Grassroots Education Network- April 2023 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a nationwide network of over 195 grassroots organizations that have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this robust network, please go here to sign on.
If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots Education Network, please get in touch with Marla Kilfoyle, NPE Grassroots Education Network Liaison, at marlakilfoyle@networkforpubliceducation.org
Notes from Marla
The 2023 NPE Action/NPE Tenth Anniversary Conference is now open for registration. Set in our nation’s capital, we promise this will be our most important conference. We will meet in the beautiful and historic Capital Hilton for two days of workshops, inspirational speakers, and a celebration of ten years of the Network for Public Education founded and led by Diane Ravitch.
Our conference theme, Public Schools: Where Democracy Grows, could not be timelier as we fight for the freedom to teach with honesty and integrity and support our democratically elected school boards that serve even when their every decision comes under fire.
And as always, we will discuss how we can fight for our democratically controlled schools, owned and governed by the public, not by privatized interests.
If you go to our conference site, you will find links to the following:
· Register for the conference.
· Reserve your hotel room.
Following the conference, we will visit our representatives in Congress on Monday to discuss the importance and needs of our public schools. Please stay and join us! Discounted rooms are available for Sunday night as well.
We can’t wait to see you this October as we celebrate our tenth anniversary.
National Organizing
The Network for Public Education board member James Harvey wrote a powerful piece in The Answer Sheet (Washington Post) titled Gaslighting Americans about public schools: The truth about ‘A Nation at Risk.’ Go here to read that article. Check out Defending the Early Years latest newsletter for podcast episode19: It’s Broken, Let’s Fix It! Kisha Reid chats with Teacher Tom and Peter Gray shines a light on the importance of play and the effects the loss of play has on development. School Privatization Flunks Out in Kansas and Texas is the latest installment of In The Public Interest’s blog. The Journey for Justice Alliance held a Parent Power Hour this month. The Schott Foundation provided an #EdJustice Update in April. Look at all the amazing work that is being done for education and social justice. Rethinking Schools had a booth this month at the AERA conference. Check out their pictures from the event. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy was founded in July 2014 by Leonie Haimson of New York and Rachael Stickland of Colorado, two parent advocates who successfully led the battle to stop nine states from disclosing their personal student data to inBloom Inc. inBloom was designed to be a massive student database, with the goal of more easily sharing this information with for-profit data- mining vendors and other third parties without parent notification or consent. The Coalition which includes parents of nearly every state is now co-chaired by Leonie and by Cassie Creswell of Illinois Families for Public Schools. Go to their website for some amazing resources. Parents for Public Schools, Inc. offers some of the best parent and community training in the country. To learn more about their training opportunities go here.
Parents Across America has a fantastic website full of resources for parents across the country. The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) members reject racially and socially oppressive profit-driven education reform. To learn more about their work visit their website. Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) has a public Facebook group that features information from Canada, Mexico, and the US about how communities are navigating the attempt to privatize public education. The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation are holding Town Halls for their members to update them on bargaining. Support Our Students Alberta posted a video about the dangers of school choice in Canada. Wear Red for Ed is a grassroots movement started by parents and teachers to stand up for Public Education. To learn more about their work, go here. Uniting to Save Our Schools (USOS) hosted a Demoralization vs. Burnout webinar in late January. You can view that video here. First Focus Campaign for Children policy brief this month focused on the harmful consequences of work requirements and other obstacles to services for children and families.
Kinderchat hosts its popular Twitter chat every Monday at 9 PM EST. The chats are informative and provide excellent resources for teaching kindergarteners. Check them out on Twitter at #Kinderchat. Kinderchat also has a fantastic website full of resources. Instituto Nueva Escuela held their Montessori Fest this month. Go here to see that campaign. Fairplay dropped the 2023 Screen-Free Children’s Booklist in April. They added some incredible new books to the growing list, all of which inspire children (and adults) to think critically about screen time and to take some time to unplug. Equal Opportunity Schools launched their FREE Partnership Guide to increase enrollment in advanced courses. Go here to see their guide. Uniting for Children and Youth (Canada) are concerned citizens of Ottawa-Outaouais. They aim to build awareness of how they can improve life for children and youth. Go here to keep up with all of their events and actions. National Educators United was started by a group of educator leaders of statewide activist groups in over ten states. After launching on December 14, 2019, they now have thousands of members and their nationwide network is growing fast. To learn more about their work, visit their website. The Saphron Initiative published their 2022 Recap in December of 2022. Check out this amazing youth organization and all they did in 2022. The Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico announced that the magisterial career bylaws 7-09, 66-14 and 26-17 were reactivated after a ten year freeze. This is a big victory for teachers in Puerto Rico because it will finally give them a big jump in salary. To learn more go here. Defense of Democracy launched their campaign called #ThePledge to defend public schools. They are asking lawmakers and officials to sign the pledge. Go here to see a sample. The Education Truth Project joined the network this month. To learn more about them visit their website.
