Our second day started out with breakout sessions to discuss how PAA can better support our chapters and affiliates. We came up with a number of great ideas and some volunteers to work on them. The final session began with a presentation on Poverty and Education by PAA Board member Nate Harris. Nate shared some statistics on the issues confronting low-income students and a review of some of the federal programs that are designed to address some of these needs. … →
The Parents Across America 2014 Leadership Conference was an exciting, productive meeting. 20 of PAA’s chapter and affiliate leaders from 13 states all over the U.S. attended, discussed the issues, and offered their ideas for PAA action for the coming year. Early arrivals to the conference were able to spend most of the day Monday meeting with Congressmen and Senators on Capitol Hill, including some of their own representatives and members of the House and Senate education committees. We focused … →
“Homelessness and poverty up close is hard. It smells, actually in my room this year, it takes from the very fiber of a being, it is destructive to those that stand in uselessness looking as well as those suffering it. I’m dealing with a woman and her child suffering terribly now — she should never be alone in this, her faculties are not good enough to deal. She can’t go grow food on some family place, she’s like … →
PAA was delighted to spend an evening with members and friends in Washington DC honoring the amazing work of our co-founder, Leonie Haimson, at the first annual Parent Voice Award dinner. Our hosts at the National Education Association provided a beautiful atrium setting for the dinner. PAA founding member, the legendary Helen Gym, leader of PAA Philadelphia affiliate Parents United for Public Education, emceed the event, where the attendees were welcomed by NEA community outreach specialist Cynthia Kain. Cynthia spoke … →
We know that most of our PAA chapter and affiliate members are not able to get to Washington DC this coming week for our annual leadership conference, so we’re going to try to create some opportunities for you to participate in some of our activities virtually and long-distance. Let’s start with our Capitol Hill Day on Monday, July 28. A number of PAA leaders will be visiting Congress that day, highlighting three priority issues: Reducing high-stakes testing, Strengthening student privacy … →
Parents OPPOSE S.2304, the “Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act” Downloadable version of this position paper here. On May 7, 2014, S.2304 was introduced to the US Senate for consideration. The bill is currently in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It is the Seante’s response to HR 10, the House version of charter school expansion legislation, which passed on May 9, 2014, on a vote of 360 to 45. PAA opposed HR 10. We also oppose … →
Parents Across America is holding our 2014 Leadership Conference from Monday – Wednesday, July 28-30, 2014, in Washington DC. Please join us!!! The event will begin on Monday night with the first PAA Parent Voice Award Dinner honoring PAA co-founder Leonie Haimson, who led the successful attempt to shut down the student data collection corporation, inbloom. She is a warrior in the battle to protect student privacy. This dinner is open to the public; you may purchase tickets or make … →
Join Parents Across America at our first annual Parent Voice Award Dinner honoring PAA co-founder Leonie Haimson, leader of New York City-based Class Size Matters. This year, Leonie nearly single-handedly organized parents around the U.S. to oppose the impending commercialization of student information by the inBloom company, which ultimately went out of business after every state on its original clientele list pulled out of the program. Leonie is also the founder of NYC-based Class Size Matters, a group dedicated to … →
Schedule for 2014 PAA Leadership Conference Day 1 – Monday July 28 10 am to 6 pm (optional) – Join BATS march. More info here. Beginning at 8:30 am (optional) – Meet your legislators on Capitol Hill. Pick up PAA materials if you have not already downloaded them (location TBA). We will coordinate communications and visits as we get closer to the day. Anytime after 3:00 pm – Check in at George Washington University Inn (GWUI), 824 … →
By PAA-Suburban Philadelphia leader Danielle Schwartz, reprinted from her excellent blog, What’s the Big Idea? Politicians are ignoring research, allowing re-segregation, and supporting charter schools over public. As I posted here, economist, Milton Friedman developed the concept of school choice in 1955, a year after desegregation. Friedman wrote about his desire for parents to chose if their children would attend racially desegregated schools: ” Under (a choice) system, there can develop exclusively white schools, exclusively colored schools, and mixed schools. … →
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