Grassroots Education Network- November 2023 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a nationwide network of over 200 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 was a huge success. Please enjoy, and share, our Keynotes and seven of the forty-four panel videos.
The Federal Charter School Programs
Since 2019, the Network for Public Education has relentlessly investigated a program that has been a federal piggy bank for the charter school industry. Using nearly a half billion dollars each year, the program doles out money to start expanding charter schools even in communities that do not want them.
We have regularly uncovered fraud and waste. Now, the industry is lobbying for changes that would lead to more abuse and fraud.
Please share these two action alerts (one for the Senate and one for House) with your network today: Senate House
Here is a terrific video to watch and share: Lauren Boebert asks for more money for the Charter School Programs as she supports huge cuts to Title I and other education programs. Watch how Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro sets Boebert straight!
Finally, Giving Tuesday was November 28th. Without support we cannot produce newsletters like these, write reports, send action alerts and provide needed subsidies to run our conference. Please consider giving a donation to NPE. You can make a tax deductible donation here.
National Organizing
The Network for Public Education unveiled this video at our Tenth Anniversary Conference. The video presented highlights from NPE/NPE Action conferences from 2014 to 2022. Each month Defending the Early Years we will feature a banned early childhood book that they encourage you to read to the children in your life. To learn more about their banned book project go here. In The Public Interest issued their October privatization report. Be sure to keep up with The Journey for Justice Alliance Equity or Else Power Series. To view their calendar of events go here. The Schott Foundation announced they are paying close attention to the South, particularly when it comes to funding racial justice and education justice. Check out their new video that highlights this campaign. Rethinking Schools shared that the Zinn Education Project (a project of Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change) has released an interactive timeline of the climate crisis because young people deserve tools that help them understand who shaped the warming world they inherited and how to meet the crises in front of them.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. shared that their Parents for Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore Co. chapter were featured on The Delta News this month. Go here to view that interview.
Parents Across America has a fantastic website full of resources for parents across the country. The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) expose vouchers with their powerful graphics. Go here to see one particular graphic they created about vouchers. The Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) shared that Elfreida Begay, a Navajo teacher in Colorado, is the first Colorado teacher to revive indigenous language in the classroom. The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation shared that the Ford government’s misleading accounting was in the news again – this time the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that spending on public education in Ontario has decreased by 11% since Ford took office, despite the Minister’s many claims of “historic” funding. To learn more go here. Support Our Students Alberta Executive Director Medeana Moussa was quoted in this article in the Calgary Herald about the hiring blitz of teachers in the area. Uniting to Save Our Schools (USOS) board member Jesse Turner was featured on the Tom Ficklin show which highlighted two educators and their incredible projects.. First Focus Campaign for Children wrote this month that Congress should be expanding WIC for maximum impact, not slashing those benefits by more than half — forcing moms and babies onto waitlists. Read their latest blog for more.
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 shared great news this month that they received a donation from the Popular Bank so that they could continue their important work for early childhood education. Go here for that announcement. Fairplay’s Campaign Director David Monahan on why KOSA needs to be urgently passed: “All of these groups are standing up today to say to our leaders in Congress it’s past time… We cannot go another day where kids are at so much risk being online.” Early this month Equal Opportunity Schools President, Sasha Rabkin, was joined by administrators from across the U.S. to talk about academic equity at the 2023 College Board Forum in New York City. 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. Be sure to check out the Saffron Initiative on Link Tree for all their initiative work and media platforms. The Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico launched their #IncentivoViequesAhora and #JusticiaSalarial campaign this month. To learn more visit their open Facebook page. Defense of Democracy advocates for parents, teachers, students, librarians and all Americans who are fighting every day to protect their civil rights from hate groups. The Education Truth Project founder and Executive Director Matt Kazmierczak published this article in Out in NJ about two polls released this month relating to opinions surrounding Public Education in NJ. Power of Knowledge Foundation joined the network in October. To learn more about them visit their Twitter feed and their Instagram feed.
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
Arkansas
Grassroots Arkansas joined the Romine ECC community during their Fall Festival this 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 released a statement on the proposed “Teacher Pay Fund,” which they believe is a shell game. 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 their social media platforms here and here.
