2010 CPER Convening Opening Slideshow
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Transcript of 2010 CPER Convening Opening Slideshow
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