State Organizing
Please use this information clearinghouse 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 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) shares information about the Corporate Education Reform movement and Common Core. Be sure to visit their Facebook page for updated information.
Arkansas
Grassroots Arkansas provided a list of resources for communities impacted by the tornadoes last month.
Arizona
Voices for education is working hard to update the public on the news regarding public education in Arizona. Be sure to visit Arizonans for Charter School Accountability website, which offers resources that compare charter school and public school spending. Save Our Schools Arizona shared that the Arizona legislature has outright refused to pass SB1706, which adds transparency for off-the-rails universal ESA vouchers. Save Our Schools Arizona are asking community members to email their local lawmakers about this. Arizona Educators United posted the video of their community meeting to discuss praise for Governor Hobbs and a snapshot of what is currently happening at the Arizona Department of Education- vouchers, SEL, and more attacks on educators.
California
California Educators United is a rank-and-file-led network of educators and supporters of public education. They are part of the racial equity and social justice movement, fully funded public education through progressive taxation, and pro-public education and anti-privatization. To follow their activities, go here. The Public Core program, Between Two Teachers, is informative. To view all their archived programs, go here. The Association of RAZA Educators sent a letter to the West Covina Mayor and Council Members, sharing a deep disappointment that a community member was denied the right to recite a land acknowledgment before their meeting. Bay Area Collective Keeping Privatizers Away from Community Schools (BACKPACS) is an organization dedicated to strengthening and protecting public education in the Bay Area. Go here to follow what they are working on. Educators for Democratic Schools-Oakland open Facebook page reports all that is happening in the Oakland Unified School District. Parents Supporting Teachers stood in solidarity with L.A. education workers who went on strike for better pay. The San Francisco Berniecrats Education Justice Committee joined the fight to restore ESL classes to the City College of San Francisco campus. Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco hosted a Round 2 and Beyond workshop for parents this month. If you live in the area be sure to monitor their Facebook page for more parent workshops.
Colorado
Pueblo Education Coalition aims to represent educators, parents, community members, students, and all stakeholders to achieve positive change for Pueblo’s public education. To keep up with their movements, go here. Our Denver, Our Schools wants all Colorado residents to be aware of HB 23-1025 which is another harmful Charter School bill. For more information go here.
Connecticut
Connecticut Public Schools Advocates Children shared a critical article about the Connecticut teacher shortage. Author, activist, and educator Jesse Hagopian published his article, Legalize Black History on the Children Are More Than Test Scores Facebook page. You can access that post here. Re: public Ed informs Connecticut residents about the state, local, and federal education policies that impact teaching and learning. New London Parent Advocates updates their open Facebook page with all that is happening in the New London Public Schools.
Delaware
Friends of Christina School District are advocating for excellent district schools by ensuring that every child receives needed resources. To keep up with their events go here.
