Grassroots Education Network- October 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
Another reminder to Save the Date! NPE’s Tenth Anniversary Conference will be held October 28-29, 2023 at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Details to follow on our website. Registration will open next month.
National Organizing
Diane Ravitch writes in her blog: Carol Burris is the executive director of the Network for Public Education. She recently received a press release from Betsy DeVos’s organization, the ironically-named American Federation for Children, asserting that the drop in test scores during the pandemic was the fault of the unions. The purpose of the “American Federation for Children” is to promote vouchers, especially for religious schools, and it is always eager to criticize public schools and teachers’ unions. AFC much prefers religious schools where children are indoctrinated without apology and where discrimination against unwanted children is common. Maybe they should change their name to the American Federation for Some Children (who share our religious views). Read Carol’s piece in Diane’s blog here. Defending the Early Years co-sponsored a talk by their friend and collaborator Susan Linn this month. Susan discussed how big tech is hijacking childhood and her “must-read” (Publisher’s Weekly) new book Who’s Raising the Kids? Jeremy Mohler from In The Public Interest wrote this article on how the privatization of schools, water, and other public goods increases inequality. The Journey for Justice Alliance held their Equity Quality of Life Festival this month. Go here to see videos and pictures. The Schott Foundation and Candid’s recent analysis for a project called #JusticeIsTheFoundation revealed that education philanthropy mostly failed to live up to its stated commitments to racial equity and justice. Go here to read that analysis. Be sure to keep up with the latest on testing by reading the Fairtest newsletter. Rethinking Schools celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day by inviting the public to examine readings and activities from Rethinking Columbus. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy has valuable privacy toolkits for students, parents, and teachers on their website.
Parents for Public Schools, Inc. has an amazing update on their lawsuit regarding vouchers. PPS represented by The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)-Mississippi, Democracy Forward, and the Mississippi Center for Justice, filed a complaint in June petitioning the court to prevent the State from implementing $10 million in public funds from going to private schools in Mississippi for infrastructure grants. The attorneys representing PPS argued that Section 208 of the Mississippi Constitution prohibits the use of any public funds in support of private schools, and thus, the money allocated through this law is indeed unconstitutional. On October 14th the Judge ruled that the use of public funds for private schools is, in fact, unconstitutional. Read PPS’s statement here. Parents Across America has a fantastic website full of resources for parents across the country. The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) members reject racially and socially oppressive profit-driven education reform. To learn more about their work visit their website. Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) has a public Facebook group that features information from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. about how communities are navigating the attempt to privatize public education. The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation held their 2022 OSSTF Student Achievement Awards. Here and here they celebrate the work of students in Prose and Poetry. Support Our Students Alberta celebrated Alberta teachers on World Teachers Day with this statement. 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 and Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, addressed attendees at the 2022 Children’s Budget Summit this month, where policymakers, experts, and advocates analyzed the newly released Children’s Budget 2022 and its implications for future policy. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young also joined the summit in a recorded conversation with First Focus on Children’s Bruce Lesley. Kinderchat continues to host its popular Twitter chat every Monday at 9 PM EST. The chats are informative and provide great resources for teaching kindergartners. Check them out on Twitter at #Kinderchat. Kinderchat also has a fantastic website full of resources. Instituto Nueva Escuela concluded their Account X2 campaign which served many children after Hurricane Fiona’s emergency. Fairplay had coverage of their latest report in Relevant Magazine about how TikTok and YouTube keep pushing dangerous content to teens. Go here to read the article. 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. To keep up with what the National Educators United are doing be sure to visit their website. To find out what the Saphron Initiative is working on be sure to visit their website. Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico held a press conference this month in defense of their pensions.
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 that offers resources that compare charter school and public school spending. Save Our Schools Arizona exposed why wealthy Arizonians love ESA vouchers. 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 celebrated the fact that California became the first state 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 released a statement on the lack of communication by Los Angels School District on the hack and data release that happened last month. The San Francisco Berniecrats Education Justice Committee held a successful art festival this summer. Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco hosted a Board of Education Candidate Forum with Dr. Pedro Noguera serving as panel interviewer and moderated by their executive director, Vanessa D. Marrero this month.
