The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 165 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
As many of you are aware, Diane had heart surgery this month. The outpouring of love and support for her speedy recovery speaks volumes of our love for her. She reported on her progress here in her blog. We continue to wish her good health, love, and a speedy recovery as she continues to heal.
National Organizing
The Network for Public Education Toolkit: School Privatization Explained was first created in 2017 to alert the general public regarding the various forms that privatization takes and the consequences associated with each. We’ve updated the toolkit to ensure the information is up-to-date. This toolkit presents evidence of what we already know about charters, vouchers and other forms of privatization. It is organized around key questions, providing answers in clear language to the questions we at NPE are most often asked. To access the updated toolkit go here. In March, a former lobbyist for the Goldwater Institute, Charles Siler, had a conversation with Network for Public Education President Diane Ravitch and podcaster Jennifer Berkshire. He provided insight into the playbook used by “school choice” proponents, the belief system that drives them, and their long-term objective. He makes it very clear: Their ultimate goal is to dismantle K-12 public schools. This month NPE Executive Director Carol Burris did a Q&A with Charles Siler on the same issues. Here’s the interview Burris did with Siler. The interview is jaw-dropping, and we hope that you will share it. On March 17th, Defending the Early Years co-sponsored this webinar with Haymarket Books, Black Lives Matter at School, early childhood activists, and educators to discuss how racism impacts the early educational experience of Black children. In the Public Interest’s report, California wasting hundreds of millions of dollars annually on online charter schools is a must-read and share. The Journey for Justice Alliance On the Ground Podcast is BACK! Check out their new episode featuring Jitu Brown and Dr. Denisha Jones talking about Biden’s broken promise. The Schott Foundation was founded at the beginning of a 30-year battle that just won a landmark victory for the children of New York. They were at the strategy table and an early funder as the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE), and then the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), organized to secure equitable funding for New York schools, particularly the schools in low-income communities, attended predominantly by children of color. To read more about this victory, go here. Fairtest noted in their latest newsletter, “Pressed by grassroots activists and educators, states are pushing back against the Biden Administration’s stubborn refusal to allow schools to suspend standardized exams this spring. Several have already won waivers allowing them to cut back time devoted to testing and eliminate consequences for test results. Many have lifted their own high-stakes assessment requirements. More advocacy is needed to force policymakers to recognize the reality of an ongoing pandemic — test results will be neither fair, valid, nor educationally helpful. The looming threat of a broader, more diverse opt-out movement will also help keep their feet to the fire!” Rethinking Schools’ latest blog article by Wayne Au and Moé Yonamine, Dear Educators, It Is Time to Fight for Asian America, is an important read and share. The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy shared an important article this month on how lawmakers are weakening privacy laws in Illinois. Go here to read that article. Parents for Public Schools celebrated school librarians this month and also published an important Kindergarten Readiness calendar. Parents Across America has a public Facebook page that is great for interacting with others from across the nation about public education issues. Go here to join in the conversation.
The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) Asst. Executive Director Dr. Denisha Jones appeared on The Rick Smith Show this month. Dr. Jones talked about standardized testing and much more. Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education (USA) has a public Facebook group that features information from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. about how CONTINUE READING: Grassroots Education Network- April 2021 Newsletter - Network For Public Education