Grassroots Education Network- May 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
Just a reminder that The Network for Public Education has a search engine for charter scandals. In March and April, #AnotherDayAnotherCharterScandal uncovered over 30 charter scandals in ONE MONTH! Go here to access our search engine and to see the charter scandals in April. Defending the Early Years have released information on their 5th annual summer institute. Go here for more information. Philadelphia Fiefdom: Billionaire funds negative ads to influence PA elections is the latest installment of In The Public Interest’s blog. The Journey for Justice Alliance Equity or Else campaign last month was a huge success. Go to their open Facebook page to view all of the actions. The Schott Foundation provided an #EdJustice Update this month. Look at all the amazing work that is being done for education and social justice. Rethinking Schools held a virtual meet-and-greet with Rethinking Schools’ first-ever Executive Director, Dr. Cierra Kaler-Jones. Rethinking Schools’ editor, Jesse Hagopian moderated the conversation with Cierra. 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. offer support for their community and the nation with important events that support parents and children. Be sure to visit their open Facebook page for events, actions, and activities that are happening all over the country.
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 celebrated Educational Support Personnel this month. Check out the special message from #OSSTF/FEESO President Karen Littlewood on the importance of reflecting, mobilizing, and acting! Support Our Students Alberta shared information that Private schools in Alberta can also charge any amount of tuition on top of receiving public funds. Tuitions are not regulated in Alberta. Go here for more information. 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 early 2023. You can view that video here. First Focus Campaign for Children released a statement this month on the end of Title 42 and how it endangers children.
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 celebrated the opening of weather stations at the Montessori School Alejandro Tapia and Rivera in Lajas. Fairplay launched a new resource this month called Be Tech Wise with Preschoolers. Equal Opportunity Schools were thrilled to announce that their team has helped over 68,000 students across the country enroll in advanced courses. These students now have access to new opportunities and pathways to success, and EOS couldn’t be prouder of their achievements. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of their team, partners, and supporters. 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. Check out this amazing youth organization and all their amazing work. The Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico are excited to share that the documentary LANDFALL comes with something very good. Directed by Cecilia Aldarondo, Landfall Documentary presents a portrait of life in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. A copy of the documentary will be distributed along with a discussion guide. These materials are completely free and you can register to receive them. Defense of Democracy speaks out when a Florida teacher was reported for showing a Disney movie to fifth grade students. The Education Truth Project sent out a press release outlining how communities can support anti-book ban legislation
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) director Terri Michal was featured in a Forbes article by Peter Greene. The article discussed Birmingham history with school choice.
Arkansas
Grassroots Arkansas exposed that the AR Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education are recommending a private company to manage a public school district. For more on that go here.
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 partnered with the Journey for Justice Alliance this month for a Townhall in Phoenix. Go here to see the pictures from that evening. Arizona Educators United joined a coalition of Arizona organizations that went to the capitol to demand a roll back or cap on universal ESA vouchers.
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 created a petition to save Primary Promise which is a successful LA Schools program that is on the chopping block to be cut. 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 held a virtual Gala event this month. The Gala event was an opportunity to highlight their work and raise funds to continue the important work that they do.
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 is publishing information for readers about the history of education reform on their Facebook page.
Connecticut
Connecticut Public Schools Advocates Children are Connecticut families and educators advocating for safe, equitable, fully funded public schools. To keep up with their posts, actions, and activities go here. Children Are More Than Test Scores director Dr. Jesse Turner published a blog about the sham of school choice. Go here to access that blog. 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 great reception at Jo Ellen’s restaurant in late March. The reception was as a part of Public Education Advocacy Week/Children’s Week. The Florida Council of Churches supported the work of Faithful America as they pushed back against the ReAwaken America Tour this month in Miami (including the fantastic billboard pictured). Together, they showed the press and the public that a movement more than 3 million people strong and growing is ready to fight blasphemous Christian nationalism. Opt-Out Florida Network shared that the FLDOE released an update to Graduation Requirements and changes to the required Concordant Scores. Go here for more information. 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 shared that the Hillsborough Education Justice Alliance, which is a newly formed cohort of organizations that support FL public schools will begin meeting. If you live in FL and would like to join this newly formed cohort go here for more information. Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida shared that DPECF Miami Dade Chapter President Crystal Etienne was quoted in this article about DeSantis deleting race and social justice textbooks from the FL State curriculum. Help Out Public Education (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 in April as members of their leadership will be exiting the state. Go here for an article on that. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Atlantic Coast Chapter (AUACC) wants to share that if you or anyone you know witness a violation of school prayer, file a confidential report with AU. Support our Schools are encouraging Sarasota community members to attend their school board meetings. The National Organization for Women Jacksonville are working hard on women’s health issues especially overturning DeSantis abortion ban. The Florida Freedom to Read Project has signed onto the American Historical Association’s statement condemning the Florida Department of Education’s recent ruling that “would eliminate almost entirely the history of LGBTQ+ people from the Florida social studies curriculum. Families for Strong Public Schools executive director Damaris Allen was quoted in this article in USA Today. The article, published last month, discussed the continued expansion of vouchers in Florida and what it means for 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 went to the Fulton County Commission meeting this month to make sure that the Fulton County Board of Elections remains committed to protecting the rights of all voters.