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 asked a question of the Denver community – What does EDUCATE Denver, the latest new education reform gig to surface in Denver, really want to see happen in Denver Public Schools? Here is the answer.
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
This month the Friends of Christina School District congratulated the 2022-2023 Delaware Teacher of the Year nominee Carla Probst who is from the Christina School District.
Florida
The Fund Education NOW 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 exists to provide care to local schools, and to advocate for children by supporting our free, public education system to promote social justice for children, and to advance legislation that enriches FL children, families, and communities. Go here to keep up with any events they are planning. The Florida Council of Churches co-sponsored a campaign this month to engage in conversations to protect youth from nicotine addiction. To learn more about this campaign go here. Opt-Out Florida Network posted information this month on how the public can support school district pantries in the wake of Hurricane Ian. 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 Starship fundraiser has been rescheduled for October 26, 2022 due to Hurricane Ian. For more information on this fundraiser go here. Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida posted hurricane relief necessities for Southwest Florida. Families for Safe Schools participated in this year’s Palm Bay City 25th annual Puerto Rican day parade. Americans United for the Separation of Church Atlantic Coast Chapter noted that the PEN Index has Florida in the top 3 states with 571 books challenged, banned, pending investigation from 7/01/2021 through 06/30/2022. 19 districts are involved including Duval County with 175 books listed in the Index. To learn more about book banning in the state of FL go here. Support our Schools, USA worked together with the Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida to bring support to communities devastated by Hurricane Ian. National Organization for Women Jacksonville joined the network this month. To learn more about them go here.
Georgia
Public Education Matters Georgia shared last month that the DeKalb Board of Education decided to indefinitely postpone a vote on implementing a new state-required policy related to the teaching of “divisive concepts.” Several board members said they agree with what critics of the new divisive concepts law have maintained all along: That it’s unnecessary, and could hinder teachers’ ability to teach children about history. 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 went on tour for the month of October to promote education justice, youth voting power, Black Student Unions, and much more.
Hawaii
Parents for Public Schools Hawaii posted on their open Facebook page that the Board of Education is holding a series of community engagement meetings in every complex area across the state to develop its strategic plan. PPS Hawaii wants parents and community members to know they are invited to join Board Members and the Complex Area Superintendents to get to know each other, share opinions on priority areas to focus on, and provide insight on how well the public education system is meeting the needs of students, families, schools, and communities. For the full schedule go here.
Illinois
Illinois Raise Your Hand launched a state school funding coalition this month. Illinois Families for Public Schools in partnership with Equality Illinois had a press conference late last month to raise the alarm about the rising hate, harassment and attacks driven by anti-equality, anti-family hate groups Awake Illinois and Moms for Liberty. IFPS noted these groups pose a threat to children, schools and communities.
Indiana
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education shared that the infamous Mind Trust received a contract from the Indiana Department of Education to coordinate its “Indiana Learns” tutoring program. The Mind Trust is an organization that is focused on creating charter schools and is now in a statewide role of providing public schools help with tutoring. Indiana Coalition for Public Schools – Monroe County posted that for well over a decade, Indiana’s state legislators have created a funding system that has driven schools of all sizes and locations to fund some of its operating funds (day-to-day classroom funds that pay for teachers) via local tax levies that must be voted on and renewed by local vote – aka Operation Referendum. This November, there are 8 operation and 1 construction referenda questions on the ballot. 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 co-hosted a candidate forum for individuals running for Crown Point Community School Corporation School Trustee positions. Washington Township Parent Council Network asked their supporters to donate to Feeding Florida for their $5 Friday this month. 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 celebrated Banned Book Week last month by posting a comprehensive ACLU toolkit to help fight against censorship in your schools and communities.
Kansas
Game on for Kansas Schools noted that in 2018 Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt argued for a constitutional amendment to prevent the courts from holding the legislature to its obligation to fund public schools. That was beyond his role as AG, and it was targeted future cuts in school funding. Read what Game on for Kansas Schools has to say about this issue here. The Personnel Association of Lawrence- Communication Workers of America Food Service workers protested this month. The protesters brought to light the low pay and lack of food service workers in the district.
Kentucky
Dear JCPS and Save our Schools Kentucky conducted a book drive and school supply caravan this month. Pastors for Kentucky Children celebrated World Teacher’s Day with this beautiful graphic.