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 was established to uphold the rights and liberties of the Raza community. Education is essential to the preservation of civil and human rights. It provides the foundation for all political and economic progress and it must be a basic right of all people. Making this right a reality is the fundamental objective of A.R.E. Please visit their website to keep up with their activities. 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. With over 27,000 supporters, Parents Supporting Teachers is the largest Parent-Led Education Advocacy Group in Los Angeles. Their mission is to hold LAUSD accountable through direct action, amplifying the voices of public school families, and advocate for the future of public schools in the LAUSD. Visit their website to learn more about this amazing group. The San Francisco Berniecrats Education Justice Committee congratulated their new board members last month. San Francisco Education Alliance thanked the San Francisco Democrats for the near unanimous passing of the resolution opposing SFUSD school closures. Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco conducted Enrollment Navigation Workshops this month. These workshops describe programs, explain parents’ rights in the enrollment process, and share the amazing highlights of school programs around the city. Evolve California joined the network this month. To learn more about them go here.
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 mourned the untimely loss of their dearest friend, Jeannie Kaplan. To read more go here. Advocates for Public Education Policy joined the network last month. To learn more about them go here.
Connecticut
Connecticut Public Schools Advocates Children invited their community to join the New Haven Federation of Teachers for a conference that discussed ways to protect and transform public education in Connecticut. Children Are More Than Test Scores is a group that believes No Child Left Behind, Race To The Top, ESSA, and the Common Core are misguided educational reform policies that relies too heavily on standardized test scores and is too focused on punitive measures against children, teachers, and local schools. 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 and events in their community 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 is a non-partisan statewide group of clergy and laity advocating for fully funded public schools. As people of faith, we have come together in recognition of the God-given potential of each child and the promise of the Florida Constitution for high-quality public schools. Be sure to check out their website for more information. The Florida Council of Churches executive director the Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer attended the Christian Unity Gathering of the National Council of Churches in Nashville last month. Opt-Out Florida Network co-founder Cindy Hamilton was quoted in this article about 3rd grade retention and high school graduation tests in Florida. 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 were proud to share photos of the Frameworks Workshops at Brandon High School which was made possible by a 2023 HPSA Grant Program. HPSA sent out kudos to Community School Coordinator, Lauren Leto who helped coordinate these impactful workshops. Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida shared a fantastic article about a writer’s experience going to home-schooling conferences. 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. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Atlantic Coast Chapter (AUACC) shared that Florida Policy Institute Senior Policy Analyst, KIDS COUNT Director Dr. Norin Dollard will address School Vouchers at Separation of Church and State event, December 18th at 5:30 pm. at the Flagler County Public Library’s Main Branch, 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast, FL 32137. If you know anyone who lives in the area please share this information with them. Support our Schools shared that in a stunning display of arrogance and hubris, Sarasota County Commissioners Rainford, Neunder, Cutsinger and Moran voted 4-1 (Commissioner Smith was the one dissenting vote) to stop funding Sarasota’s public library’s membership in the American Library Association (ALA) and the Florida Library Association. This is despite the overwhelming public support for continued funding of our libraries’ membership in the ALA and the Florida Library Association. To learn more go here. The National Organization for Women Jacksonville is an intersectional grassroots activist organization–working to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination and achieve equal rights for all women and girls. To keep up with all of their activities go here. The Florida Freedom to Read Project continues to share important information on book banning in Florida. Go here to read what happened last month in Volusia. Families for Strong Public Schools sent out an action alert this month for Floridians to contact the Senate PreK-12 Education Committee about rolling back the recess requirements. Go here to see that action alert and if you live in Florida please send your email today.
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) wants to build awareness and support for actual school improvement strategies like community schools and more broadly for the very real and meaningful benefits of an equitable and viable public education system that strives for good schools for all children. Visit their open Facebook page for updates. 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) invited their members to the Sources Conference which had a book talk with Dr. Vincent Willis. Dr. Willis’ new book showcases how Black youth have applied the ideals of democracy to their lived experiences as public school students. The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action is holding monthly Student Power Hubs. For future Hubs visit their twitter feed for date announcements.
