Speak Up For Public Schools


Public schools are under assault. Budget cuts in many states and communities are hurting students' educational opportunities. Some elected leaders are not putting education first.

It's time for the trend to change. Nearly 90 percent of America's children attend public schools. Our communities need good public schools to thrive economically. Parents are the most important partner and critic of public schools.

Parents for Public Schools, a national nonprofit organization (www.parents4publicschools.org), is urging parents and supporters across the country to "Speak Up for Public Schools!"

You can sign this petition expressing your support for strong public education - telling our leaders at the state, local and federal level that education should be their top priority, and that we need greater investment and attention to education, not less.

Join Parents for Public Schools' "Speak Up for Public Schools!" campaign, and join the many voices across the nation who believe in public education!
 
Parents for Public Schools' members and allies want our elected leaders, educators and the public to know that:

Our nation was founded on democratic principles, and public education is the nation's most important gateway to freedom and democracy.

While public schools in some cases face great challenges and need improvement, they are worth our support, strong investment and parents' regular participation.

Despite many continuing issues with the quality of public education, especially in impoverished communities, they accomplish more right than wrong.

Parents should be active, friendly, involved critics of public schools - continually demanding better opportunities for their children and neighbors' children. This push for improvement never ends.

In the face of severe budget cuts for public schools by many state and local governments, public schools deserve greater support. We urge our elected officials to stop the budget cuts to public schools and to reconsider their priorities.

Recognizing that nearly 90 percent of American students attend public schools, we believe that no greater investment can be made in our families, communities and our economy than improving public education.

We support public schools and greater, wiser investments in our children's education. We will speak out for public schools by sharing this resolution and asking our relatives, friends and neighbors to join us and "Speak Up for Public Schools!"

Across the country, many public schools are cutting employees and programs that help students: teachers, libraries, textbooks, computers, counselors, principals, extra help and tutoring, preschool, summer classes, arts and music, athletics, after-school and gifted-student programs, reasonable class sizes, the number of school days, dropout prevention efforts and more.

At least 23 states and many school districts have cut their K-12 education budgets substantially -  about $1.8 billion in state cuts nationwide, the National Association of State Budget Officers found - even in states and communities where enrollment and students' needs are growing. Parents have the right and responsibility to demand more effective use of taxpayers' investments in public education, ensuring that resources are directed mainly toward helping students learn at higher levels, in better settings, and from the best-qualified educators possible.

We urge our local, state and national leaders to push for adequate funding for our public schools and for reforms that will improve our children's education - such as proven efforts to help more students achieve at higher levels, graduate from high school, and become well-prepared for postsecondary education and careers. We will follow our leaders' progress closely.

Parents expect teachers' unions and other educators' groups to work as partners to improve public education. This means standing up for higher teacher salaries and better work environments, but with the expectation that these partners work fearlessly to improve the quality of teaching, learning and school leadership.

Parents need to be more engaged, educated and active in local school and civic affairs. We make new or renewed commitments to this work and will bring others into the fold. Parents for Public Schools chapters across the nation are organizing and taking action.

We represent different political views on other issues, but we are united in support of public education and its tremendous value to American society.

Parents are owners of public schools and allies with all who seek to improve it. That's why we "Speak Up for Public Schools!"

We unequivocally support public education. We are Parents for Public Schools.
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