Louisiana
58 members of Step Up Louisiana attended the Equity or Else Quality of Life Agenda in D.C. last month.
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 joined Mass Advocates for Children and other groups in signing on to a letter calling for Supt. Skipper to fix school transportation problems. The New Bedford Coalition to Save our Schools is a coalition of families, educators and community leaders advocating for high-quality public education for all students in New Bedford. To keep up with their activities visit their open Facebook page.
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 shared that the Michigan’s State Board of Education sent out 278 Freedom of Information Act requests earlier this year to charter schools and traditional school districts, too, asking for copies of a few common contracts. It was a test of financial transparency, an effort to find out whether charter schools, which got $1.4 billion in state money last year, would give an adequate account of how that money was being spent. 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 shared an article on Twitter discussing how the teacher shortage is impacting West Michigan schools. Support FHPS (Forest Hills Public Schools) conducted a community survey on important matters for local families. Physical and emotional safety at school landed in the top 5 concerns from the survey. Learn more about FHPS’ available mental health resources here.
Minnesota
Parents for St. Paul Schools posted on Facebook in June this interesting comment about charter schools in St. Paul. “The state of NY has a statewide cap of charter schools set at 460. Different locales are allowed a certain number of charter schools based on their population. NYC currently has 267 charters schools, their cap. NYC has a population of 8.4 million, or approximately 28 times the population of St. Paul (305,000). If St. Paul were in New York, the charter school cap for our population would be 10 charter schools. Currently St. Paul has 37 charter schools with 4 more opening next fall. St. Paul has 4 times the amount of charter schools per capita than allowed by state law in New York, with no end in sight.” 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 the state of Minnesota.
Mississippi
Parents for Public Schools – Moss Point administrator Gail Gladney Smith shared an article discussing how teacher attrition rates in Mississippi are ticking up this year, with the low-performing districts feeling the brunt. Parents For Public Schools of Greenwood and Leflore County released an important newsletter this month highlighting all of their programs which include their powerful Parent Engagement Program. If you live in Greenwood or Leflore County, or know someone who does, please share this information. Parents For Public Schools of Philadelphia will conduct an Early Childhood PEP Class on Saturday, Nov. 12th and Saturday Nov. 19th. If you know anyone in the Philadelphia area please share this information with them. Parents For Public Schools of Starkville is a local organization working to strengthen public schools in Starkville. They promote the great work being done in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.
Missouri
Keep up with the Missouri BATs by giving them a follow on Twitter.
Nebraska
Stand for Schools recognized the start of Hispanic Heritage Month and the many significant contributions of Hispanic Nebraskans every day with a list of some powerful facts. 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 celebrated the defeat of private school vouchers last month with this statement.
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
Save our Schools NJ notified their social media followers that once again the School-Based Youth Services Program is in jeopardy. Two years ago the Department of Children and Families cut funding to the programs. The backlash from students and families was swift and funding was restored. The state, again, is proposing cutting funding and to replace it with a statewide network that does not deliver the level of programming needed in schools. SOS NJ is asking that New Jersey citizens sign the petition to keep the current funding. The Newark Students Union mourned the passing of Roberto Cabanas Jr. last month. Delran Education Association are so thankful for both the Delran Middle and High School PTA–and the Delran Education Foundation, who awarded so many grants to teachers last month. 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 are also asking their members to help save the School-Based Youth Services Program by signing this petition. Parents Educating Parents put on a workshop this month to help parents and educators understand lexile learning. 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. Go here for the latest episode and archived programs. The Alliance for Quality Education joined Senator Robert Jackson this month for an education town hall. The Town Hall took a close look at the D6 education budget. New York Allies for Public Education and LI Opt-Out continue to educate parents about online assessments. NYC Opt Out are currently informing the NYC community on how students are screened for middle school and high school. Change the Stakes has valuable resources on their 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 members and their UFT chapters wore blue in solidarity to fight for a Fair Contract this month. 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 attended the Color of Education Summit this month. North Carolina Families for School Testing Reform attended the NC Public School Summit this month via Zoom and encourages everyone to attend the in-person Summit in December. Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods are holding an Open House event at their new offices on Thursday, December 1st and would love for local citizens to stop by. Click the link for more details and to RSVP. Pastors for North Carolina Children were excited to be at the Color Of Education 2022 Summit this month with so many coalition friends and public education advocates. Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County would like Pitt County citizens to contact them at kdibble@ppspittcounty.org if they are a community leader who would like to participate in the fall school tour series. PPS Pitt County would like to thank Meridian Park for the sponsorship. Every Child NC also attended the Color of Education Summit this month. Go here for pictures of the panel they attended.