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 continues to hold their LSC 101 workshops. To learn more about local school councils, their history, and their power to build sustainable schools visit their website for future LSC workshops. Illinois Families for Public Schools shared some HUGE news this month. This month the Illinois House adjourned until January 16, 2024 without passing an extension to the Invest in Kids Act. The provisions of the Act begin expiring on January 1, 2024. This is a huge win for public schools in Illinois. It is also a win for the principle of the separation of church and state and for ensuring public dollars are not used to violate civil rights and are spent with the oversight, transparency and accountability that public spending should require. To read the IFPS statement go here.
Indiana
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE) and Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County shared an excellent op-ed from the chair of the Monroe County ICPE, Keri Miksza. The Op-Ed discusses audits for private schools. The Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education shared their most popular posts of the week on their open Facebook page. Go here to view a sample from October. 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 had a special meeting with ACLU of Indiana representatives to learn about student and teacher rights after new legislation from the 2023 session. Parents and caregivers were encouraged to bring their middle school or high school aged students who want to attend and ask questions.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 shared a Parental Permission Letter this summer that allows parents to restore their child’s right to autonomy regarding the expression of gender identity at school (e.g., pronouns and nicknames) and giving some cover to educators who don’t want to out their students.
Kansas
Game on for Kansas Schools shared that in September, the Kansas Republican Party passed a resolution calling for an end to Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Game On for Kansas Schools heard that multiple people were planning to offer public comments at the State Board of Education meeting in Topeka, so Game on for Kansas Schools member Judith Deedy spoke to encourage the board to continue to support SEL. Game on for Kansas Schools believe SEL benefits students. Go here to read their statement and testimony. The Personnel Association of Lawrence- Communication Workers of America is a union of public and private sector workers fighting to transform our world for the working class. They are a union made up of custodians, food service workers, paraeducators, school secretaries. For more information please visit their website.
Kentucky
Dear JCPS are working hard this month to support their bus drivers. To learn more go here. 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, Dollar Store workers, Organizers In Training, were proud to walk the picket line again with Maximus call center workers on strike this month in Bogalusa, Louisiana.
Maryland
Strong Schools Maryland field organizer Darren and Eddie of the Baltimore Youth Action Board met up this month to ensure device access for young folks in Baltimore City. To view pictures from this event go here. 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 thanked everyone who helped make their 40th Gala a success. They also published Here’s some News You can Use for their membership. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools celebrated this month that they collected more than enough signatures to put the removal of the MCAS graduation requirement on the 2024 ballot.
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) requested that their community share input on what they would like to see in the next superintendent. This is a community-wide survey from the third-party search firm assisting the process. There are three questions. They are asking community members to respond.
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 promotes and strengthens public schools by engaging, educating and mobilizing parents to build strong schools and healthier, vital communities to educate their children. Be sure to visit their website for more information. Parents For Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore County held their community health fair this month. Go here for the video of that event. 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.
Montana
We are excited to have our first group from Montana! Montanans Organized for Education joined the network last month. To learn more about them, visit their website.
Nebraska
Stand For Schools is hiring a Communications and Outreach Specialist. Learn more about the role here. 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 shared an open letter to Governor Murphy from Stan Karp which discussed ending high school exit testing. 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 are asking their community to watch for their Attendance Works tips and tools that will be coming soon. 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 latest article shows how class sizes increased for a 2nd year in a row in most grades in NYC. As Class Size Matters noted in their article this will not comply with the class size law next year. New York Allies for Public Education and LI Opt-Out shared that recommendations have finally come out for the graduation requirements in NYS. While nothing is concrete right now and they have only released the blueprint, it looks as though in the next few years students will have options for graduation beyond just taking and passing high stakes regents exams. NYC Opt Out are polling parents in NYC regarding the attempt to opt their children out of the so-called city “screeners” (iReady, Acadience, MAP). If so, NYC Opt Out would like you to answer a few questions here. The Alliance for Quality Education is continuing their campaign for child care in NY. To learn more watch this video. 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 a caucus of the UFT that defends members rights, fights for social justice, and empowers workers in schools. 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 shared that the new Charter School Review Board wasted no time and voted to overturn the State Board’s decision to deny American Leadership Academy’s (ALA) – Monroe’s application. The performance at other ALA schools is not promising. Read about their performance and their friends in high places that may have helped their approval.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 organizers circle focused on their grant winners and their stories this month. Go here to see the video. To keep up with the Pastors for North Carolina Children Executive Director The Rev. Suzanne Parker Miller wrote a fantastic article that was published in Faith and Leadership. Go here to read Why I Support Public Education. Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County thanked everyone who came to their first Community Leader Tour Series of the fall at South Central High School.
