Grassroots Education Network- February 2020 Newsletter
The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 140 grassroots organizations nationwide who 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
Notes from Marla
NPE became a proud partner in Screen Free Week, which will be held in May. Please take a look at this information and consider becoming a partner in Screen Free Week.
NPE President Diane Ravtich launched her new book in January. Slaying Goliath is a tribute to the work we all do every single day! To purchase her book and see her tour dates/places go here.
The NPE Action National Conference is next month. Registration is still open but please remember that seats are limited this year to 425, so DO NOT delay your registration. Go here to register and book your hotel. There are no hotels left for Saturday, so please go to the booking site to book your hotel for Saturday.
Our March newsletter will be a round-up of the conference and all the amazing work that will be done in Philadelphia in March!
National Organizing
The Network for Public Education is asking for everyone to continue making calls and sending emails to the House Appropriations Subcommittee. In the next several weeks they will be making decisions on education funding. We are asking for a moratorium on funding of the Charter Schools Program and for this money to be pushed to the states where it can be monitored better. Here is the information for calling. Here is the link to continue emailing.
Defending the Early Years is now calling on people to attend their Summer Institute in Washington, D.C. They have an early bird special going on until March. For more information, and to register, go here. In the Public Interest continues to publish powerful articles on the impact of public education privatization. Jeremy Mohler wrote National School Choice Week is actually about promoting certain choices over others last month. It is a must read, and share! The Journey for Justice Alliance podcast On The Ground, hosted by Jitu Brown, airs every Monday at 6 PM CST. J4J is also getting ready for their annual conference in May. For information and registration go here. Fairtest publishes a newsletter each week about the misuses and flaws of standardized testing. They are a valuable resource and clearinghouse for everything testing and test reform. Rethinking Schools editors have created Black Lives Matter at School: From the Week of Action to Year-Round Anti-Racist Pedagogy and Protest. To access this work go here. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy is asking organizations, community members, and citizens to contact their state Attorney Generals and urge them to investigate the selling of student data by the College Board. Parents for Public Schools National Board Chair, Kathy Herring, talks about the importance of the work that PPS National does across the country. Give it a listen. Parents Across America Roanoke Valley leader, Laura Bowman, shared the following email with Virginia Delegates who are considering a bill on best practices for digital device use in public schools. Parents Across America feels that as the use of digital devices in schools continues to grow at unprecedented rates, it’s vitally important that the parent voice is heard when it comes to the healthy and safe use of these devices by children. Schott Foundation published their 2019 Education Justice Victories That Give Us Courage for 2020.
The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) are supporting and promoting a new film out called Parent-Teacher. They did a live stream interview on Facebook with the producer of the film. To see that interview and promotion go here. Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) reported that over 50 teachers, parents, and students were arrested and beaten in Mexico for demanding additional funding for their schools. Two teachers are currently missing. The Ontario (Canada) Secondary School Teachers Federation continues to provide facts to the public about what is eroding the quality of publicly-funded education in their province. Wear Red for Ed has an active open Facebook page which tracks the Red for Ed movement nationwide. Find out what Save our Schools March is up to by following their open Facebook page. First Focus Campaign for Children joined a broad coalition of nonprofit and faith-based groups from across the nation in declaring that no child in the world’s wealthiest nation should go to bed hungry or be deprived of clean air or be without a safe, affordable place to call home. Check out a few highlights from their work this month. Kinderchat hosts their popular twitter chat every Monday night at 9 PM EST. The chats are informative and engaging. Check them out on twitter at #Kinderchat. Instituto Nueva Escuela wants to hear from students and their families who have graduated from Montessori Public Schools. Estudiante y/o egresado de escuelas públicas Montessori, queremos saber de ti! Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is requesting communities say NO to online preschool. To see that campaign go here CCFC is also leading the movement for Screen Free Week which will be held in May.