What Parents Can Do.
Since its inception in 1996, Stand for Children has worked with parents, educators and citizens to improve public schools through grassroots organizing, policy work and leadership training. Over the years, its affiliates in seven states have won numerous education reforms and leveraged more than $3.9 billion in public funding for students. In 2010, the organization helped pass new education laws in six states aimed at ensuring teacher efficacy. Here, Stand’s cofounder and chief executive officer, Jonah Edelman, talks about why teachers have been the focus of its policy efforts, and how parents and concerned citizens can get involved in education reform.
"It’s hard on your own to
effect systemic changes;
it’s a team activity."
Q: Why did Stand get involved in policy work?
A: We started organizing on children’s issues, and education kept coming up as the focus. Once we started looking at the research and talking to great practitioners, it became clear that we had to do everything possible at a policy and political level to ensure that every child has an effective teacher, every school has an effective leader, and schools have the agility to meet the needs of their specific students. That brought us into the realm of policy advocacy and electoral politics, where we are currently working in seven states, and soon more.
