Citation for above image: (CTU plans May Day rally calling for more school funding. (2017, April 28). Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/ctu-plans-may-day-rally-calling-for-more-school-funding/)
Overview of Grassroots Organizations in Houston and nationally:
Most grassroots education organizations around the US that deal with issues of funding are also trying to tackle a variety of other issues. For example, the Texas Organizing Project addresses a variety of community issues–education is just one of them; organizations like these also have branches in a variety of cities, but they seem to control the overall operations of all the branches (Texas Organizing Project, 2018). This is a different model than how Grassroots Education Movement organizes; there is a branch in Chicago and a branch in New York City, but both are run independently with different platforms (Grassroots Education Movement (Chicago), 2018; Grassroots Education Movement (New York City), 2018). In other words, the issue of funding is addressed by a variety of types of grassroots organizations all of which use different models; some like Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools just deal with funding, while others have this issue as an aspect or part of their organizing (Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools, 2018). It seems that the former model is more rare, and specifically in Houston there seem to be very few Houston-only grassroots organizations that just tackle the issue of funding.
I see this as a gap in organizing potential; if equitable funding is to be wholly addressed in Houston, for example, there needs to be more organizations directly tackling that one issue. It is important that more organizations solely address this issue of funding because improving funding opens up the potential to then address other educational issues; if public schools do not have enough funding it is difficult to enact other reforms. I see this, however, as an obstacle for current grassroots organizations; there are not enough organizations that are solely attempting to address issues of funding; thus, it is more difficult to create policy change. If more organizations were spending more time specifically addressing the need for funding, perhaps reform would come quicker. Of course, other issues in our education system need to addressed, but if privatization of public schools continue, it will be more difficult for public schools to continue to try and help themselves.
Some organizations like Community Voices for Public Education have been effective at addressing the general issue of funding; they specifically have saved multiple schools from shutting down, and instead of the city abandoning those schools in Houston, this organization successfully helped restore both funding and belief in those public schools (Community Voices for Public Education, 2018). There is still a need for more work, though, and with greater pushes for privatization of schools, it is clear that the issue of funding has become more relevant than ever.
Overall, most of these organizations recognize that our public schools and funding of those schools are under direct threat. And it is good to see that organizations like Save Texas Schools are addressing a variety of intersecting issues like school testing, for example; however, with a renewed threat on the relevance of public education, ensuring our schools are well-funded and able to help our students means that more organizations need to specifically be mobilizing community members around this important issue (Save Texas Schools, 2013).
Houston, Texas:
Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools
Citation for above image: (Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/Parentsforfullandfairfunding/)
This is a grassroots organization led by parents living in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. These parents are directly concerned with the funding of their public schools, specifically as it pertains to “The outdated and complex funding formula,” that, “has put a stranglehold on SBISD’s budget, as well as other Recapture districts” (Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools, 2018). They are seeking to accomplish a variety of short-term goals to improve funding like “Reimburs[ing] school districts that are subject to recapture for their transportation costs,” as well as “Fund[ing] district full-day Pre-K programs” (Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools, 2018).
Community Voices for Public Education
Citation for above image: (Community Voices for Public Education. 2013. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/houstoncvpe/photos/)
This is a grassroots organization that attempts to bring together a variety of education stakeholders in Houston like parents, students, teachers, etc, to fight for “high quality public education,” which includes things like experienced teachers for their students all the way to an increase in funding per pupil for students who need it most (Community Voice for Public Education, 2018). Currently they are fighting off school closures in the HISD district and they have historically, in 2014 for example, have been able to save three schools from closing, arguing in general for “renewed investment in neighborhood schools” (Community Voice for Public Education, 2018).
Citation for above image: (Save Texas Schools. 2016. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/SaveTexasSchools/photos/)
This organization is an at-large Texas grassroots organization that has a variety of chapters, including one in Houston. As it relates to school funding, they are fighting for “basic allotment” for public schools, a review of finance laws in order to ensure adequate funding, and are fighting against voucher programs that could result in a loss of funding for public schools (Save Texas Schools, 2013).
