Grassroots Education Network- April 2021 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 165 grassroots organizations nationwide who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network, please go here to sign on.
If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots Education Network please contact Marla Kilfoyle, NPE Grassroots Education Network Liaison at marlakilfoyle@networkforpubliceducation.org
Notes from Marla
As many of you are aware, Diane had heart surgery this month. The outpouring of love and support for her speedy recovery speaks volumes of our love for her. She reported on her progress here in her blog. We continue to wish her good health, love, and a speedy recovery as she continues to heal.
National Organizing
The Network for Public Education Toolkit: School Privatization Explained was first created in 2017 to alert the general public regarding the various forms that privatization takes and the consequences associated with each. We’ve updated the toolkit to ensure the information is up-to-date. This toolkit presents evidence of what we already know about charters, vouchers and other forms of privatization. It is organized around key questions, providing answers in clear language to the questions we at NPE are most often asked. To access the updated toolkit go here. In March, a former lobbyist for the Goldwater Institute, Charles Siler, had a conversation with Network for Public Education President Diane Ravitch and podcaster Jennifer Berkshire. He provided insight into the playbook used by “school choice” proponents, the belief system that drives them, and their long-term objective. He makes it very clear: Their ultimate goal is to dismantle K-12 public schools. This month NPE Executive Director Carol Burris did a Q&A with Charles Siler on the same issues. Here’s the interview Burris did with Siler. The interview is jaw-dropping, and we hope that you will share it. On March 17th, Defending the Early Years co-sponsored this webinar with Haymarket Books, Black Lives Matter at School, early childhood activists, and educators to discuss how racism impacts the early educational experience of Black children. In the Public Interest’s report, California wasting hundreds of millions of dollars annually on online charter schools is a must-read and share. The Journey for Justice Alliance On the Ground Podcast is BACK! Check out their new episode featuring Jitu Brown and Dr. Denisha Jones talking about Biden’s broken promise. The Schott Foundation was founded at the beginning of a 30-year battle that just won a landmark victory for the children of New York. They were at the strategy table and an early funder as the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE), and then the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), organized to secure equitable funding for New York schools, particularly the schools in low-income communities, attended predominantly by children of color. To read more about this victory, go here. Fairtest noted in their latest newsletter, “Pressed by grassroots activists and educators, states are pushing back against the Biden Administration’s stubborn refusal to allow schools to suspend standardized exams this spring. Several have already won waivers allowing them to cut back time devoted to testing and eliminate consequences for test results. Many have lifted their own high-stakes assessment requirements. More advocacy is needed to force policymakers to recognize the reality of an ongoing pandemic — test results will be neither fair, valid, nor educationally helpful. The looming threat of a broader, more diverse opt-out movement will also help keep their feet to the fire!” Rethinking Schools’ latest blog article by Wayne Au and Moé Yonamine, Dear Educators, It Is Time to Fight for Asian America, is an important read and share. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy shared an important article this month on how lawmakers are weakening privacy laws in Illinois. Go here to read that article. Parents for Public Schools celebrated school librarians this month and also published an important Kindergarten Readiness calendar. Parents Across America has a public Facebook page that is great for interacting with others from across the nation about public education issues. Go here to join in the conversation.
The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) Asst. Executive Director Dr. Denisha Jones appeared on The Rick Smith Show this month. Dr. Jones talked about standardized testing and much more. Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) has a public Facebook group that features information from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. about how communities are navigating the worldwide COVID crisis. The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation stood in solidarity this month with faculty, staff, and students at Laurentian University. To read more on the issues they face go here. Wear Red for Ed has an active open Facebook page that tracks the Red for Ed movement nationwide. It is also tracking education issues that are surfacing due to the shutdown of our schools. Uniting to Save Our Schools (USOS) will be holding their next action dialogue on May 3rd. Go here for upcoming information and registration. First Focus Campaign for Children Executive Director Bruce Lesley appeared on the Kentucky Youth Advocates YouTube channel discussing how the Biden administration can end child poverty. Kinderchat continues to host its popular Twitter chat every Monday night at 9 PM EST. The chats are informative and provide great resources for teaching kindergartners during school closures. Check them out on Twitter at #Kinderchat. Kinderchat also has a fantastic website full of resources. Instituto Nueva Escuela launched its new website this month. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood exposed that Google Play continues to disregard child privacy laws. CCFC, and their allies, encourage the FTC to act. Equal Opportunity Schools announced that their People and Culture Senior Director, Subha Chaudhuri, has been tapped to join Forbes’ Elite Human Resources Council, an invitation-only community for HR executives across all industries. Subha was selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of her experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. When Public Schools Reopen organizes in a closed Facebook group. If you are interested in organizing with a group of educators, parents, and concerned citizens who agree that when public schools reopen, we don’t want to go back to normal, click this link to join the discussion. Uniting for Children and Youth (Canada) are concerned citizens of Ottawa-Outaouais. Their mission is to build awareness of how we can make life better for children and youth. Head over to their open Facebook page to keep up with news, and events, from Canada. National Educators United hosted Fight Back Friday last month. The actions were centered on standardized testing’s racial inequity. To view the archived video, go here.
