Standing Shoulder-to-Shoulder

Standing Shoulder-To-Shoulder

Parents across the country, with different lived experiences, are united by our belief that we can be the catalysts to create transformative change that benefits all children in our public education system. That change can only happen when we commit to truly embracing the power of parent participation, collaboration, and shared responsibility in creating a more equitable and inclusive education system. We are more than just participants in parent-teacher conferences and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. We are on the frontline, fighting for and actively changing policies that will positively impact not only our children today, but also future generations of students. 

Being on the frontline means refusing to accept the status quo, choosing instead to harness our frustration into a drive for change and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with schools and teachers to face the challenges ahead and ensure children have what they need to be successful. For example, as schools began to reopen following the pandemic, a bus driver shortage in Buffalo, NY threatened to halt access to afterschool programs. The children who rely on buses to go to and from school are our lower-income, children of color – the same children who were most impacted by learning loss and the mental health toll caused by the pandemic. School closures during the pandemic and the subsequent lack of transportation left our children feeling further disconnected and facing more instability. This, in turn, led to more frustration, more fighting at school, and higher school suspension rates at a time when they were already higher than ever before.  

In response, parents mobilized other parents, joining forces with the University of Buffalo, as well as local stakeholders and organizations, to form the Buffalo Education Equity Task Force. The task force met weekly with educators and leaders at every level of government to address the transportation crisis and lack of equitable access to afterschool programs. Working together, we arrived at a resolution that ensured equal access and reliable transportation to programs for all our children.   

That is transformation with tangible results. 

Of course, transformation is an ongoing process and relies on trust as the cornerstone of successful partnerships. By fostering trusting relationships between parents and school leaders, we lay the groundwork for collaboration and positive change. For teachers, this might look like reaching out not only to address challenging classroom behaviors, but also to tell us when our children are achieving and thriving. This seemingly small action can be transformational, bringing perspective and building the trust needed to move mountains. It shows parents that educators see our children as precious, complicated, still-growing human beings, while also allowing them to understand the depth of our commitment and investment.  

Parents and families must also do our part. By actively embracing our crucial role in our children’s education, we unlock the key to their academic and personal growth. We must continue partnering with educators to develop strategies that address the needs of our children, ensuring they receive the support and resources necessary to succeed and thrive in life, not just pass through K-12 education. Only by working together can we create an environment that fosters a love for learning, embraces diversity, and promotes equity. 

Our commitment to transforming the education system extends beyond our individual experiences. We advocate for systemic changes that benefit all underserved communities. Among other issues, we have pushed for legislation to minimize suspensions by supporting the mental health needs of our students in restorative – rather than punitive – ways. By joining forces with other parents, community leaders, and policymakers, we amplify our collective voice and advocate for policies that promote equity and dismantle systemic barriers.  

We strive to create a more inclusive and just education system for all children. Children should be free to learn about, express, and celebrate their identities while also demanding the right to read proficiently and have a pathway to success and opportunity in the future. Working together, we can overcome the historical barriers and biases that have hindered our children’s educational journeys. Through open dialogue, mutual respect, and shared goals, we forge a path toward an inclusive and supportive education system. Our children’s generation and generations to come are counting on us.  

 
Samuel, Pascale and Tonya are parent leaders with National Parents Union (NPU). With more than 1,000 affiliated parent organizations in all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, NPU is an authentically parent-led organization that seeks to channel the power of parents to improve the lives of children, families and community across the United States. 

Finding Community | Mental Health for LGBTQI+ Students in Rural America

Now that we’re in July, we’ve gone through Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and Pride Month (June). In these two months, we’ve seen so many examples of efforts around the country to support LGBTQI+ youth and provide these students with more access to high-quality mental health support. However, we don’t hear a lot about rural LGBTQI+ students. What is being done to make sure that students from some of our most isolated communities have access to the community and resources needed to flourish? 