Ohio
Keep up with the Ohio BATs on their open Facebook page. Congratulations to It Takes A Village To Tackle The Attack on Public Education for Five years of advocacy. Go here to read about all they have done for public education. 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) started a call for the transfer of State Board of Education functions to the Governor’s office to be reversed.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee shared that after nearly two decades of advocacy, OKPLAC and its local chapters have updated the organization’s acronym. Now known as Oklahoma Parent Legislative Advocacy Coalition (OKPLAC). Oklahoma Parent Legislative Advocacy Coalition (OKPLAC) chairwoman Misty Bradley issued this statement. Pastors for Oklahoma Children are a broad coalition of clergy from across Oklahoma that advocate for local public schools. To follow their work and events go to their website. 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 is a statewide association of public school boards, pledged to the highest ideals of local lay leadership for the public schools of the commonwealth. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association, founded in 1895, has a rich history as the first school boards association established in the United States. Pennsylvania’s 4,500 school directors become members by virtue of election to their local board — the board joins as a whole. Membership in PSBA is by school district or other eligible local education agency such as intermediate unit, vocational school or community college. The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education held a Zoom this month to teach their community about Covid Compensatory Services. If you live in Pittsburgh, or know someone who does, be sure to visit their page for more events and activities. Education Voters PA celebrated that this month more than 250 Pennsylvanians rallied on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg in support of a state funding system that will ensure ALL children have access to the comprehensive, effective, contemporary public education they are guaranteed by the PA constitution. The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools Philadelphia blog this month discusses the fact that the Philadelphia School Board is remaining silent on crucial issues. BASD (Bethlehem Area School District) asked their membership to take action and submit a public comment to help secure constitutional treatment for all PA kids. To learn more go here. 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 is looking to hire an Executive Director. To learn more go here. 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 an article by Brian Hicks that exposes what Mom’s for Liberty is really up to in South Carolina.
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 TN Ready 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 Texas organizations who worked very hard to defeat vouchers in their state. Vouchers have been defeated again and it remains to be seen if the Governor will call yet another special session. Don’t mess with Texas public schools!
Pastors for Texas Children shared this article in the Baptist Standard about the fight to defeat vouchers in Texas. CFISD Community Leadership Committee is a volunteer group of parents, business people, and retirees who believe that having a strong independent school district is important to the economic well-being of the Cypress-Fairbanks community. 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 is a parent-led, grassroots organization that promotes neighborhood public schools through storytelling, advocacy, and education. They believe a strong public school system for all children creates a robust economy and well-connected community. Community Voices For Public co-founder Ruth Kravetz was quoted in this article about right-wing ideologues trying to take over public schools. 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 thanked the 84 Texas legislators who listened to their communities and denied Gov. Abbot his voucher scam. To learn more about this campaign go here. El Paso Alliance for Just Schools shared an article that highlighted the fact that El Paso teachers are leaving in high numbers. To learn why go here. Public Schools First McKinney celebrated the defeat of school vouchers this month. 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) believes that every child has the right to a safe, high-quality, educational experience in Round Rock ISD, and are working to remove barriers that interfere with this opportunity. They believe in the power of a strong community voice, and in centering the experience of students and families in their priorities. They believe in advocating for solutions, working in collaboration with District administration, and in keeping a constructive outlook as we call for change. Grandparents for Public Schools joined the network this month. We are so happy to have them. To learn more about their work go here.
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 stood in solidarity with CWA Maximus Call Center workers this month.
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 issued their budget report card this month. Go here to see how they graded public school funding. Schools and Communities United is sharing information about book bans in Wisconsin. Go here for more information. Be sure to visit the Parents for Public Schools Milwaukee open Facebook page. They have tons of information for local, state, and national events.
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.