Communities for Public Education

ReformCelebrating Our Accomplishments!

Over the last three years….

CPER groups have demonstrated that education organizing is a

powerful and effective strategy for achieving REAL education

reform. With CPER at a crossroads, it’s

important to step back and CELEBRATE what we’ve accomplished…

ChicagoGrow Your Own Illinois

Voices of Youth in Chicago Education

Parents and Residents Invested in School and Education (PRISE)

Reform

ColoradoColorado Immigrant Rights Coalition

Colorado Grassroots Alliance for Fiscal Reform

Metro Organizations for PeoplePadres y Jóvenes Unidos

Stand for Children Colorado

Who we

are…

New JerseyAbbott Leadership Institute

Education Law CenterParents and Communities United for

EducationOne Newark Education CoalitionPaterson Education Organizing

CommitteePaterson Education Fund

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Good Schools PennsylvaniaEducation Voters Institute

Education Law CenterPhiladelphia Student Union

Philadelphia Public School NotebookPennsylvania Communities Organizing for

ChangePublic Citizens for Children and Youth

Research for ActionYouth United for Change

We are ensuring greater equity and adequacy through educational

finance reform…

PA Adopts New School Funding Formula!As a result of the organizing and

advocacy efforts of CPER partners in Southeastern Pennsylvania, PA made history as one of the few states in the

country to adopt a new equitable school funding formula!

The new funding formula

increased state funding for basic

education by

$275 million

in 2008-09 and

by $300 million in 2009-

10!

In 2008, DPS adopted MOP’s recommendations for weighted student

funding!

Thus far, $5.1 million more in funding as been

allocated for low-income

students and $2.4 million for secondary

schools.

We are improving teacher quality and effectiveness…Grow Your Own

Illinois (GYO) is creating a pipeline of high quality teachers

of color that are authentically

invested in their neighborhood

schools.

To date, GYO has

recruited 415 teacher

candidates statewide!

Despite a major state budget crisis and

program cuts in 2009, GYO successfully

advocated for $3.15 million in state

funding to continue improving teaching in

low-income communities!

The Effective Teaching Campaign (ETC) in

Philadelphia was formed to address the urgent

need for effective teachers and stable

staffing patterns in all Philadelphia schools.

In 2009, members of the ETC

presented Mayor Nutter with over

1,000 petition postcards

supporting reforms in teacher

effectiveness!

The new collective bargaining

agreement between the School District

and the Philadelphia Federation of

Teachers included key provisions

sought by the ETC!

We are implementing strategies to improve h.s. graduation rates and increase college readiness…

VOYCE Wins Support from Chicago Public Schools to launch

pilot projects based on recommendations

from its youth-led participatory action

research!

VOYCE is implementing

pilot projects in 8 CPS schools!

Through these projects, VOYCE has

engaged 253 freshman, 99

mentors and 31 school staff!

Each of these Innovation

Schools now has control

over up to $1 million in

school funding!

MOP helped write Colorado’s Innovation

Schools Act of 2008 and MOP parents have helped secure

innovation (autonomy) status

for 3 Denver Schools!

Padres y Jóvenes Unidos successfully organized parents, students and

community leaders to bring a high performing charter

school to NW Denver!

In its first year, the new school brought its K-8

students from 30% performing at grade level

to 80% in the third quarter of the year.

After a 6-year campaign by Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, Denver Public Schools

adopted a new discipline code incorporating restorative justice

practices. Since 2008, there have been

6000 fewer suspensions!

Padres is now poised to take their campaign statewide and nationally!

H.S. Reform in Philadelphia – YUC Successful in Push for Small Schools!

Leaders from Youth United for Change successfully pushed for the School District to follow through on its

commitment to develop small schools in Kensington – the 4th small school will open in September!

The New Jersey Education Organizing Collaborative launches Graduation for

ALL Campaign!

Over 70 people rallied in front of the

Statehouse in Trenton on January

20, 2010 demanding "Graduation for All"

for New Jersey's public high school

students.

Groups across CPER are developing and supporting a new generation of leaders…

The Abbott Leadership Institute has organized

Youth Media Symposiums (YMS), which teach youth to use media to advocate for change in their schools.

In 2008, youth leaders completed a short-film project, “A Faulty Re-

Design” on the challenges of

implementing NJ’s High School Re-design Plan.

CIRC and the Colorado CPER groups are supporting an emerging and strengthening

statewide movement for immigrant

student justice!

As CPER enters Phase II, we welcome our new

partners and allies from across the country…

California

Mississippi

Boston

New York

Washington, D.C.

National Allies

In Phase II, the CPER education organizing

network will bring together over 50 education organizing and allied

organizations and coalitions across 9 states! As we deepen our

relationships, we must seize this opportunity and

build on our collective power to advance our

educational justice agenda!

“If there is going to be change, real change, it

will have to work its way from the bottom up, from the people themselves.

That’s how change happens.”

-- Howard Zinn, 1922-2010