Florida
Fund education NOW’s Facebook page is full of information and resources for Florida residents who want to keep up with educational news. Florida BATs and Broward BATs post the latest updates on what is happening in education. Go here and here for updates. Pastors for Florida Children had a very successful Prayer Breakfast last month. The theme was: Uniting in Spirit for Public Education in Florida. NPE President Diane Ravitch and Pastor Wendell Griffin were the guest speakers. To read more about the event, go here. The Florida Council of Churches tweeted this month that they have said this repeatedly in legislative committees for the last few years. Taxpayers are paying for religious education. This is the establishment of religion and a violation of the First Amendment – a repudiation of the Constitution of the USA. Opt-Out Florida Network lets parents know they are not powerless when it comes to third grade testing. Parents can make third grade testing irrelevant. Opt Out Florida Network is asking parents to take action. To learn more go here. Pinellas Parents Advocating for Public Schools are working hard to educate the public on the FL book bans. If you live in the area join their closed Facebook page to join the discussion. 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, go here. Miami-Dade County Public School District Parents is a grassroots group giving a voice to parents of students in any Miami-Dade County Public School. Go here to keep up with any events they hold in the Miami-Dade area. UnitED for Florida Children has a website full of resources and information. Go here to check it out. Hillsborough Public School Advocates got a BIG thank you from the Hillsborough Public Schools for providing $10,000 in Grant Funds to their qualifying Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Designated Community Schools. Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida supported the student public education rally in Orlando this month. Help Out Public Education’s (HOPE) vision is that public schools should be pillars in our communities that help families thrive and where children learn the knowledge and skills necessary to become engaged members of our society and economy. Families for Safe Schools’ unfortunately disbanded last month as members of their leadership will be exiting the state. Go here for an article on that. Sheila Zinkerman and Laurel Robinson, Volusia County, board members for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Atlantic Coast Chapter (AUACC) stand in front of Palm Coast City Hall this month awaiting the vote on the invocation policy change. AUACC President Rabbi Merrill Shapiro spoke in opposition of the change. It failed. Support our Schools launched their Say No to Vermillion Education campaign this month. Go here to learn about this campaign to stop paying unqualified consultants when students are lacking services. The National Organization for Women Jacksonville blog has excellent updates on all the actions and events that JAX NOW conducts for public education in Florida. The Florida Freedom to Read Project was mentioned for their hard work on book banning in the NY Times and WUSF Public Media. Families for Strong Public Schools hosted a community conversation where community members were able to become CPR certified while discussing the needs in our public schools.
Georgia
Public Education Matters Georgia is a statewide organization committed to fostering community support for quality public education in GA through outreach, information, and advocacy. To keep up with their events and activities, go here. Moms and Dads Now Enduring Surrealistic Stupidity (MADNESS) shared an article about another bad voucher bill popping up in GA. Go here to read that article. 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) is an organization of Georgia educators, scholars, and community activists committed to social justice through education. To keep up with their events, or to connect, visit their open Facebook page. The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action thanked legislators that voted no on #SB233 (voucher bill). Go here to see their statement.
Hawaii
Want to learn about all the amazing things public schools do for children in Hawaii? Visit Parents for Public Schools Hawaii Facebook page.
Illinois
Illinois Raise Your Hand held their parent leadership training this month. If you live in the Chicago area please be sure to check their Facebook page for future training. Illinois Families for Public Schools provided a 2023 election recap in which public education won!
Indiana
Members of The Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE) stood with Indiana teachers at the Statehouse. Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County highlights each day how public schools are the heart of communities. Go to their open Facebook page to check out the pictures. The Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education shared a powerful letter by former Indiana state superintendent Dr. Jennifer McCormick about vouchers and voucher expansion. The Northwest Indiana Coalition for Public Education exposed that bills by the Indiana GOP majority are gut wrenching, foul, and full of discriminatory bigotry. Washington Township Parent Council Network joined a long list of other organizations this month in the Pack the House campaign. To learn more go here. Jefferson County Public Schools Advocacy Group organizes in a private group on Facebook. If you know anyone in Jefferson County concerned about the anti-education movement, go here to join.
Iowa
Iowans for Public Education administrator Randy Richards provided feedback on the Parental Rights Bill going through the legislature in Iowa.
Kansas
Game on for Kansas Schools shared a video of Kansas State Rep. Williams and Sen. Masterson who admitted that their new $5000 voucher (proposed in SB 83) “wouldn’t cover but a fraction of” tuition at Wichita Collegiate and “is not meant to pay for an entire expensive education.” It will let kids attend a “microschool” (aka strip mall school) with no oversight over the academic curriculum, qualification of the sponsor, safety of the facility, etc.), or pay for homeschool supplies (but “not, obviously, a teacher”). The Personnel Association of Lawrence- Communication Workers of America gave an update on where they are in the process of bargaining for better wages.