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 invited their members to a community forum to learn about the effects of HB 70 which allows for state take-over of schools. Northwest Ohio Friends of Public Education reported that Northwest Ohio public school leaders and advocates came together this month to understand the existential threat that vouchers pose to public schools education. NW Ohio Friends of Public Education would like to thank Bowling Green schools, including Superintendent Francis Scrucci and teacher association leader, Jeff Nichols, for hosting the event. 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 litigation is the only way to stop profiteers intent on privatizing Ohio public schools with vouchers. PEP Ohio wants to know if any Ohio school district has joined Vouchers Hurt Ohio.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee shared that the State Department of Education issued a statement that there is no COVID vaccine mandate for K-12 students. 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 Eastern York School District #438 in PA for passing the charter funding reform resolution. Friends of public schools in that state have been working tirelessly to promote charter school funding reforms. The Pittsburgh Task Force on the Right to Education held a Zoom conference this month to learn about Covid Compensatory Services. Pittsburgh Public Schools provided information on how they will determine which students may need additional services to remedy the lack of an appropriate education due to pandemic factors. Education Voters PA shared a new report from Research for Action that found Pennsylvania ranks as one of the worst in the nation for educational opportunity gaps based on race and income levels. The Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools Lisa Haver published a commentary on the Philadelphia Board of Education’s failure to hold Universal responsible for abandoning two of the charters in their network. Also their report on the latest Board of Education meeting shows the Philadelphia Board erecting more barriers to public engagement. 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 invite all Bethlehem parents to join them on Zoom to learn about key issues affecting public school funding and what they can do to help ensure our children get the funding they deserve. Contact gregvennemann@yahoo.com to be added to the invite list. Their goal is to have one parent from each school on their monthly Zoom meetings. DASD Parent Partners (Downington, PA) shared that the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights will investigate Central Bucks SD after the ACLU filed a complaint outlining a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students.
Rhode Island
The Youth Leadership Team at The Providence Student Union partnered with half full, llc to take the content from a week-long planning meeting and create a five year strategic plan. They also worked together to prep half full, llc’s presentation to the Board and they facilitated day one of a two day Board Forward retreat. To keep up with what is happening in Rhode Island, please visit the Parents Across Rhode Island website.
South Carolina
The Quality Education Project are shining the light on the CCSD school board election by a dark money group. Go here for more information.
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 video The Table of God is a powerful piece to watch and share. Listen to Rev. Charles Foster Johnson speak about how we are all bound to the Table of God through our public schools. 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. RootEd supported the community at IKE by working at their yearly festival. Parents For Public Schools of Houston supported a Meet the Principals forum this month put on by TEDxSunnyside. Community Voices For Public Education conducted a Blockwalk for public education this month. Our Schools San Antonio continue to hold ESSER stakeholder committee meetings. Go here for more information. The Coalition for Equity in Public Education has published a Know the Facts About Charter Schools on their website. Texas AFT issued a powerful statement on NAEP score declines. El Paso Alliance for Just Schools posted that the Texas State Board of Education has delayed a decision about Social Studies standards until 2025. The El Paso Alliance for Just Schools thanks Georgina Perez for her years of representation. Public Schools First McKinney was live at the house district 61 public education forum.
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 asked citizens of VA to attend a community event in Monroe Park this month to stand in solidarity with the transgender community who are under attack by Youngkin and his hate-fueled policies.
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 created a graphic on why they oppose Constitutional Amendments 1, 2, and 4 and why they have no opinion on 3.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Public Education Network attended the Rural Education Association Forum this month. Schools and Communities United shared that First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Governor Tony Evers visited MPS to take part in the first Homework Diner of the school year, meeting families and teachers as they enjoyed dinner together. Parents for Public Schools Milwaukee celebrated the opening of a school clinic at South Division High School.
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.