Local grassroots organizations that address the problem:

• Be NOLA (Black Education For New Orleans)

Be Nola is a New Orleans grassroots organization that endorses black educators and schools. As an organization, they try to make sure that the education students are receiving is creating good opportunities. Opportunities for black children in New Orleans. As an organization Be Nola believes that every black student in New Orleans should have the chance to get an “equitable, quality, culturally-affirming education.”

Be Nola provides professional development; they distribute information to advise schools, policymakers, and the public about the outcomes for the students.  As an organization, they trust that the quality of black educators is vital to ensure quality education for African American students in New Orleans.  They also think that Black students, families, and community members are essential to listen to when addressing and fixing academic issues.

Be Nola advocates for Black-Governed, Black-Led Schools. To help achieve this vision, Be Nola holds a Black Education Summit. This summit brings together teachers, administrators, parents, scholars, activists, and artists to talk and brainstorm a future for themselves, their children, and their community. This gathering is filled with black educators and visionaries. They converse about the good things they are doing for black education in New Orleans while also discussing ways in which they could lesson educational gaps.

• Our Voice Nuestra Voz

OVNV is a New Orleans based grassroots organization that was founded in 2015 by two employees. OVNV’s goal is to organize and expand education for students in New Orleans. They ensure the needs of the community, students, and parents come first when it comes to concerns and reforms within their schools. OVNV works to organize parents. OVNV operates car lines, lead parent one-on-one meetings, and more to build real and genuine relationships with the black and Latino communities. When making these relationships, OVNV tries to learn about the obstacles parents face and attempt to develop a solution to better their student’s education.

OVNV does not have a set plan. Instead, they must give parents the tools they need to make their agenda for their communities, students, and schools.  One way OVNO gives parents tools is by using Parent Champion Circles. Parent Champion Circles is a six-week training program that educates parents and their education system. They also teach parents how to use data and essential organizing principles. When giving and teaching these tools and skills, OVNO hopes that the parents attending return to their communities to start their campaigns or organizations to improve education.

Not only does OVNO provide events such as the Parent Champion Circles, but they also partner with schools and organize teachers so that parents have help when making change. They also organize teachers to help pinpoint the issues affecting the education of black and brown students in New Orleans. National grassroots organizations that address the problem:

 

 

 

National grassroots organizations that address the problem:

• The Coalition For Diverse Educators

The Coalition For Diverse Educators is a national grassroots organization that contains leaders form school districts, nonprofits, charter networks, and the community. Their mission is to develop and empower a strong group of future educators of color in urban education. As an organization, The Coalition For Diverse Educators creates strategies for change. They look at the growing disparities and opportunity gaps by going to workshops and training that develop their skills. This organization emphasizes the critical role that teachers have, specifically teachers of color, and their impacts on the students in urban areas.

 

 

 

 

 

As an organization, they know that knowledge is power. So, to gain knowledge, The Coalition for Diverse Educators create spaces where conversations can be held to discuss issues affecting under-resourced communities. They do this by hosting an event called WOKEshop. WOKEshop is an occasion where students and young professionals come together to have meaningful conversations about equity. This event is put together to address and talk about the big problem at hand and find tools and resources for students of color and allies to make the necessary changes to fix issues within their education s.ystem

 

• The Alliance: To Reclaim Our Schools (AROS)

AROS is a national grassroots organization that contains an alliance of parents, youth, labor organizations, and the community they advocate for promising public school education. They believe that for every kid to achieve the best life possible, they must have the opportunity to attend a public school that is “publicly funded, equitable and democratically controlled.” AROS strives to bring teachers, parents, youth, and unions together to change public schooling, where everyone achieves equity and opportunity.

AROS has a collaborative national platform, and they are also made up of ten national partners: Advancement Project, Alliance for Educational Justice, American Federation of Teachers, Center for Popular Democracy, Gamaliel Network, Journey for Justice Alliance. National Education Association, NYU Metro Center, People’s Action, Service Employees International Union, and Schott Foundation for Public Education. These groups that are partnered and working together make up AROS, and they are fighting for equal education for black and brown students within public schools. AROS calls for low income and minority students to not suffer and be stripped from educational opportunities anymore.

AROS claims that as a nation, we need to:

1. Adequately fund public and charter schools
2. Hire qualified teachers that can teach the proper curricula
3. STOP putting underperforming public schools in communities
4. STOP treating black and brown students like criminals
5. End high stakes tests and make time for teaching and learning
6. Make parents, community, and educators the decision-makers