Our latest group of affiliate reports comes from around the nation, from Oregon to Michigan to Florida. While these groups are geographically dispersed, they are tackling many of the same issues, emphasizing the need for like-minded parents to work together across the nation.   Oregon Save Our Schools (OSOS) Website:  oregonsaveourschools.blogspot.com We are a group of committed community members that want to provide a quality and equitable education for all students in the state of Oregon. We are founded on the … →

  Northeastern PAA affiliates have been working locally, statewide and nationally to promote quality public education, focusing on issues that include high-stakes testing, student privacy, democratic governance and equity. Their efforts include an exciting upcoming event: QUEST in Boston is cosponsoring a conference on education reform and human rights, entitled “Rethinking Education Reform: A Human Rights Perspective” at the Northeastern University School of Law on November 6 and 7. Julian Vasquez Heilig will keynote. For more information, please visit the … →

PAA affiliates in North and South Carolina have had a busy year, and are looking forward to new rounds of action and advocacy at local and state levels. Public Schools First NC (PSFNC) Website: publicschoolsfirstnc.org Public Schools First NC is a statewide, nonpartisan organization focused solely on public education. Our mission is to educate and mobilize citizens in support of a public education system that equitably offers a high-quality, well-funded, and diverse education to all students. Since our inception in … →

  As the new school year begins, PAA has asked its chapters and affiliates to provide descriptions of the past year’s activities and what they’re planning for this year. We’ll be posting these descriptions a few at a time, starting with our Pennsylvania affiliates, Parents United for Public Education and Yinzercation.   Parents United for Public Education Founded in 2006, Parents United for Public Education is a parent-led citywide organization focused on engaging parents with the budget process in order … →

This past Tuesday, a group of North Carolina parents and educators asked our local school board to stop giving a set of federally mandated tests known as Measures of Student Learning (MSLs). Essentially, we are calling on our board members to consider civil disobedience. It is a lot to ask. But we believe the situation is dire enough to warrant it. The MSLs rolled out this past spring with disastrous results, especially at high schools, where the bulk of tests … →

Philadelphia parents are currently engaged in an active struggle against a particularly extreme form of school district “transformation,” which includes many school closings. Their actions have included a March 5 sit-in at the Philadelphia mayor’s office. Here are the thoughts of PAA founding member Helen Gym, originally posted on the website of the Philadelphia parents’ organization “Parents United for Public Education.” Helen notes that: “Last week’s release of the District’s teacher proposal was a clear wake-up call: School closings aren’t … →