Resource Links
A Community Concern - A Documentary on Education and Community Organizing
Check out A Community Concern, a new and powerful documentary on education organizing that presents positive examples of teachers, students, and parents working together to create successful change in their schools. CPER is excited to support this documentary and encourages you and other partners to connect with Susan Zeig, Director and Producer of the film and/or Leah Sapin, Outreach Coordinator if you're interested in using "A Community Concern" as a tool in your organizing efforts.
"[The film] highlights the failures each group confronts and how they craft their strategies... A Community Concern is a valuable resource from the front lines of education organizing."
- Norm Fruchter, Annenberg Institute for School Reform
"This documentary captures the spirit of parents' and students' struggles to confront problems in their schools that are too often seen as overwhelming."
- Tom Dolan, California Organizer, PICO
Along with the film itself, accompanying discussion guides and other free downloadable materials will be available soon that can help empower your communities to take action.
To preview scenes and find out more about "A Community Concern," please visit the film's website. Contact both Susan and Leah at info@acommunityconcern.org for more information and/or if you have questions about outreach.
Thank you to all who were able to participate in CPER's March 2010 webinar series:"Building POWER From the Ground Up: Tools and Opportunities for Education Organizing in 2010!"
Check out the links below to access all of the presentations and resources shared!
Education Organizing Field Needs and Opportunities
March 2, 2010
Audio Recording of Presentation
(The audio recording is no longer available; if you are interested in accessing this information, please contact info-cper@publicinterestprojects.org)
For more info on the presenters:
1) Educational Opportunities in Hard Times (UCLA-IDEA)
2) Alliance for Educational Justice
3) Technology Tools for Education Organizing (ELC-PA)
Additional resources mentioned:
Turning Around Our Lowest Performing Schools: A Guide for the Community
March 15, 2010
Audio Recording of Presentation
(The audio recording is no longer available; if you are interested in accessing this information, please contact info-cper@publicinterestprojects.org)
To contact the presenters:
Alberto Retana, Director of Community Outreach
alberto.retana@ed.gov
(202) 453-7480
Suzanne Immerman, Director of Philanthropic Engagement
suzanne.immerman@ed.gov
Additional resources shared:
- Info on SIG from the U.S. Department of Education
- Education Week article on Strategic Learning Initiatives (referenced by Jeff Pinzino)
How Fair is School Funding?
March 17, 2010
Audio Recording of Presentation
(The audio recording is no longer available; if you are interested in accessing this information, please contact info-cper@publicinterestprojects.org)
To contact David Sciarra, Esq.:
dsciarra@edlawcenter.org
(973) 624-1815
Additional resources shared:
AccountableRecovery.org Website
STAR Coalition is a network of groups working at the state and local levels to ensure that the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is transparent, accountable, fair and effective.
The Coalition wants stimulus spending to address vital social needs and benefit those most harmed by the failed economic policies of the past. Coalition members believe that active civic engagement-enabled by full transparency-is the only way to achieve true accountability.
To check out this resource, click here.
CPER recently hosted a two-part webinar series aimed at giving CPER grantees and allied organizations the knowledge and tools for understanding how groups can use the stimulus funds and other federal investments in their local education organizing campaigns.
To download and listen to the presentation entitled "Using the Stimulus Funds in Organizing Campaigns for Systemic Education Reform" presented by Paul Weckstein, Co-Director of the Center for Law and Education on July 23, 2009 or the presentation entitled "Stimulus Funding for PreK - 12: Public School Modernization and Construction" presented by Mary Filardo, Executive Director of the 21st Century School Fund - email Ly Nguyen at lnguyen[at]publicinterestprojects.org
For additional information and resources on education organizing and community-led education reform, please visit the following websites:
Center for Community Change's Education Organizing Newsletter
Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF)
Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign
UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (IDEA)