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 many events last month including parent training and a witness slip action alert. Be sure to visit their Facebook page for upcoming events and action. Illinois Families for Public Schools shared that there is nothing concrete to report on the prospect of Invest in Kids sunsetting or not. It’s still an open question whether either another one-year extension (2024-2025 school year) or removal of the sunset clause altogether could end up in the FY2024 budget during negotiations over the next seven days. Please continue to share the Action Network letter-writing campaign telling lawmakers “game over” for the Illinois voucher program.
Indiana
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE) co-sponsored a public education update event this month. Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County signed, and shared, a petition that demands that the Indiana legislature enact legislation requiring private voucher schools to meet several criteria. The Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education shared a video of Phil Downs and Melanie Wright speaking about the year’s legislative session in Indiana. Northwest Indiana Coalition for Public Education advocates for Indiana’s children and their right to a high-quality public education. To keep up with their actions, events, and news go here. Washington Township Parent Council Network held their final parent council network meeting this month. If you live in the area be sure to check out their schedule for 2023/2024 meetings. 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 is a grassroots movement to defend and support Iowa’s tradition of high-quality public schools. If you live in Iowa be sure to check out their open Facebook page for events, action, and news.
Kansas
Game on for Kansas Schools noted that the legislature passed a little-noticed dramatic change to the calculation of headcounts in the waning days of the session without any hearings. During the session, Rep. Thomas introduced a bill that would allow districts to use current year head counts IN ADDITION TO the current law of using either of the past two years. Game on for Kansas Schools recently learned that at some point, someone quietly changed the language to only allow districts to use current or the single preceding year. The first time we see it noted as a change is in the Conference Committee Report for SB 113 (voucher bill) on the very final day of the session. To read more about this please go here. 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 provided an update on JCPS and the purchase of a weapons detection system. 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. Sharing from last year, the Pastors for Kentucky Children had their name on an amicus brief supporting public schools in a lawsuit. This is a great example for other groups to follow in defending their public schools, communities, and families.
Louisiana
Step Up Louisiana asked community members to Step Up for Grace King this month. The board voted to close the school and Step Up Louisiana mobilized the community to stop the closure.
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 participated in the Thrive Act Advocacy Day late last month. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools will be holding their next monthly meeting on June 10th. If you live in Bedford or near Bedford join them for an amazing evening of advocacy and planning.
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 are trying to dismantle and discredit public education in their 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 MS Attorney General has filed an appeal regarding public school funding vs private school funding. To read more about that go here. 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 rallied at the capitol late last month. Stand for Schools Executive Director Dunixi Guereca spoke, as well as Senator George Dungan, NSEA President Jenni Benson, Nebraska PTA President Molly Gross, and Wisconsin teacher and NEA Executive Committee member Duff Martin. The event was hosted by the Nebraska State Education Association. 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 New Jersey executive director Julie Borst wrote an opinion piece in NJ.Com with Professor Chris Tienken on why we need to get rid of testing and why testing does not work. Go here to read and share that article. 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 thanked Paterson Teachers, Administrators and Support Staff this month. Go here to see the picture of their celebration. 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 celebrate the work of their community partners who also work hard to forward the power of community schools.
New York
Class Size Matters founder and executive director Leonie Haimson hosted author Annie Abrams and test expert Akil Bellow this month on her show Talk Out of School. Go here to see more information on the show. New York Allies for Public Education & LI Opt-Out launched their #OptOut 2023 campaign this year. Results of that opt out campaign should be available this summer. NYC Opt Out shared an article by Tamuira Reid that should be required reading for anyone needing information on why parents should opt out of testing. The Alliance for Quality Education held their annual #DayWithoutChildCare campaign this month. On this day they pledge to put the spotlight on the true cost of care and demand the funding needed for a 21st century child care system. Their demands include an equitable child care system, built on racial and gender justice, thriving wages for child care provided, and affordable child care for all families. 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 is sponsoring a Labor Film Event at DCTV Firehouse Cinema on Saturday June 3rd. Go here for more information and for tickets. 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. To learn more about the Rochester Coalition for Public Education be sure to visit their website.
North Carolina
Public Schools First NC School held a webinar with Professor Josh Cowen who describes his research on vouchers. The webinar was held this month. The webinar titled, Voucher Expansion Harms Students & Threatens Public Ed Funding was a huge success. Go here to see that webinar archive. 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 opened up their grant opportunities this month. Go here for more information on the NBN grant program. 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 shared that during the 2022-2023 school year 25 participants have been a part of the PPS-PC Parent Engagement Program which is a leadership class that meets one full day each month learning all about Public Education. This month PPS-PC held the 2022-2023 PEP graduation ceremony. Over 150 people have now been a part of the PEP program in Pitt County. Participants have committed to engaging in a leadership project that will have an impact on a particular school or the district.
