Advocacy

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts by individuals or groups to influence education or school policy
One Parent’s Approach to Advocacy Through Community
Families & the Community Video One Parent’s Approach to Advocacy Through Community
In advocating for the nutritional needs of her children, one parent has found strength in community.
Kaylee Domzalski, April 28, 2022
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3:08
How a Group of Latino Parents Pressed Their School Meal Concerns
Student Well-Being & Movement Video How a Group of Latino Parents Pressed Their School Meal Concerns
Parents have tried to convince this Colorado district to enhance its school meal menu, but navigating the process has come with challenges.
Kaylee Domzalski, April 28, 2022
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5:53
Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in front of the Florida State Capitol on March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida House Republicans advanced a bill, dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, rejecting criticism from Democrats who said the proposal demonizes LGBTQ people.
Demonstrators gather on the steps of a museum in front of the Florida State Capitol in early March as Republicans took up a bill curbing how schools can discuss LGBTQ people. Later that month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Equity & Diversity What's Driving the Push to Restrict Schools on LGBTQ Issues?
A confluence of factors have resulted in a wave of legislation this year targeted at classroom discussions on gender and sexuality.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 19, 2022
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14 min read
Christy Pavlish, left, and Lauren Birkins display signs as they cross the street during a protest outside a Broward County School Board meeting in Florida last fall.
Christy Pavlish, left, and Lauren Birkins protest outside a Broward County School Board meeting to discuss mask mandates.
Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
School & District Management Mask-Mandate Opponents Are Bombarding Districts With Insurance Requests. Here's Why
A right-wing website has inspired people to show up to school board meetings and demand that administrators hand over insurance documents.
Mark Lieberman, February 18, 2022
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7 min read
Image of library shelves.
VTT Studio/iStock/Getty
Families & the Community As Book Bans Spread, Suburban Moms Who Oppose Them Are Fighting Back
These mothers have deployed a series of unique strategies to convince board members to keep books about racism and homophobia.
Eesha Pendharkar, February 17, 2022
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4 min read
Conceptual image of tug-of-war in classroom setting.
Laura Baker/Education Week and sesame/DigitalVision Vectors and iStock/photo
Student Well-Being & Movement Schools Face Fears of 'Critical Race Theory' as They Scale Up Social-Emotional Learning
This is a pivotal moment for social-emotional learning as K-12 schools expand programs but experience political pushback in some places.
Arianna Prothero & Evie Blad, December 13, 2021
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14 min read
People hold signs and chant during a meeting of the North Allegheny School District school board regarding the district's mask policy, at at North Allegheny Senior High School in McCandless, Pa., on Aug. 25, 2021. A growing number of school board members across the U.S. are resigning or questioning their willingness to serve as meetings have devolved into shouting contests over contentious issues including masks in schools.
People at a school board meeting in late August protest the mask policy set by the North Allegheny school district in Western Pennsylvania.
Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP
Law & Courts Opinion What the Law Says About Parents' Rights Over Schooling
The rallying cry of “parental freedom” perpetuated racial segregation, writes a legal scholar. So why would we let it dictate curriculum?
Joshua Weishart, November 29, 2021
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5 min read
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piranka/E+
School & District Management 'No Great Option': Why a School District Named After a KKK Leader Is Keeping Its Name
"Somebody's going to get mad at anything we do," board member James Adams said.
Tim Hrenchir, The Topeka Capital-Journal, November 9, 2021
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6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Federal Opinion It’s Not Just the NSBA That’s Out of Touch. There’s a Bigger Problem
Those who influence educational policy or practice would do well to care about what parents and the public actually want.
Rick Hess, November 1, 2021
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4 min read
Paul Martino at his Doylestown home this month.
Paul Martino at his Doylestown home this month.
Elizabeth Robertson/Tribune News Service
School & District Management Parent Frustrated by School Closures Funnels $600K Into School Board Races
“I really started this to get accountability over the administration who dropped the ball, in my opinion," said the Pa. venture capitalist.
Peter Hall, The Morning Call, October 29, 2021
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5 min read
Seminole County, Fla., deputies remove parent Chris Mink of Apopka from an emergency meeting of the Seminole County School Board in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Mink, the parent of a Bear Lake Elementary School student, opposes a call for mask mandates for Seminole schools and was escorted out for shouting during the standing-room only meeting.
Deputies remove a parent from an emergency meeting of the Seminole County School Board in Sanford, Fla., after the parent, who opposes a call for mask mandates for Seminole schools, shouts during the standing-room only meeting.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP
Federal National School Board Group's Apology for 'Domestic Terrorism' Letter May Not Quell Uproar
The National School Boards Association voices "regret" for how it sought federal aid to address threats and harassment of school officials.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 24, 2021
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4 min read
Brenda Stephens, a school board member with Orange County Public Schools in Hillsborough, N.C. has purchased a weapon and taken a concealed carry class over concerns for her personal safety.
Brenda Stephens, a school board member in Hillsborough, N.C., says board members face threats and bullying, an atmosphere far different from what she's encountered in years of board service.
Kate Medley for Education Week
Federal School Boards, 'Domestic Terrorism,' and Free Speech: Inside the Debate
From critical race theory to COVID policy, the heat on schools has raised issues involving free speech and the safety of public officials.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 20, 2021
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13 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion National School Boards Association Chooses to Be Part of the Problem
The NSBA chose to blur the distinction between permissible and suspect speech in suggesting the FBI should target unruly protesters.
Rick Hess, October 13, 2021
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5 min read
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine Texas's abortion law, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine Texas's abortion law, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Tom Williams/Pool via AP
Federal Is the Justice Dept. Silencing Parents or Stepping Up to Protect Educators?
Merrick Garland's move to use the FBI to help protect school officials from violence and harassment has drawn anger and praise.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 8, 2021
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5 min read
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