Grassroots Education Network- November 2022 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 190 grassroots organizations nationwide 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 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
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 of all. 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.
Registering before 2022 ends, make you eligible for our reduced early bird rate. If you go to our conference site, you will find links to:
· Register for the conference.
· Reserve your hotel room.
· Propose a panel. We are accepting proposals until March 1, 2023.
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 upcoming October as we celebrate our tenth anniversary together.
Our best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.
National Organizing
Network for Public Education has opened registration and panel proposals for the October conference. To get the early bird rate go to this link to register for the conference and reserve the hotel. Late last month Defending the Early Years Executive Director Dr. Denisha Jones was interviewed by Kisha Reid on the DEY Podcast. Dr. Jones spoke about furthering the mission of DEY. Jeremy Mohler of In The Public Interest summed up where people made government work for all of us on election day. The Journey for Justice Alliance Executive Director Jitu Brown appeared on Black Voices WTTW – Chicago PBS this month. The Schott Foundation brought together organizers, allies, and partners to their Opportunity to Learn convention held in North Carolina. Go here for video on that event. Rethinking Schools editor Adam Sanchez describes a lesson that uses improvisations, historical fiction, and found poems to help students appreciate the first era of Black Power: Reconstruction. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy has valuable privacy toolkits for students, parents, and teachers on its website. Parents for Public Schools, Inc. explores Sex Education in America’s Public Schools in the latest edition of their Clearinghouse series. PPS National explores a series of questions about sex education in public schools ranging from the goal of sex education to changes that parents think are needed in this course. Go here for access.
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 U.S. about how communities are navigating the attempt to privatize public education. Over 100 members of The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation went to Queen’s Park this month to call on MPPs to uphold workers’ rights to fair bargaining in the face of the Ford government’s heavy-handed and unconstitutional legislation. This legislation would strip workers of their Charter rights and will negatively impact the students and communities they serve. Support Our Students Alberta Wing Li was quoted in this article about wearing masks in schools. Wear Red for Ed has an active open Facebook page that tracks the Red for Ed movement nationwide. Uniting to Save Our Schools (USOS) has published inspirational videos from the National Day of Teaching Truth. You can view those videos here. First Focus Campaign for Children policy brief this month addresses the Biden Administration’s public charge regulation and what that means for children of immigrant families.
Kinderchat continues to host its popular Twitter chat every Monday at 9 PM EST. The chats are informative and provide great resources for teaching kindergarteners. Check them out on Twitter at #Kinderchat. Kinderchat also has a fantastic website full of resources. Instituto Nueva Escuela took time this month to highlight the INE family in videos that celebrate their work. Fairplay was featured on the Healthy Screen Habits Podcast. In this episode, Fairplay’s Haley Hinkle and David Monahan joined host and Screen Time Action Network member Hillary Wilkinson for a conversation about KOSA and COPPA, two key bills that will protect kids online. Equal Opportunity Schools Equal Opportunity collaborates with school districts to increase equitable enrollment in rigorous courses. To learn more about their work go here. 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 partnered with Haymarket Books this month to sponsor Solidarity with Railroad Workers. The Saphron Initiative is gearing up a next round of endorsements of pro-education advocates across the nation for 2023 elections, based on its 7 point platform for education justice and pro-public education policy. Soon, Saphron Initiative is set to begin an advocacy organizer exchange program with multiple confirmed elected officials for young public education advocates to gain hands-on experience in education advocacy working for their offices, from budgeting to curriculum to resolution-drafting and more. Saphron Initiative’s work with Schools for Climate Action also continues as Schools for Climate Action coalition members across the U.S., led by students from California, plan to introduce a new version of the earlier legislation on climate education, H.Res.29, into congress during the next session in early 2023. The Saphron Initiative tutoring team is also making strides in its current partnership with Longfellow Elementary School in Howard County, Maryland, and has begun working on the formal launch of the Saphron Advanced Student Referral Program (SASRP). With applicant instructors from across the nation, they expect to grow their youth-to-youth tutoring team to include more skilled instructors and leading program coordinators over the next year and a half and ensure a long-term impact on underserved areas. Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico continued their solidarity route giving $100 to each member for union registration, both active and retired. Go here for more information on this campaign. Defense of Democracy joined the network this month. To learn more about their work 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 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 is a coalition of activist dedicated to fighting for an equitable Central Arkansas. They want to bring an end to social, economic, political injustice and inequality by transforming the power relations and structures that create and hold them in place. They place education at the democratic center of this struggle that reaches every aspect of our lives. To learn more about their work visit their website.