State Organizing
Please use this clearinghouse of information to inform people in the various states about the NPE Grassroots Education Network organizations. Please encourage people to join them and support their work! Call on family, friends, and colleagues to join the fight to save public education. This section is also a place to get great ideas on organizing and actions.
Alabama
SOS (Support our Students) posts events and information about what is happening in Alabama education on their open Facebook page. Go here for more information.
Arkansas
Grassroots Arkansas shared the LRSD April Board meeting. Be sure to check out their open Facebook page to keep up with all that is happening in the Little Rock School District.
Arizona
Voices for Education celebrated Rep. Cano’s fight to pay teachers and school personnel adequately. Arizonans for Charter School Accountability exposed a charter school crisis-78 charter enrollments declined over 15% – a “red flag” for possible closure. Save Our Schools Arizona is working hard this month to fight for a fair school budget. Arizona Educators United held a press conference this month with Arizona Education Association and Save our Schools encouraging investment in education.
California
California Educators United is a rank and file-led network of educators and supporters of public education. They are part of the movement for racial equity and social justice, fully funded public education through progressive taxation, and pro-public education and anti-privatization. To follow their movements, go here. The Public Core program, Between Two Teachers, is informative. To view all their archived programs, go here. The Association of RAZA Educators announced that the Raza Youth Liberation Conference: el Plan de Los Angeles is accepting registration for youth and educators. Bay Area Collective Keeping Privatizers Away from Community Schools (BACKPACS) celebrated Assemblyman Lee for exposing the scam of charters. Educators for Democratic Schools-Oakland open Facebook page reports all that is happening in the Oakland Unified School District!
Colorado
Pueblo Education Coalition’s goal is to represent educators, parents, community members, students, and all stakeholders towards positive change for Pueblo’s public education. To keep up with their movements, go here. Taxpayers for Public Education exposed the hazards of vouchers in Colorado late last month.
Connecticut
Connecticut Public Schools Advocates Children are Connecticut families and educators advocating for safe, equitable, fully funded public schools. Please follow their activity here. Are More Than Test Scores have conducted live readings of various books for children through the pandemic. Here is Jesse Turner reading “Windows” this month. Re: public Ed informs Connecticut residents about the state, local, and federal education policies that impact teaching and learning. New London Parent Advocates updates its open Facebook page weekly with all that is happening in the New London Public Schools.
Florida
Fund Education NOW reported that on April 8, 2021, Marie-Claire Leman, public school advocate and associate of Fund Education Now, testified in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education against the unconstitutional intent of SB 1028. Florida BATs and Broward BATs continue to inform the public about all that is happening with Florida education. Go here and here for updates. Pastors for Florida Children supported the effort to make broadband more affordable in their area. Florida Council of Churches hosted an important event late last month about how lawmakers can create a more just Florida. Opt-Out Florida Network updated their opt-out toolbox, guide, and pocket guide for refusing the test. They are excellent resources that anyone can take and use for their opt-out needs. They also continue to encourage parents to stay strong on test refusal. Pinellas Parents Advocating for School Improvements organizes on a private Facebook page. If you know of anyone in the Pinellas area, have them join to connect. Protect Our Public Schools, Manasota believes that free, quality public education is a right for all children and is necessary for the optimal functioning of a democratic society. To keep up with their movements during the COVID-19 crisis, go here. Miami-Dade County Public School District Parents now has over 1200 members! In March, they had their first focus group with the MDCPS District Office of Community Engagement. The session was focused on parent concerns, suggestions and priorities related to the District’s strategic plan, which guides decision making. UnitED for Florida Children provided a fantastic summary of the new rules for the FSA for graduation, third-grade promotion, and school grades.
