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Mississippi Parents Sue to Stop $10 Million in Public Funds from Going to Private Schools

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS, June 15, 2022) Today, Parents for Public Schools, Inc. (PPS), represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi, Mississippi Center for Justice, and Democracy Forward, filed a lawsuit to stop Mississippi state officials from using public money to fund private schools in violation of the Mississippi Constitution. The suit, filed in the Chancery Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, argues that the Mississippi Legislature violated Section 208 of the State Constitution by appropriating $10 million to private schools. The State Constitution requires that taxpayer money must be spent only on public “free schools.” Specifically,...
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Critical Race Theory: What You Should Know

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the latest clash between politicians and community stakeholders concerning how public school students should learn about history in the United States. Although this theory initially made waves on the collegiate level, somehow the discourse about CRT has spilled over into the nation's public schools and has caused quite a concern for many parents nationwide. What is Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic term used to define a framework that holds the idea that racism is systemic, i.e., racism that is deeply rooted in the systems, laws, policies, and practices of daily...
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Martha Montufar named Director of Programs and Training at PPS

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS, April 4, 2022) The National Office of Parents for Public Schools (PPS) is pleased to announce the newest member of its national staff, Ms. Martha Montufar. Martha joined the national staff in March 2022 and will serve as its Director of Programs and Training. As PPS continues its growth and expansion, Martha comes to the organization as a certified professional translator and helps to further expand our efforts of ensuring equity for public school families and students. As a result of her being both bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish, PPS will be able...
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PPS San Francisco Acquires New Executive Director

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS, Mar. 10, 2022) Parents for Public Schools San Francisco (PPS-SF) recently announced the acquisition of their newest team member, Executive Director Vanessa Marrero, and the National Office is pleased to also welcome her to the PPS network.  Marrero brings to PPS-SF knowledge, wisdom, and a commitment to ensure educational equity is always at the forefront of discourse and advocacy efforts. Her extensive career background includes over a decade of experience working within K-12 school districts, community colleges across California, and other organizations supporting education and student outcomes.  Additionally, Vanessa has received numerous awards, including a...
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PPS Celebrates 30 Years of Community Impact

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS, Feb. 23, 2022) Parents for Public Schools® (PPS), a national non-profit organization that works to increase parent engagement in public schools, will commemorate its 30th anniversary on Saturday, March 5th at 7:00 pm with a gala that will highlight its founding member, Dick Molpus, as well as showcase the accomplishments and ongoing work of the organization. The theme for this year’s anniversary celebration is “The Journey Continues with the Next Generation of Parent Voices.” The 30th anniversary festivities will begin with a pre-gala sponsorship event which will serve as an engaging experience for gala sponsors...
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PPS Awarded by Women’s Foundation of Mississippi

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS, Jan. 12, 2022) Parents for Public Schools® (PPS) is pleased to announce that it is a 2021 recipient of a Women’s Foundation of Mississippi grant. The $5,000 grant will be used to fund PPS’s Parent Engagement Program-Graduation Ready (PEP-Graduation Ready). PEP-Graduation Ready is one of three curricula offered by PPS. The others being PEP-Parent Leadership and PEP-Early Childhood Development. The goal of the Parent Engagement Program (PEP) is to provide parents information and guidance to help them become more effective advocates for their children’s education. PEP-Graduation Ready is a dual generation program for middle school students...
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Public Schools Must Ensure Equity for All

All students in this country deserve not only a quality education, but they also deserve the right to be who they are without discrimination or harassment while pursuing that education. The notion of equity not only applies to a student’s racial identity and socio-economic status but also to a student’s gender identity as well. Many of our nation’s LGBTQ+ students face discrimination and harassment while at school and are often tormented online by their peers when at home. For these students, school can be a very desolate place, and we must make every effort to create a truly equitable and...
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Ways to Take Action During and After COVID

COVID-19 has drastically impacted the lives of our nation’s school-aged children. According to many national surveys, “shifting to remote learning last spring was academically and socially challenging for students, and…families and caregivers felt stretched thin by supporting their students at home” (TNTP, Inc., 2020). Ultimately, every parent is highly concerned about where their child will be academically when the pandemic is over. Now more than ever, parent advocacy is essential in ensuring that the impact of COVID on student learning and achievement is not as detrimental as the research suggests it will be. Parents, you should voice your concerns about...
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To Test or Not to Test? That is the question!

In a year ravaged by COVID-19 and its aftermath, there is a big question that parents want answered: Are my children required to take this year’s standardized tests? A recent national poll shared by the National PTA determined the following as it relates to parents’ views on state tests this spring:  These major findings reveal:  52% of parents favor end-of-year testing this spring to measure the impact of the pandemic on student learning.  60% of parents are worried their child is behind and want more information on where their child is academically.  62% of parents believe their child to be behind...
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Educating Communities, Stimulating Hope

This is the final of two features about PPS National’s Community Coordinators. These unsung heroes work within communities to help citizens understand how to influence positive change in the places that they call home. Becky Glover came to work for PPS in 2009 at a time when she was “growing frustrated and weary with folks talking about public schools, but not actually doing anything hands-on and effective to strengthen or improve them.” Her son graduated from a public high school that same year. Becky’s family had experienced great benefits by being a part of the public schools over the years:...
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