Arizona
Voices for Education is working hard to update the public on 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 held an election night and volunteer appreciation party late last month. Arizona Educators United #RedForEd movement is about educators coming together in solidarity for students, schools, colleagues, and communities to fight for the schools our students deserve. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter to follow their movements in AZ.
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 worked hard in California to mandate ethnic studies for High School students. You can read about that here. 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 exposed how billionaires, who have nothing to do with LAUSD, dropped over $1 million in the LAUSD school board race. The San Francisco Berniecrats Education Justice Committee held a successful art festival this year. Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco Executive Director Vanessa Marrero, and Enrollment Director, Lauren Kohler, met with hundreds of parents this month at an Enrollment Fair for a session on How to Enroll in TK and K-3. A great example of how grassroots organizations help communities.
Colorado
Pueblo Education Coalition’s goal is 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. Taxpayers for Public Education works hard to stop voucher expansion in Colorado. To keep up with their work be sure to visit their website. Our Denver Our Schools shared late last month that Denver Public Schools proposes unifying 10 elementary and middle schools. The recommendations would affect more than 1,700 students.
Connecticut
Connecticut Public Schools Advocates Children have a YouTube channel where they have hosted two important conversations about public education in Connecticut. Children Are More Than Test Scores founder Dr. Jesse Turner is hosting education content on the Tom Fickin show. Go here for more information and to see who he hosted last 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 their open Facebook page weekly with all that is happening in the New London Public Schools.
Delaware
The Friends of Christina School District shared that this month DE ACLU launched a Know Your Rights guide on LGBTQ+ students’ right to self-expression. The event was held in the Lewes Public Library.
Florida
Fund Education NOW’s website is full of information and resources for Florida residents who want to keep up with education news. Florida BATs and Broward BATs post the latest updates on how what is happening in education. Go here and here for updates. Pastors for Florida Children hosted an Interfaith Leadership Summit on protecting the Separation of Church and State in public education in Orlando. The Florida Council of Churches is asking their community to sign onto a petition addressing anti-Semitism following a Florida-Georgia football game. An Opt-Out Florida Network parent made a strong statement about testing at the Seminole County School Board meeting. You can read that statement here. Pinellas Parents Advocating for Public Schools are posting announcements about Hurricane makeup days. 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 are holding 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 thanked their Gold Sponsors this month who helped them with their Yacht Starship fundraiser which was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida attended the State Board of Education meeting this month. Families for Safe Schools attended the Yantz Spooktacular late last month. They talked to people in their community about the real issues they face. Americans United for the Separation of Church Atlantic Coast Chapter encouraged their community to attend the webinar The Media’s Role in the Era of Book Bans: Prohibition of Black Authors and Black Experiences. Go here for more information. Support our Schools, USA thanked Paulina Testerman for attending the Discovery Academy at Riverview High School today to represent Support Our Schools. Support Our Schools was proud to provide the financial support to purchase tee shirts for all Discovery Academy participants. SOS, USA also thanked Karen Hamblin for all that she does for the Discovery Academy and its students. National Organization for Women Jacksonville asked their members to take action on High School girls health privacy.