Georgia
If you live in Georgia or know someone who does, make sure they connect with Public Education Matters Georgia. Moms and Dads Now Enduring Surrealistic Stupidity (MADNESS) has a vibrant public Facebook group that discusses how education in Georgia is going during the COVID crisis. If you are interested, here is the link to that public group. Opt-Out Georgia organized the opt-out movement in Georgia via a closed Facebook group of over 8,000 members. If you live in Georgia or know someone who does, encourage them to connect with this group. The Georgia Chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) was founded in 1990 to bring together individuals from all academic levels and disciplines and from diverse educational institutions and other organizations, occupations, and communities who had an interest in multicultural education. NAME is committed to a philosophy of inclusion that embraces the basic tenets of democracy and cultural pluralism. To keep up with their movements, visit their website.
Hawaii
Parents for Public Schools Hawaii created a new Parents for Public Schools Hawaii Facebook Group this month.
Illinois
Illinois Raise Your Hand is hosting a series of Trust, Learning, Care webinars. Check out their twitter feed for more dates and information. Illinois Families for Public Schools are encouraging CPS parents to opt-out of the SAT this spring. IFPS also created a great opt-out of a testing resource toolkit for Illinois families.
Indiana
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education developed a fantastic interactive map showing how vouchers impact the state of Indiana. You can see that map here. Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County published a powerful article on their blog this month exposing Tech Trep. The Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education publishes their most popular Facebook posts weekly. This is a good way to keep up with the pulse of all that is happening in Indiana and National education news. Northwest Indiana Coalition for Public Education hosted a webinar this month on education and race. Go here to view it. Washington Township Parent Council Network is seeking additional parent/caregiver feedback regarding the district and individual school dress codes. Go here to take their survey.
Iowa
Iowans for Public Education post daily action to stop the privatization of their schools on their open Facebook page. If you know anyone who lives in Iowa, please share that information with them so that they can join the fight to save public education.
Kansas
Game On for Kansas Schools pointed out how the Kansas legislature can help public schools and the children they serve. Game On for Kansas schools noted that the legislature could fund the Gannon school finance plan to rebuild teaching, learning, and student support in the public school system.
Kentucky
Dear JCPS and Kentucky SOS continue to expose corrupt lawmakers in their podcast. Pastors for Kentucky Children noted that March 29th was a sad day in Kentucky. They posted, “Vouchers only harm our educational system, harm children and continue to cut resources for our teachers. Millions of dollars siphoned off to appease the few. Make sure you know how your representative voted. Did they represent you well today?”
Louisiana
Step Up Louisiana co-hosted a powerful webinar on community schools this month.
Maryland
The Baltimore Algebra Project is holding virtual college tours for students in the Baltimore area.
Massachusetts
Citizens for Public Schools are asking Massachusetts citizens to sign their opt-out petition. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools co-hosted an event this month in New Bedford about racial profiling and the policing of youth. Go here for more information on that event.
Michigan
The Michigan Network for Equity in Education advocates for equitable, democratic public education in the State of Michigan by building coalitions and sharing information and research. To learn more about their work, go here. Save Michigan’s Public Schools are sharing important information for families on how to opt-out of the M-STEP. Michigan Parents for Schools has an extensive website to help Michigan parents and educators. Be sure to check it out here. MI Ed Justice supported the MIStudentsDream School Culture Committee, a 482Forward Action Team, in organizing educators across the district to create and implement content curricula that serves to educate, represent, and empower our students. Trusted Voices ED is a nonpartisan advocacy organization focused on informing stakeholders about current education policy and collaborative building relationships with policymakers to ensure every student receives the highest quality of education. Head over to the open Facebook page to discuss the issues on education and policy.
Minnesota
Parents for St. Paul Schools asked their community last month to rally for a no vote on the Minnesota Math and Science Academy’s $15 million conduit bond request. Here is why. Minnesota Collective for Educational Equity white paper, Pursuing Educational Equity in Minnesota Through a Statewide Multi-Tiered System of Support, is a must read and share.