Being a queer student in a rural area comes with a unique set of challenges. In my experience, to be queer in Wyoming is to be isolated and alienated. We face the challenges of having little to no access to mental health professionals specializing in our needs, having low acceptance and support from peers and/or family, and growing up hearing heartbreaking stories like Matthew Shepard’s

These factors have led to generally poor mental health and higher suicide rates among queer youth in rural areas. There is a constant struggle of feeling both ignored in the ways we need support and targeted in areas where we are weaker by political forces and societal bias. Wyoming’s LGBTQI+ youth community faces increasing levels of bias as information about the queer community and our many identities becomes more accessible.

While queer students face a lot of struggles, it isn’t all bad. I’ve found that it can be isolating to be queer in Wyoming, but it can still be possible to have a close community with those around you. Our community has built itself to withstand the challenges that come our way and support each other in times of struggle. With youth-centered events put together by Laramie PrideFest and various student clubs centering queerness across Wyoming, many students have the opportunity to connect with and build community if they actively seek it out. This comes in the form of weekends with students from Laramie and Cheyenne, gathering together for conferences, queer history trivia, and events like Pride flag making or book clubs throughout Pride month. 

While my journey has had and continues to have its challenges, I am fortunate that I have been able to find community and support from my family. Many of my rural peers have not had access to this support and face an uncertain and often scary future as a result. Work from the U.S. Department of Education to support the mental health of students, particularly queer students in rural America, is incredibly important and potentially lifesaving, along with the Department’s resources like Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory Environments for LGBTQI+ Students in School. There needs to be not only more mental health providers in our rural schools, but also ones who are prepared to support the unique needs of rural LGBTQI+ students. I am eternally grateful to the mental health experts who have supported me on my continuing journey to affirm my identity, and every rural and queer student deserves the same.

Kai Edwards is a sophomore at Laramie High School. He is focused hard on his goal to educate those around him and create a safer, more comfortable world for himself and his peers.



Community Schools: Fostering Innovation and Transformation

Community Schools: Fostering Innovation and Transformation

By: David Greenberg & Dr. Linh Dang

The challenges we face in today’s education landscape rarely have simple policy solutions. The youth mental health crisis, insufficient community and family engagement, and lack of access to early childhood learning are only a handful of the complex issues that require innovative strategies that extend beyond the school walls. Thanks to recent investments at the federal and state level, thousands of public schools are transforming into hubs that facilitate community-wide collaboration on these and other challenges by embracing a “community school” framework.

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Organizations Across the Country Commit to Supporting School Infrastructure and Sustainability

Organizations Across the Country Commit to Supporting School Infrastructure and Sustainability

Since February, the U.S. Department of Education has invited national, regional, and local non-profits, foundations, businesses, and community-based organizations to share their bold commitment(s) to advance school sustainability, encompassing infrastructure, health, environmental sustainability education, climate, and environmental justice in America. Over 30 organizations made commitments, ranging from local efforts to national campaigns. These commitments demonstrate the wide range and scope of actions needed to ensure sustainable schools for all students.  

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Building Toward Equitable Schools for the 21st Century

By: Loredana Valtierra, U.S. Department of Education Policy Advisor

As schools reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor air quality arose as a top concern among K-12 education stakeholders. Many school administrators, parents, and others in school communities were wondering: What should we do to address indoor air quality? What will help most when school buildings are old? Do we need HVAC upgrades to comply with the highest recommended standard of air ventilation, and aren’t those expensive? 

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Parent Empowerment Pop-Ups: Partnering with Parents for Perspective

Parent Enpowerment Pop-Ups: Partnering with Parents for Perspective

“Raise the Bar: Lead the World” is the U.S. Department of Education’s call to action to transform P-12 education and unite around what truly works. Raising the bar means recognizing that our nation already has what it takes to continue leading the world. Through initiatives such as the Parent Empowerment Pop-Ups, which are interactive sessions in which parents and representatives from the Department of Education have the opportunity to meet in-person, we are creating opportunities to harness the human and social capital of parents across the nation by inviting them to play a leading role in creating effective and sustainable support systems to meet student needs. Our efforts anchor in the belief that parents desire what is best for their children and are willing and eager to support the dreams of students. 

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A Timing Update on Title IX Rulemaking

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring all students are guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex. To that end, amending the Department of Education’s (Department’s) regulations that implement Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) is a top priority to ensure full protection against sex discrimination for all students in federally funded education programs and activities.