Georgia
Public Education Matters Georgia would love Georgians opinion on the Georgia State School Superintendent – who do you think is the most public education-friendly candidate, Woods or Searcy? And why? Moms and Dads Now Enduring Surrealistic Stupidity (MADNESS) goal is to build awareness and support for actual school improvement strategies like community schools and more broadly for the meaningful benefits of an equitable and viable public education system that strives for good schools for all Georgia children. MADNESS has a vibrant open Facebook page where discussions about education in Georgia take place. If you live in Georgia go here to join the discussion. 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 partnered with other organizations to canvass 6 campuses spanning 150,000 voters at HBCUs and public colleges in Georgia with 200+ student organizers.
Hawaii
Parents for Public Schools Hawaii produced their October newsletter with all kinds of events and information for parents in the state of Hawaii.
Illinois
Illinois Raise Your Hand LSC Access survey is open to all CPS parents, educators and community members. You do not have to be an LSC member to share your experience. Illinois Families for Public Schools continue to educate the public on the importance of school board races that will be held in Illinois in the spring.
Indiana
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education exposed that a school building that could potentially close under the IPS Rebuilding Stronger plan has a buyer from a local charter school. The building will be sold for $1 but was built through tax dollars and purposed for the Common Good, not for profit for the few. Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County shared that the Pike Parent Network Group showed A Backpack Full of Cash this month. This is a great idea to bring to communities to show the diabolical nature of privatization. The Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education publishes their most popular posts on Facebook each week. Keep up with the trends in advocacy for public education in Indiana by checking them out. Northwest Indiana Coalition for Public Education posted a very informative document on how to research funding for local elections. Stuart Bloom also published testimony by Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, president of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, who testified in front of the Indiana General Assembly’s Organization Day. In her testimony, Cathy discussed what children need. Washington Township Parent Council Network is posting important events for their community, such as this important webinar for parents/caregivers on the topic of Social Justice Advocacy Among Youth. Jefferson County Public Schools Advocacy Group organizes in a private group on Facebook. If you know anyone in Jefferson County who is concerned about the anti-education movement, go here to join.
Iowa
Iowans for Public Education mourned the loss of Superintendent Noreen Bush, who passed away last month.
Kansas
Game on for Kansas Schools posted a great piece on their Facebook page about NAEP scores. Go here to read it. The Personnel Association of Lawrence- Communication Workers of America continues to support their Food Service workers who are fighting for higher pay and to shed light on the lack of food service workers in the district.
Kentucky
Dear JCPS testified at the JCPS Board Meeting this month. Their remarks start at the 3 hour mark in this video. Save our Schools Kentucky volunteers continue to work hard delivering books to their community. Pastors for Kentucky Children posted that teaching requires more than any of us know and asked that Kentuckians pray for teachers and make sure they know that they are supported.
Louisiana
Step Up Louisiana held a parents union meeting this month. Go here for pictures and commentary.
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 phone banked together in a final push to pass Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, this month. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools joined in the celebration to honor the work of Dr. Cynthia Roy.
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 goal is to connect parents, students, educators, and communities across Michigan and raise awareness of threats to public education. To connect with their organization, check out their Facebook page. Give Michigan Parents for Schools a follow on Twitter to keep up with all their events and activities. MI Ed Justice is on Instagram. Check out their Instagram page here. Trusted Voices ED is a nonpartisan advocacy group of educators who are 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) created a powerful graphic about the impact of school board elections.
Minnesota
Parents for St. Paul Schools is a grassroots organization started by parents of public school students. They are in favor of an immediate moratorium on the expansion of existing charter schools in St. Paul and the creation of 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 has a public Facebook page that lists all education and community events. If you are a resident of Moss Point, or know someone who is, go here for daily updates. Parents For Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore County are hosting their Parent Advisory Council organizational meetings each month. Go here for updates on meetings in the future. 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. Parents For Public Schools of Starkvilleis 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.
Nebraska
Stand for Schools launched their #VoteForSchools campaign this month. Nebraska Loves Public Schools is known for their powerful 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 aimed at securing school finance reform and improving 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 the mission of creating more equitable and just learning environments. 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 updated work here. To contact them about issues happening in NH, go here.