Kentucky
Dear JCPS published a blog on why the Department of Justice needs to look at JCPS. Schools Our Schools Kentucky is Kentucky’s longest-running statewide advocacy group stopping well-funded privatizers and outside special interests from destroying our public schools. To keep up with their events and actions go here. Pastors for Kentucky Children worked hard this month to get the Roy Amendment defeated. Go here to learn about what that means.
Louisiana
Step Up Louisiana are asking Louisiana citizens to submit a public comment to the Baton Rouge metro council and let them know you support ordinance #23-00403: the Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance.
Maryland
The Baltimore Algebra Project is a youth organization that works to end the school-to-prison pipeline. To learn more about them, go here.
Massachusetts
Citizens for Public Schools submitted letters to the Boston Globe about problems with the MCAS. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools asked for the community’s help in supporting paraprofessionals who are fighting for a living wage and better working conditions.
Michigan
The Michigan Network for Equity in Education advocates for equitable, democratic public education in Michigan by building coalitions and sharing information and research. To learn more about their work, go here. Save Michigan’s Public School’s goal is to connect parents, students, educators, and communities across Michigan and raise awareness of threats to public education. To communicate with their organization, check out their Facebook page. Be sure to check out Michigan Parents for Schools website for resources on how to fight for public education in Michigan. MI Ed Justice is on Instagram. Check out their Instagram page here. Trusted Voices ED is a non-partisan advocacy group of educators focused on building collaborative partnerships among teachers, administrators, and policy-makers to ensure every Michigan learner receives the highest quality of education. To learn more about them and to connect with their organization, visit their website. Support FHPS (Forest Hills Public Schools) continue to expose extremists who attend board meetings and spread false information about the school district.
Minnesota
Parents for St. Paul Schools is a grassroots organization started by parents of public school students. They favor an immediate moratorium on expanding existing charter schools in St. Paul and creating any new charter schools in St. Paul. To learn more about their organization, go here. Minnesota Collective for Educational Equity is a grassroots group of passionate educators and researchers who have organized to promote educational policy and practice that will address the alarming opportunity gaps in Minnesota.
Mississippi
Parents for Public Schools – Moss Point shared that the House and Senate passed a PreK-12 funding bill that increased the public school appropriation by $117-million over the current year.Parents For Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore County strengthen public schools by engaging, educating, and mobilizing parents in their community. To keep up with their events, go here. Give Parents For Public Schools of Philadelphia a follow on Twitter if you live in their area. They post updates for education and community events.
Missouri
Keep up with the Missouri BATs by giving them a follow on Twitter.
Nebraska
Stand for Schools shared that the second round of debate on LB 753 (voucher bill) began this month. Nebraska Loves Public Schools is known for its influential short films that are focused on the power of public education. You can access all of their films at this link.
Nevada
Educate Nevada NOW is a multi-year campaign to secure school finance reform and improve education outcomes in Nevada. To learn more about their organization go here.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Leaders for Just Schools are NH public school educators dedicated to creating more equitable and just learning environments. Please give them a follow on Twitter to keep up with what they are doing. Barrington Educators Association is the local chapter of the New Hampshire-NEA. You can view the updated work here. To contact them about issues happening in NH, go here.
New Jersey
Save our Schools shared that Stan Karp from the Education Law Center responded to an op-ed in support of keeping the NJGPA, the high school exit test. Be sure to visit The Newark Students Union events tab on their Facebook page. The posted events provide an excellent template for student organizing. Delran Education Association is a local organization committed to ensuring excellence in public. To keep up with their actions and events, go here. If you are a resident of Elizabeth, ask to join the Elizabeth Parents and Students Care closed Facebook group to connect. Give Montclair Cares About Schools a follow on Facebook to find out what is happening in Montclair education. Give Our Children Our Schools a follow on Twitter to keep up with any future events. South Orange-Maplewood Cares About Schools organize in its closed Facebook group. If you live in this area or know anyone who does, please join the group here. Paterson Education Fund joined New Destiny Family Success Centers and other community partners for a Journey 4 Justice Equity or Else/ Quality of Life Town Hall this month. Go here to see details about this event. Parents Educating Parents is a nonprofit grassroots parent organization working out of Newark, New Jersey. Go here to check in on their events and activities. The New Jersey Community Schools Coalition celebrates the work of their community partners who also work hard to forward the power of community schools.