Citation for above image: (Texas Organizing Project. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/OrganizeTexas/photos/)
This is a grassroots organization that tackles a variety of community issues in cities across Texas, including Houston. One of their areas of concern is education, specifically in areas with “struggling school districts” (Texas Organizing Project). This organization works directly with the community, from parents to teachers to school administrators, all in order to address issues like city budgets for public schools, which they are currently trying to do in Dallas, Texas, for example, by supporting “tax ratification election,” that has the potential to “raise $70 million a year that school leaders sorely need to help boost achievement” (Texas Organizing Project, 2018).
Around the US:
Grassroots Education Movement (Chicago)
Citation for above image: (Grassroots Education Movement. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/gemcoalition/photos/).
Grassroots Education Movement (Chicago) is a grassroots organization that tries to address issues of inequity and inequality in the Chicago education system, believing strongly in the importance of fully-funded schools in order to address other issues of equity and equality. Specifically, one of their platform points includes trying to ensure that all Chicago public schools receive “equitable funding” and “equitable resources,” as well as standing against all forms of “school privatization” (Grassroots Education Movement, 2018).
Citation for above image: (Game On for Kansas Schools. 2014. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/gameonforksschools/photos/)
This is a grassroots organizations led by parents, teachers, and other people from the community who are fighting for increased resources for Kansas public schools. They work with parents and help educate parents in the Kansas area regarding issues of fair funding. They also try and convince lawmakers to find “alternative sources of funding,” when necessary (Game on for Kansas Schools, 2018).
Grassroots Education Movement (NYC)
Citation for above image: (Grassroots Education Movement: NYC. 2015. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206765398032183&set=gm.10153280393764878&type=3&theater)
This is a grassroots organization that seems to fall under the umbrella of a larger grassroots organization, like Grassroots Education Movement (Chicago). However, this specific organization has different platform points with education issues directly related to New York City public school students. This organization specifically fights for “Equitable Funding for ALL Schools,” as well as other reforms (Grassroots Education Movement, 2018).
Citation for above image: (Alliance San Diego. 2015. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/AllianceSD/photos/)
This is a grassroots organization that aims to mobilize San Diego residents to address a variety of community issues, including education. One of their four issues is “Educational Equity;” in this, one of their goals is to work directly with parents by “training parents to be lifelong advocates for public education, advocating for equitable school funding” (Alliance for San Diego, 2016-2017).
References:
Alliance San Diego. 2015. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/AllianceSD/photos/a.323127361091337.71777.123755994361809/953047868099280/?type=1&theater\
Alliance San Diego. (2016-2017). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://www.alliancesd.org/.
Community Voices for Public Education. 2013. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/houstoncvpe/photos/a.117754208394724.22699.117748551728623/117754211728057/?type=1&theater
Community Voices for Public Education. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2018, http://www.houstoncvpe.org.
Game On for Kansas Schools. 2014. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/gameonforksschools/photos/a.510043149082092.1073741827.110650912354653/601474403272299/?type=1&theater
Game On for Kansas Schools. (2018). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://gameonforkansasschools.com/.
Grassroots Education Movement. Chicago. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/gemcoalition/photos/a.148418295322068.1073741828.148148012015763/838447529652471/?type=3&theater
Grassroots Education Movement. Chicago. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://gemchicago.org/
Grassroots Education Movement: NYC. 2015. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206765398032183&set=gm.10153280393764878&type=3&theater
Grassroots Education Movement. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from New York City. https://gemnyc.org/
Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/Parentsforfullandfairfunding/photos/a.1897427567206579.1073741826.1897321143883888/1921312898151379/?type=1&theater
Parents for Full & Fair Funding of Texas Public Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://www.parentsforfullfairfunding.org/index.php/about-pf3/
Save Texas Schools. 2016. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/SaveTexasSchools/photos/a.121715354566974.21921.121711224567387/1135534393185060/?type=1&theater
Save Texas Schools. (2013). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://savetxschools.org.
Texas Organizing Project. 2017. Homepage [Facebook page]. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/OrganizeTexas/photos/a.265497970194725.61010.124974587580398/1437519452992565/?type=1&theater
Texas Organizing Project. (2018). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from http://organizetexas.org/