Parents Across America announces national Board of Directors
by pureparents
On July 13, 2012, the State of Illinois issued Articles of Incorporation to Parents Across America, establishing the group as an official not-for-profit charitable corporation.
The first Board of Directors for the new non-profit organization was selected from among the PAA founders. The members are:
Andrea Mérida, Denver, CO
Dora Taylor, Seattle, WA
Julie Woestehoff, Chicago, IL
Karen Miller, Houston, TX
Karran Harper Royal, New Orleans, LA
Natalie Beyer, Durham, NC
Pamela Grundy, Charlotte, NC
Board members bios are here.
Major goals for the Board of Directors include carrying out all requirements for becoming a 501c3 charitable organization under federal tax law, including establishing a permanent governance structure. The Board also looks forward to working with PAA’s dynamic membership to continue reaching out to an ever-broader range of parents and communities, as well as strengthening the voices of parents in educational policy-making at local, state and national levels.
“As parents we believe that every child deserves an excellent public education,” said Natalie Beyer, a member of the Board of Education in Durham, North Carolina and a founder of the advocacy group Public Schools NC. “We’re proud to be bringing the voices of parents from around the country into key policy issues such as the overdue reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and laws that threaten to privatize our school
“At a time when astroturf groups have huge budgetsto promote “school improvement” strategies that don’t work and may actually harm children, PAA is ready to speak the truth to power and fight for high-quality schools for every child,” added Dora Taylor, a founder of PAA-Seattle and the blog Seattle Education 2010.
Parents Across America was established early in 2011 by a group of grassroots leaders from around the country, who sought to pool ideas and resources to advocate for better schools for all this country’s children.
Please visit our web site, www.parentsacrossamerica.org, to see what PAA has been doing to inform and support parents so they can be strong advocates for their children’s education.
Actrion of the week for 8-31-12
pureparents at Parents Across America - 6 hours ago
Going to the DNC? Meet up with members of Charlotte’s PAA affiliate MecklenburgACTS at one or both of their planned rallies! Monday, September 3: Rally: 12:30-1 p.m. Movie screening: 1-3 p.m. EpiCentre Theater: 210 E. Trade St. . “Won’t Back Down” film and panel discussion sponsored by Michelle Rhee’s Students First, Parent Revolution and Democrats for Educational Reform. Funders of these well-heeled groups include the Broad, Walton and Gates foundations, Rupert Murdoch and Wall Street hedge funds. Tuesday, … →
PAA affiliate ACTS to rally near the DNC : Huffington Post
pureparents at Parents Across America - 6 hours ago
New PAA media clip: Contentious Won’t Back Down movie will be screened inside – public school supporters will rally outside for real reform.
Moms on the Loose: Pam and Carol Meet DFER
pagrundy at Parents Across America - 3 days ago
Diane Ravitch’s headline said it all. Two Moms Terrify DFER, Students First If someone had asked you to describe the pair of women standing in bemusement at the corner of First and Tryon on Tuesday afternoon, I doubt that “terrifying” would have come to mind. True, our pencils were quite large, but they were made [...]
What are DFER and Students First afraid of?
pagrundy at Parents Across America - 3 days ago
For the second day in a row, at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., a handful of moms bearing flyers and large yellow pencils made out of pool noodles were denied admission to an event sponsored and/or featuring the corporate-focused education “reform” groups Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and Students First, headed by Michelle [...]
Pam and Carol’s Excellent “Students First” Adventure
pagrundy at Parents Across America - 4 days ago
The heavies have just emerged from the third-floor movie theater where Michelle Rhee’s “Students First” group is showing the controversial movie “Won’t Back Down.” One stands imposingly tall, big shoulders swelling his dark red shirt. The other is shorter, stockier, clad in bright blue. Both wear black ties. The man in blue seems to be [...]
How did some African-Americans get on wrong side of ed reform?
admin at Parents Across America - 4 days ago
Karran Harper Royal at the SOS conference, August 4, 2012 in Washington DC, discusses how some African-Americans got on the wrong side of education reform. And how an you tell if you’re on the wrong side of reform: Does the policy shut down open debate? Does it remove the democratic process? Do parents get to elect the charter board? Do the policymakers have to focus on a villain, in this case, teachers and unions as the bogeyman? Do they insist … →
MecklenburgACTS/PAA to Present Positive Education Reforms at DNC
admin at Parents Across America - 4 days ago
For immediate release: Sept. 3, 2012 Contact: Pamela Grundy, 704-806-0410, shamrockparent@earthlink.net Members of MecklenburgACTS.org and Parents Across America will be rallying and distributing literature at two events associated with the Democratic National Convention here in Charlotte. We will call on President Obama and other Democrats to reject the ineffective “reform” measures being pushed by well-heeled organizations such as Students First and Democrats for Education Reform, and instead join parents and education experts in support of a more proven, community-based set … →
PAA’s Parent Online Toolkit for the WBD* movie and beyond
admin at Parents Across America - 6 days ago
Parents Across America is a network of active parents doing the hard work of change in our public schools. We know that our schools need help. Knowing what to do is the problem. Knowing what works in improving schools is even more important. We know that most parents don’t want to close their schools or turn them into charters. They want to improve their local neighborhood public schools by stopping budget cuts, reducing class size, de-emphasizing high stakes testing, offering … →
Rally for Public Education Sept 3 & Sept 4 at the DNC in Charlotte NC
admin at Parents Across America - 1 week ago
MecklenburgACTS.org Our nation’s public schools face tremendous challenges. Parents, educators, communities and elected officials need to work TOGETHER to build the schools that will prepare our children to face a changing world. Unfortunately, too much precious time, energy and money has been sidetracked by policies that harm our schools rather than help them. These flawed policies have led to: • Excessive high-stakes testing • Demoralization of dedicated, hardworking teachers • School closings and charter school policies that … →