New York
Class Size Matters launched a letter campaign this month to stop the NYCDOE and PEP from cutting 22,000 funded school seats out of the capital plan. New York Allies for Public Education & LI Opt-Out launched their #OptOut 2023 campaign this month. NYC Opt Out also began its opt-out drive with a Zoom webinar on how to opt out of testing and a teach-in covering the grades 3-8 testing program. The Alliance for Quality Education asked New Yorkers to call their legislators this month to make certain that Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to lift the charter school cap and reauthorize failed “zombie charters,” stays out of the final state budget. Change the Stakes has resources on their open Facebook page about testing and opting out for NYC and NY parents. NY BATs is the public-facing page for the NY BATs, the largest state chapter of the Badass Teachers Association. Check out their public Facebook page to keep up with their events and activities. To find out what FUSE (New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees) is working on, visit their website here. MORE-UFT conducted a phone bank to pass the More Teaching Less Testing Act. 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 up to. Check it out here. 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. The Rochester Coalition for Public Education hosted a meeting late last month with New York State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa. The discussion centered on NYS’s Testing and Accountability bureaucracy.
North Carolina
Public Schools First NC held a webinar this month with experts Rodney Pierce and Christine Kushner on the negative impact of charter schools on North Carolina school districts. North Carolina Families for School Testing Reform are working to bring legislative change to the NC Public School Testing program. To keep up with their activities, go here. Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods met with residents of Northwood Estates in collaboration with Piedmont Environmental Alliance and Yadkin Riverkeeper to discuss some of the soil erosion that happened along Brushy Fork Creek. To keep up with the Pastors for North Carolina Children be sure to subscribe to their newsletter called The Advocate. Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County PEP program participants Dr. Monisha Atkinson and Dr. Julia Lynch were featured in an article by EdNC this month.
Ohio
Keep up with the Ohio BATs on their open Facebook page. It Takes A Village To Tackle The Attack on Public Education are parents, educators, community members and leaders who originally united to tackle HB 70 and the attack on public education. To keep up with their events go here. 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 the issues they are working on, go here. Parents For Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati held their final PEP session this month. To learn more about their PEP program visit their website. Northeast Ohio Friends of Public Education listed their 2024/2025 budget priorities. You can read their priorities at this link. Public Education Partners (PEP) President Jeanne Melvin wrote an article that was featured in the Dayton Daily News this month. The article, State budget focus on charter schools hurts public schools, is a fantastic article filled with powerful facts.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee launched their #fortheloveofteachers campaign this month. Two crucial bills giving pay raises and maternity leave to educators are at risk of not being heard. OKPLAC asked Oklahomans to email the House subcommittee asking that they be on the agenda and approved this month. Pastors for Oklahoma Children shared a powerful graphic on Facebook with the following narrative: Let’s stop playing games #OKLEG. In 1908, Rev. E. D. Cameron, Oklahoma’s first State Superintendent of Schools wrote, “The free public school system in Oklahoma is the glory of our state.” Privatization has ZERO chances of returning us to this glory! 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, share this link 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 Oklahoma to 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) has a goal to raise awareness and build a community around public education issues and support an informed citizenry in having input into public education policies and practices. Oregon Save Our Schools is a group of parents, grandparents, teachers, students, support staff, and community members joining together to defend public education in Oregon. Go to their open Facebook page to get involved with their actions. Oregon BATs organizes in a closed Facebook group. If you are an Oregon teacher or community member, ask to join and connect. Community & Parents for Public Schools of Portland (CPPS) shared that their March 23rd information meeting was productive and inspiring. Now they are reviewing the results and planning further activities to build on. Details coming soon.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State Education Coalition publishes a daily PA education policy roundup. Pennsylvania School Board Association hosted a webinar this month providing an expert overview of the 2023 School Safety and Security Board Report requirements, plus tips for what should be included in the presentation to the school board and a discussion of recent updates and hot topics.The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education held their monthly meeting and discussed COVID compensatory services with David May-Stein PPS consultant. Education Voters PA has a fantastic website full of education-related resources for PA citizens. Lisa Haver and Lynda Rubin from The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools reported on the Board meeting that happened in late March. Lisa and Lynda wrote, “close to 200 students from Saul High School, Franklin Learning Center and several other special-admission schools rallied on the steps of district headquarters to fight against the devastating cuts in faculty and staff caused by the district’s faulty enrollment algorithm. Students and supporters held up signs saying “Save Our Teachers” and “I Am Not An Algorithm”. Parents, teachers, principals, and community members came to support the students and their schools at the rally and in their testimony to the Board. For the first time in a long time, the auditorium was packed, and many who came were diverted to the overflow section in the atrium.” BASD (Bethlehem Area School District) Parents thanked Dr. Joe Roy for his years of leadership, his commitment to equity, and his tireless drive to give kids every single opportunity. DASD Parent Partners (Downington, PA) are committed to meeting the needs of all Downingtown students and developing working groups to take action around their set priorities. To learn more about their work and priorities, go here.