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. To keep up with the Parents For Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati be sure to visit their website. Northeast Ohio Friends of Public Education has an amazing website that will keep any northeast Ohio citizen up-to-date on what is happening in education. You can visit their website here. Public Education Partners (PEP) shared a piece from William Phillis and the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding. The piece titled Vouchers: Our tax money or their (voucher parents’) money? Our tax money is not intended to be a rebate to individuals for vouchers is a must read.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee shared the good and bad news on the state education budget this month. Pastors for Oklahoma Children continue to educate the public on the separation of church and state. 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) is the Portland chapter of Parents for Public Schools, part of a nationwide network of grassroots organizations focused on increasing parent, family and community involvement in public education. Launched in January of 1999, their chapter is part of the only national organization that actively recruits parents to public schools and advocates for parents taking a role in decision-making, school improvement, and accountability. To learn more about their work visit their website.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State Education Coalition publishes a daily PA education policy roundup. Pennsylvania School Board Association attended a stop on the Solar for Schools tour at the Bethlehem Area SD. The tour was in support of HB 1032 which is designed to help schools reduce energy costs. The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education continues to hold monthly meetings. If you live in Pittsburgh be sure to connect and join them in their advocacy for public education. 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 Philadelphia posted that Philadelphia has 80+ charter schools. This article exposes how those “nonprofits” profit from taxpayers money. “Having non-unionized staff and being thrifty is actually NOT how corporate charter chains make their vast profits – lucrative management fees, self dealing and rent extraction are the key to profits in the charter sector” BASD (Bethlehem Area School District) had an incredible day this month fighting alongside PA Schools Work, Education Voters PA and more great organizations and schools for full and fair funding. BASD noted that Bethlehem Area School District kids were incredible, speaking their truths and holding their reps accountable. 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 shared how events went for Denim Week, some panel opportunities where students spoke on changing their schools for the better, and check out some exciting events we have in May. If you live in Providence you can sign up to their events with the google form in their link tree so they know you’re coming. Please visit the Parents Across Rhode Island website to keep up with what is happening in Rhode Island.
South Carolina
The Quality Education Project shared that there was a tremendous outpouring of support from the community concerning increasing the millage for a $7,000 salary increase for all teachers in CCSD. Go here for more information.
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 is an action organization that organized after years of #TNReady failures and the over-testing of TN children. They also organize against voucher legislation that takes millions of dollars from TN public schools. To learn more and connect, go here. 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
Congratulations to all of our allies in Texas for successfully stopping vouchers this legislative session. This was truly a remarkable feat. While the Governor has pledged a special session to pass a voucher bill, the coalition will be ready to defeat it once again.
Pastors for Texas Children shared a powerful video by Raise Your Hand Texas about why Texas needs to say YES to strong public schools. CFISD Community Leadership Committee provided an update on HB 100, the public school finance bill. They also asked their community members to call Texas lawmakers and demand they increase the Basic Allotment (BA), add an inflationary index AND OPPOSE vouchers. 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 shared their April newsletter in early May. Go here to find out all that RootEd has been doing for their community. Community Voices For Public are asking community members to attend the June 8th hostile takeover protest at 4:15 pm at HISD, 4400 W 18th. To register and for more information go here. Our Schools San Antonio is a community-led movement for educational justice in San Antonio. To keep up with their actions and events head to their open Facebook page. The Coalition for Equity in Public Education has a fantastic website with resources for Texas parents and advocates. Texas AFT released a statement about HB 100 that would cost $16 billion over the next 5 years, more than what it would cost to implement across-the-board raises for Texas school employees. 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 shared information about the wonderful community garden at McKinney High School. 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) shared information about HB900 and why community members need to request their lawmakers oppose this bill.
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 requested that community members send an email to the housing authority to demand 1-to-1 housing replacement for public housing residents and families.
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 is a caucus of rank-and-file members in AFT-WV and WVEA. They are proud union members committed to quality public education, strong wages and benefits for all of our state’s education personnel, and a sustainable funding source to fund public education that does not come on the backs of the working class of this state. To learn about their five core principles go here.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Public Education Network continues to share Action Alerts for education related bills that are moving through the capitol. Schools and Communities United joined several organizations in descending on the capitol this month and demanding that state lawmakers fund education. Parents for Public Schools Milwaukee joined a community press conference outside MPS Central Office this month to express outrage over a bill announced by Republicans that would make policy attacks on the people of Milwaukee in exchange for a minimal increase in shared revenue and the ability to raise our own sales tax.
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.