New Jersey
Be sure to visit the Save our Schools NJ website. There are tons of resources for parents and students who live in New Jersey. 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 asked voters to vote YES to questions 1 and 2 of the district’s bond referendum. The bond referendum would support their ongoing efforts and to prioritize the safety of everyone who spends time in their school buildings. 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 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 promoted the Times Up webinar that will bring together New Jersey public education advocates who will explain the role of the state board of education. Parents Educating Parents host events for the Newark community. Be sure to check in with them on Facebook for all their latest events. The New Jersey Community Schools Coalition continue to celebrate the work of their community partners who also work hard to forward the power of community schools.
New York
Class Size Matters Executive Director Leonie Haimson continues to co-host Talk Out of School on WBAI. In this episode, she interviews the head of the Principals union Mark Cannizzaro. Mark explains the real reason he’s retiring now — contrary to media reports — thoughts on Chancellors he’s worked with, why he refused to sign onto the Fair Student Funding report, what he thinks of the DOE’s admissions policies, and much more. New York Allies for Public Education and LI Opt-Out continue to educate parents about online assessments. NYC Opt Out promoted the movie Let the Little Light Shine. To learn more about this film, go here. The Alliance for Quality Education will be making an historic trip to Ghana in December. To read more about this trip please go here. Change the Stakes has valuable resources on its website about testing and opting out for NYC and NY parents. NY BATs organize in a private group on Facebook. If you are a NY educator or education advocate, ask to join. Give FUSE (New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees) a follow on Twitter to find out how they are navigating the school year. MORE-UFT issued a health care alert. They are asking members to educate themselves and to call city council members to oppose changes to their health care protections in the city code. 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. Parents for Public Schools- Syracuse works to support and sustain public schools and promote parents’ involvement in public schools and their children’s education. They reaffirm and work to preserve the American tradition and ideal of free, open, non-discriminatory, publicly funded, democratically governed public schools. You can follow their work 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. Visit the Rochester Coalition for Public Education Facebook page for all that is happening with Rochester education, meeting schedules, and information.
North Carolina
Public Schools First NC (and all network NC groups) celebrated a historic ruling this month! The NC Supreme Court ordered a historic transfer of education funding All citizens in N.C. will benefit from quality education for NC students. After nearly 30 decades, it’s time for NC lawmakers to fulfill their constitutional obligations. North Carolina Families for School Testing Reform are asking their community to follow the new effort to revise the NC school grading model. Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods were at the Brown Douglass Recreation Center with their friends Atrium Health and Wake Forest Med this month to discuss the study on the impact of the Weaver Fire. Pastors for North Carolina Children congratulated their Board Vice President The Rev. Antonio Blow on his election as Bishop of the United American Free Will Baptist of the Northwest B Annual Conference. Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County was honored to co-present this month at the NC/SC School Public Relations Association Conference about three programs: PEP, Community Conversations, and School Tours. Every Child NC also celebrated the great news that the NC Supreme Court ruled the state must transfer funds to cover years 2 and 3 of the Leandro Plan (which upholds Judge Lee’s original ruling). This is a huge victory and would not have been possible without the hard work and dedicated advocacy of each of the NC incredible partners. Communities for the Education of Every Child NC is so very thankful to you all and the immense amount of work that helped make this moment happen. Join us in celebrating this win for our children! You can find their coalition statement here.