Rhode Island
The Providence Student Union hosted three events this month to stand in solidarity and support for survivors of sexual assault. Please visit the Parents Across Rhode Island website to keep up with what is happening in Rhode Island.
South Carolina
The Quality Education Project held their monthly general meeting on April 23rd. At this meeting they planned and discussed a spring public information forum and the consolidated Charleston County School Board.
Tennessee
Give Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence (TREE) a follow on Facebook to keep up with all that is happening in Tennessee education. Be sure to visit the Pastors for Tennessee Children website. It is full of valuable information and resources. Tennessee Strong continues to share articles written in the Tennessee Education Report. The latest article discusses pastors speaking out on gun violence in schools. Tennessee BATs organizes out of a closed group on Facebook with over one thousand members. If you are a Tennessee teacher or a supporter of public education in Tennessee, go here and ask to join their Facebook group to connect.
Texas
Pastors for Texas Children headed to the capitol this month to advocate for more funding for Texas schools. CFISD Community Leadership Committee conducted a campaign asking Texas citizens to stand against voucher legislation. Members of Texas Kids Can’t Wait advocate for equitable and adequate funding for Texas public schools and a sane assessment system. They strongly oppose the corporate takeover of public schools. To follow their advocacy go to their open Facebook page. RootEd continues to work hard to defeat vouchers in Texas. Check out their #vOUCHersHurt campaign. Community Voices For Public Education supported the Opt Out of the STARR campaign this month. Our Schools San Antonio, like all of the Texas groups, are working hard to defeat vouchers in their state. The Coalition for Equity in Public Education has a fantastic website with resources for Texas parents and advocates. Late this month Texas AFT highlighted Galena Park paraprofessional Tammy ReyesI. Tammy told her story to the House Public Education Committee, urging them to give her, and many other Texans like her a living wage. El Paso Alliance for Just Schools is a coalition of local community members, grassroots and labor. Head over to their open Facebook page to keep up with all their events. Public Schools First McKinney celebrated Liz Turner, Faubion Middle School Teacher of the Year. The Coalition for Public Schools has a great website full of resources for Texas public education advocates. Go here to access their website. Access Education RRISD (Round Rock Independent School District) joined the network this month. To learn more about their work visit their website.
Virginia
Virginia Educators United is a grassroots collection of pro-public school people who act 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 organizes 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 click 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. Richmond For All posted that this month parents, educators, and community members turned out to the City Council meeting to demand a fully-funded budget for Richmond Schools.
Washington State
WA BATs organizes in a closed Facebook group. Go here to join and connect. Washington’s Paramount Duty has a website full of information and resources on education in Washington state.
West Virginia
West Virginia United Caucus reported that the PEIA insurance fight has ended and unfortunately was sent to the Governor to sign last month. PEIA is a bill that increases premiums by 26% and adds a spouse penalty of about $150 per month for people that are married. It will continue to increase exponentially each year after this one as well.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Public Education Network issued an action alert this month because they had learned from the Clerk of the Joint Committee on Finance that the portal for submitting written budget comments will only remain open through the final hearing on April 26. Schools and Communities United held a community art build this month. Go here to see the video. Parents for Public Schools Milwaukee went to Waukesha on April 5th to tell the Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin legislature to invest in Wisconsin’s Public Schools FIRST.
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.