Mississippi
Parents for Public Schools – Moss Point continues to support their community with information about education, meals, and much more. Parents For Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore County are still hosting Early Childhood Development programs for their community. They have been doing this since March. For more information on their programs, go here. Parents For Public Schools of Philadelphia advocates for children and schools in the Philadelphia Public School District. Make sure you give them a follow on Facebook. Parents For Public Schools of Starkville is a local organization working to strengthen public schools in Starkville. They promote the great work being done in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.
Missouri
Keep up with the Missouri BATs by giving them a follow on Twitter. Columbia Parents for Public Schools promotes parent engagement to improve education and build public support for public schools in Columbia.
Nebraska
Stand for Schools exposed that billionaire Betsy DeVos is meddling with Nebraska’s public schools! Stand for Schools learned DeVos had been personally calling Nebraska state senators, encouraging them to support LB 364, Senator Linehan’s disastrous scholarship tax credit bill. Nebraska Loves Public Schools has a powerful library of films they have made over the years. To share and watch, their films go here.
Nevada
Educate Nevada NOW issued a press release this month about Gov. Sisolak’s Recovery Framework. Northern Nevada Parents and Teachers United joined the network this month. We are so excited to welcome another Nevada group. To learn more about their work, go here, here, and here.
New Hampshire
Barrington Educators Association is the local chapter of the New Hampshire-NEA. You can view updated work here. To contact them about issues happening in NH, go here.
New Jersey
Save our Schools NJ held a webinar this month on assessments, the consequences of education policy that is “big test” focused, and what that means for our children. Be sure to check out The Newark Students Union events tab on their Facebook page. They post events that students can take part in to have their voices heard. Delran Education Association is a local organization committed to ensuring excellence in public education. Give them a follow on Facebook. If you are a resident of Elizabeth, ask to join the Elizabeth Parents, and Students Care closed Facebook group to connect. Montclair Cares About Schools shared a powerful letter by the Montclair 250 about staff cuts in the district. Give Our Children Our Schools a follow on Twitter to keep up with any future events. South Orange-Maplewood Cares About Schools organizes in its closed Facebook group. If you live in this area or know anyone who does, please join the group here. Paterson Education Fund is conducting virtual read across America events. Go here to see Lady Rose, who did a virtual read this month.
New York
Class Size Matters sent a powerful memo in opposition to raising the NYC charter cap and/or reviving “zombie” charters. Follow New York Allies for Public Education on their website for the latest update on opt-out numbers in New York. Testing began this month. LI Opt-Out has a lot going on this month with their opt-out of testing campaign and Board elections. To keep up with all they are doing, be sure to visit their public Facebook page. NYC Opt Out is ramping up their efforts for opt-out in NYC. From their twitter feed-”put it in plain language this year: if you don’t want your child to sit for grade 3-8 state tests, you don’t have to do anything. If the principal pressures you to have your child take them, that’s not ok– let us know at nycoptout@gmail.com.” The Alliance for Quality Education celebrated their historic victory to fully fund foundation aid this month! After 10+ years, the NYS legislature finally voted to fully fund Foundation Aid. AQE thanked all of the students, parents, & advocates who organized and fought tirelessly over the years to protect NY students and bring this funding home. Give Change the Stakes a follow on Facebook to keep up with what is happening in NYC education during the COVID crisis. NY BATs shared a video of Sec. Cardona being questioned by AFT President Randi Weingarten. This is a must-watch! FUSE (New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees) is still fighting for a contract! MORE-UFT is conducting a poll of NYC 3-8 educators about students who opted to take the state ELA standardized test. MORE wants to know: How many students, including remote students coming in-person, at schools opted in? Did schedules and staffing have to change accordingly? Head over to their Facebook page to see comments. Jackson Heights People for Public Schools has so much information on their discussion Facebook page that you need to head over to see what the community of Jackson Heights is doing. From assisting families in IS 145Q who were impacted by a horrible building fire to opting out of testing. Check it out here. Parents for Public Schools- Syracuse Fireside Chat Friday this month was with former SCSD administrator and candidate for school board commissioner David Maynard. Croton Advocates for Public Education (CAPE) advocates for fair assessments, enrichment opportunities, and funding for their schools. The Port Washington Advocates for Public Education closed Facebook group is a place to connect and organize if you live in Port Washington, NY. North Country Alliance For Public Education works to end the reliance on high-stakes testing and stop the privatization taking over their schools. If you live in the North Country of New York, consider joining their closed Facebook group to connect. Visit the Rochester Coalition for Public Education website for all that is happening with Rochester education, meeting schedules, and information.