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 celebrated their 4th anniversary this month. Happy Anniversary! 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. Visit the Parents For Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati website for updates on their events and resources. Northeast Ohio Friends of Public Education has a fantastic website full of information that is centered around public education in Ohio. Be sure to follow the #VouchersHurtOhio hashtag on Twitter which is a current campaign most Ohio groups are involved in this month. Public Education Partners (PEP) shared that there are several opportunities to learn about and support the EdChoice Voucher litigation during the OSBA Capital Conference. Go here for more information.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee posted a powerful Twitter thread by Professor Josh Cowen called Vouchers are Rural School Killers! Go here to see that post. Pastors for Oklahoma Children co-founder Clark Frailey was interviewed for this article in Christianity Today. The article, Public Schools Aren’t Godless. Ask the Christians Who Feel Called to Stay, is a powerful piece. 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)’s goal is to raise awareness and build community around public education issues, as well as 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, CPPS 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. Visit their website to learn more about their work and upcoming events.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State Education Coalition publishes a daily PA education policy roundup. Pennsylvania School Board Association congratulated the Deer Lakes School District for being named one of America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and was one of only 11 schools across the country to earn the highest award in every category. The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education promotes important events for the Pittsburgh community, specifically focused on special education and students with disabilities. Go here to share the events or to register for them. Education Voters PA has a fantastic website full of education-related resources for PA citizens. The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools published the testimonies of citizens before the Philadelphia Board of Education Action meeting held late last month. Teacher Action Group Wilmington is a member of the Network of Teacher Activist Groups, a national coalition of grassroots teacher organizing groups. They work together to build an education movement for liberation, locally and nationally, through shared analysis, political education, mutual support and learning, and joint projects. BASD (Bethlehem Area School District) Parents will be holding their November member meeting on December 7th. If you live in the Bethlehem area, or know someone who does, here is the information for that meeting. 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 invited classical students to join them this month for a Guac Off. They broke into teams to make their best dish. The event was run by the classical chapter and is a student led space for new ideas and faces. To keep up with what is happening in Rhode Island, please visit the Parents Across Rhode Island website.
South Carolina
The Quality Education Project administrator Carol Tempel won her school board trustee race for District 9. Congratulations Carol!
Tennessee
Give Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence (TREE) a follow on Twitter to keep up with all that is going on 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. To see the latest article, please visit their open Facebook page. 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 continue to shine a light on Lt. Gov. Patrick and his support for vouchers. CFISD Community Leadership Committee shared a powerful visual comparing voucher schools to public schools. 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 advocacy go to their open Facebook page. Check out what RootEd has been up to in their monthly newsletter. Parents For Public Schools of Houston is committed to building a network of diverse parent, family and community voices to ensure a high quality education for all children in the Greater Houston Area. Go here to keep up with their activities and events. Community Voices For Public Education posted a powerful video by HISD parent Allison N who appealed to trustees to oppose vouchers and an over-reliance on high-stakes standardized testing. Our Schools San Antonio continue to hold ESSER stakeholder committee meetings. Go here for more information. The Coalition for Equity in Public Education has a fantastic website with resources for Texas parents and advocates. Texas AFT held a webinar for Texas teachers on how the election results could impact them. El Paso Alliance for Just Schools believes that public education should be a free, inclusive quality public service. If you live in the El Paso area, please fill out this form and join their organizing work. Public Schools First McKinney encouraged McKinney citizens to show up in force tonight at the McKinney ISD school board meeting this month and to support public education and educators.
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 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 events and actions here. Richmond For All is an independent organization that fights for people-first development, high-quality public education, housing justice, environmental justice, and public safety from police violence. They believe in multiracial, cross-generational, cross-class organizing that centers racial and economic justice. If you live in the Richmond area visit their website for more information on how you can join their movement.
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 will celebrate the 5 Year Anniversary of their historic statewide strike in February 2023
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Public Education Network a nonpartisan Education Vote Tracker is a year-round resource that follows education-related bills through the capitol. To check out this resource, go here. Schools and Communities United is a coalition of community, educator, student, labor, and religious organizations dedicated to defending and improving our public schools. To learn more and to join their movement take a look at their website. Parents for Public Schools Milwaukeeis a coalition of MPS parents, students and allies who created a strong, diverse, districtwide network of parent advocates for the children and schools in Milwaukee. They work with teachers, the superintendent, city and state officials to find and implement solutions that will help children receive the high-quality public education they deserve. To learn more about this organization, go here.
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.