By Sue Peters, co-editor of the Seattle Education 2010 blog & founding member of Parents Across America Huffington Post, February 4, 2011 The current crowd of education reformers like to dismiss any of us who disagree with their agenda as “defenders of the status quo.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not a defender of the status quo in public education because the status quo is currently No Child Left Behind and its insidious spin-off Race to … →
Parents mobilize nationwide Pam Grundy, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parent activist (and frequent poster to this blog), will be part of next week’s launch of Parents Across America, a coalition of parents who support equity, diversity and parent involvement in public education. She says the idea for a national parents’ network emerged as local activists realized that issues they were dealing with often originate on a national level. Big-money donors such as The Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation … →
There has been much publicity in recent years about how for more than a decade, Finnish students have excelled in the international comparisons called the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), exams given each three years in reading, math, and science to samples of 15-year-olds globally. In the current issue of the New Republic, Samuel E. Abrams, a visiting scholar at Teachers College, explains what Finland did to turn around its education system, starting in the 1970’s: Finland’s schools weren’t … →
MEDIA ADVISORY New national organization, Parents Across America, launches with inaugural education forum in NYC featuring Diane Ravitch NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2011 – Diane Ravitch, a national authority on education policy, will be the keynote speaker at the kick-off event for Parents Across America (PAA), a new national public education advocacy organization, on Monday Feb. 7 in NYC. Ravitch will address the topic: “Are our schools going in the right direction? What parents should do.” This public forum will … →
A compelling new article in the monthly District Administrator details the concerns parents have about the Obama administration’s Blueprint for Reform, and quotes co-founder of Parents Across America, Julie Woestehoff: “Parents are the primary stakeholders in education,” says Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE ), which advocates for parents in Chicago Public Schools. “Parents are mostly concerned not with when the PTA meeting is, but what strategies are being used in the school to improve … →
Check out Anthony Cody’s latest on Ed Week about Michelle Rhee’s new organization, StudentsFirst. He features a quote from PAA member, Leonie Haimson, about how Rhee does not really offer parents the choices they want, and their kids need and deserve: Parents want the most basic choice of all: a good public school that their child has the right to attend. All children need the guarantee of a quality education, not just for a select few. That means improving all … →
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Parents Across America is a grassroots organization that connects parents and activists from across the U.S. to share ideas and work together on improving our nation’s public schools. We are committed to bringing the voice of parents – and common sense – to local and national education debates. We advocate for proven, progressive measures such as reducing class size and increasing parent involvement, and oppose corporate-style efforts to privatize our schools. Please join us, as we fight for children and … →
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