North Carolina
Public Schools First NC and Wake County are asking everyone to save the date for their 2021 conference, which is centered around the topic of the impact of privatizing public schools. Go here for more information. North Carolina Families for School Testing Reform hosted an online empowerment event this month called Refusing To Be Standardized: Understanding parents’ rights in refusing EOGs and other high stakes standardized tests. Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods Organizers Circle this month was about developing relationships within the community and engaging neighbors in civic action. Pastors for North Carolina Children Executive Director Rev. Suzanne Parker Miller wrote a powerful essay in the NC Policy Watch which addressed why the NC plan to expand vouchers must be rejected. Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County had their last full session of their Parent Engagement Program. These photos show parents hard at work writing letters about their dreams for their children or children they know.
Ohio
Be sure to keep up with the Ohio BATs on their open Facebook page. It Takes A Village To Tackle HB70, and It Takes A Village post important information about Board of Education and ADC meetings. If you know anyone who lives in that area, be sure to share the link with them. Northwest Ohio Friends of Public Education is a citizen-driven, non-partisan movement to inform and engage Northwest Ohioans at the community level to support and strengthen public schools. To keep up with their activities go here. Public Education Partners (PEP) posted a piece in which former state representative Mike Fox writes to his friend William Phillis about his involvement in the creation of school vouchers in Ohio. Parents For Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati post upcoming events on their open Facebook page.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, and Pastors for Oklahoma Kids made a call to action surrounding their public education situation in Oklahoma this month during a powerful press conference. Pastors for Oklahoma Children executive director Rev. Clark Frailey was on Observercast radio this month discussing the attack on public education. Oklahoma Parents and Educators for Public Education/Oklahomans for Public Education have a private Facebook group of over 31,000 people if you live in Oklahoma or know someone who does, please share this link and tell them to connect. Oklahoma Teachers – The Time Is Now organizes in a private Facebook group of over 64,000 members. The purpose of the group is to unite all educators in the state of Oklahoma, so they can come together and educate, collaborate, and discuss what options they have moving forward to improve Public Education. If you know any Oklahoma educators, send them to this group to connect.
Oregon
Community Alliance for Public Education (CAPE) is sponsored by a coalition of community members, parents, teachers from Bethel, Eugene, and Springfield, and professors from Pacific University and the UO. CAPE is short for the Community Alliance for Public Education. Their goals are to raise awareness and build a community around public education issues, as well as support an informed citizenry in having input into public education policies and practices. If you know anyone in their region of Oregon, send them here to connect. Oregon Save Our Schools posted opt-out forms in English and Spanish. If you know anyone who is a parent of a school-age child in Oregon, please share. Oregon BATs organizes in a closed Facebook group. If you are an Oregon teacher or community member, ask to join and connect.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State Education Coalition publishes a daily PA education policy roundup. Pennsylvania School Board Association produced what could be a valuable resource for anyone wondering what to do with federal funds for education. PSBA posted a recording of their April 6th webinar, Pandemic Funding: The Rules, Regulations, Uses and Best Methods to Utilize Federal Funds. The presentation discusses what school directors should know about ESSER funds and what considerations need to be made in order to utilize these investments in the best manner possible. It is free of charge to anyone. The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education is asking the Pittsburgh community to give feedback on the proposed 2021-22 Student Code of Conduct. The Board has been asked to vote on this policy at the May Legislative meeting on May 26th. There is a public hearing on Monday, May 24th. For more information go here. Education Voters PA is proud to be part of the Level Up PA coalition, which is working on getting more funding to districts that have the fewest dollars. Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools reported that four APPS members were BARRED from speaking at Philadelphia School Board meetings in April. Teacher Action Group Wilmington joined the network this month. They will be booting up social media accounts soon. Welcome TAG Wilmington! If you know anyone in the Bethlehem Area School District, be sure to contact the BASD (Bethlehem Area School District) Parents. They are a fantastic group fighting for children and public schools in the area.
