“We were upset that our children weren’t getting what they needed. We were determined to get to the bottom of it and to change it,” said Florida parent Angela Browning. Browning became alarmed when her 8-year old twins came home from 2nd grade stressed and crying. A little investigation uncovered that their school had dropped recess, meaning students often had little open time during the day. To Browning, that was not acceptable. She and fellow parent Amy Narvaez began an effort to bring back recess, never imagining it would take them three years and hours of advocating both at the local and state level. Narvaez and Browning are featured as part of a series we are calling Parent Changemakers - parents who became troubled about a school issue and tackled it head on.
Coverage of how parents work with educators, community leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions about their children’s education is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, at waltonk12.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