The Title IX proposed regulations that the Department released in July 2022 are historic. They would strengthen protections for students who experience sexual harassment and assault at school, and they would help protect LGBTQI+ students from discrimination. The Department received more than 240,000 public comments on the proposed rule – nearly twice as many comments as the Department received during its last rulemaking on Title IX.Carefully considering and reviewing these comments takes time, and is essential to ensuring the final rule is enduring. That is why the Department is updating its Spring Unified Agenda to now reflect an anticipated date of October 2023 for the final Title IX rule. In addition, the Department is updating its Spring Unified Agenda to reflect an anticipated date of October 2023 for its proposed Athletics regulation, which received over 150,000 comments during its recent public comment period from April 12 – May 15, 2023.  The Department is currently reviewing each of these comments, and is grateful for the extensive public participation and comments received in this rulemaking process.

You can access the July 2022 NPRM here, view submitted comments here  and find a fact sheet about the July 2022 NPRM here.  You can access the Athletics NPRM here, view submitted comments here, and find a fact sheet about the Athletics NPRM here.

Teacher Leadership at a National Level

Teacher Leadership at a National Level

ED’s School Ambassador Fellowship Program supports national education initiatives with the expertise of school-based practitioners.

The program fosters collaboration between education practitioners and the federal government, involves educators in education policy, and amplifies practitioners’ voices in the national dialogue.

JoLisa Hoover served previously as a Fellow at ED. She was a member of the first class of Fellows in 2008, at which time she had 23 years of experience in the classroom. She describes the Fellows as translators who speak the language of policy and the language of the classroom. They use that skill to make connections between policy and practice.

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4 Ways to Flex Your Leadership From The Classroom

4 Ways to Flex Your Leadership From The Classroom

By: Lauren Pfeffer Stuart

Did you know there are ways to lead while still keeping your classroom position? I didn’t! In 2014, I was feeling burnt out, as many educators often feel. I loved being with kids, but felt I wanted to impact education on a larger scale, and I needed a change of pace. As teacher burnout is on the rise, it is of critical importance to find ways to keep our most effective educators in the classroom. Finding opportunities that allow you remain teaching while also flexing your leadership potential is one way to stave off the burnout. Here are 4 of my tips.

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Preparing Your Military-Connected Child for (Another) New School

Lizann Lightfoot and her four young children standing in an airport arrivals terminal with "Welcome Home Daddy" and "We Love You!" signs.

By: Lizann Lightfoot

PCS season – when service members receive permanent change of station orders – is right around the corner, which means that military-connected children across the country are preparing to move and enroll in a new school. If you’re a parent or caregiver of a military-connected child, you’ve likely witnessed how challenging it can be for your child to start over and make new friends … again. However, there are steps you can take to ensure your child’s transition to a new school goes as smoothly as possible.

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Second Chances: Education and Justice Involved Students

Second Chances: Education and Justice Involved Students

By: Amy Loyd, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education

On the first work day of April, during which we celebrate Second Chance Month, I had the honor of joining colleagues from the Department of Justice and local and state leadership at an event held at a Miami-Dade College campus located within Everglades Correctional Institution in Florida.  The event celebrated the upcoming reinstatement of federal Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated individuals and was an important reminder of how essential postsecondary education in prison is for students, their families, correctional staff, and our communities.  As we come to the close of Second Chance Month, the Department of Education (ED) lifts up and reaffirms our commitment to providing equitable access to and engagement in high-quality education and training for people who are justice-involved, including people who are incarcerated and those returning home from jail and prison. Education has the power to transform lives and communities and open doors to rewarding careers and meaningful community engagement. Research demonstrates that people who obtain their high school equivalencies while in prison increase their earnings by 24-29% within the first year of release, and those who participate in correctional education programs are 13% less likely to recidivate than those who do not.  The Department calls upon institutions of higher education (institutions) to join us in celebrating Second Chance Month and treating all people who are justice-involved with dignity and respect by banning the box and equitably mitigating barriers to high-quality postsecondary education.   

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