Rhode Island
The Providence Student Union conducted a Counselors Not Cops donation drive this month. To keep up with what is happening in Rhode Island, give the Parents Across Rhode Island Facebook page a follow.
South Carolina
Dr. Kendall Deas, Administrator for The Quality Education Project, was a panelist in a national discussion about how tax abatement and its impact on public schools. The discussion was sponsored by Washington, DC based policy think-tank Good Jobs First.
Tennessee
The Momma Bears have fantastic opt-out of the test resources on their blog for TN assessments. If you are in Tennessee, you can access it here, and if you know anyone in Tennessee, please share these amazing resources with them. Give Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence (TREE) a follow on Twitter to keep up with all that is going on in Tennessee education. Pastors for Tennessee Children were proud to lend their names to this op-ed. PTC noted, “with tax revenues exceeding state expenses by more than $2 billion/yr and more than $7 billion cash reserves, there is no longer any excuse for failing to invest in Tennessee’s children. ”Tennessee Strong continues to share articles written in the Tennessee Education Report. The latest article calls on the Governor to fund schools in Tennessee. Tennessee BATs have joined the Tennessee Public Education Coalition and are working to draw attention to the governor’s unfunded mandates and lack of funding, as well as the Commissioner’s misuse of data to support the agenda.
Texas
Cameron Vickrey, associate director of Pastors for Texas Children wrote a powerful op-ed in the San Antonio Express News. Please share, and read her piece, With school choice, what’s the end game? CFISD Community Leadership Committee supported a petition from Raise Your Hand Texas to make sure that federal stimulus funds intended for local public schools go to local public schools. The Coalition for Public Schools Texas hosted a series of webinars regarding vouchers. These webinars were designed to inform and educate participants about vouchers. The webinars are about the following subjects: Special education vouchers, Virtual vouchers, Federal vouchers, and the different types of vouchers proposed. Members of Texas Kids Can’t Wait are advocates for equitable and adequate funding for Texas public schools and for a sane assessment system. They strongly oppose the corporate takeover of public schools. To follow their movements go to their open Facebook page. RootEd publishes a monthly newsletter called The Branch. Go here to view their newsletter from last month. If you know of anyone in the Houston community, please have them connect with Parents For Public Schools of Houston. They do fantastic work in the Houston area. Community Voices For Public Education has provided a fantastic resource page for opt-out of the STARR test. Our Schools San Antonio shared an article this month about problems with the online administration of the STARR assessment. Last month The Coalition for Equity in Public Education rallied neighborhood parents and public school advocates to voice opposition with the city for a proposed charter school within the Dallas ISD boundaries. The charter proposal was subsequently pulled by the charter chain, and they will continue to watch the situation closely. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo went live on Facebook this month talking about COVID-19 funding and the #StopTheSwap campaign.
Virginia
Virginia Educators United is a grassroots collection of pro-public schools people who are creating actions to support Virginia Public Schools. They organize in a closed Facebook group. If you are a Virginia educator, please ask to join and connect. Virginia BATs also organize in a closed Facebook group. If you are a Virginia educator, parent, or community member, please ask to join and connect. Support Our Schools-Shenandoah County organizes to fight for public education in that region. You can connect here. Virginia Public Education Partners is dedicated to supporting and protecting public education. They work to end school privatization maneuvers that undermine democracy and diminish available resources for public schools. Follow their updates here.
Washington State
WA BATs has an active Twitter feed full of powerful graphics. Check it out here. Washington Paramount Duty issued a call to action this month to secure more funding for their schools. Go here for more information.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Public Education Network celebrated the work of its many education coalition partners who traveled to the state capitol to stand up for public education. Go here to view all the amazing pictures and summaries. Schools and Communities United asked a very important question this month on their Facebook page-What are the plans of the City of Milwaukee Health Department to combat dangerous increases, especially as the variants are affecting and hospitalizing children in greater numbers? Parents for Public Schools Milwaukee work to promote and strengthen Milwaukee Public Schools by engaging, educating, and mobilizing parents. Please check out their Facebook page for a list of important events that impact the Milwaukee community.
NPE Grassroots Education Network – Resources and Graphics
Here is a link to our resources page. It will help you navigate resources covering a variety of topics. This is a live document and will be updated so check back for new resources.
Here is a link to our graphics page. It will provide powerful visuals for you to share on social media. This is a live document and will be updated so check back for new graphics.