "Schools are working hard to be more competitive and provide for the needs of students," she said.