Employment Does Not Guarantee Affordability Employment is one indicator of the health of the U.S. economy. As of August 2026, the unemployment rate was 4.1%, within the 4.0% to 5.0% range often associated with a strong, stable economy. Yet that figure does not show whether working people can afford daily life. Housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, and childcare continue to strain household budgets because wages have not kept pace with rising costs. As families devote more of their income to necessities, discretionary expenses such as movies and vacations are increasingly postponed. In short, a healthy employment rate does not necessarily mean…

Recently, the U.S. House proposed large funding cuts for public schools and the Department of Education announced the closure of key offices that protect students with disabilities.  Parents for Public Schools strongly supports the full funding of our nation’s public schools and federal protections for students with disabilities.  Keep reading to learn more, including how you can keep getting updates from us!  PROPOSED FUNDING CUTS The U.S. House recently released their proposed FY27 education budget. It includes a nearly $2 billion cut (10%) to the Title I program, which provides funding for schools in low-income communities.  It also eliminates federal funding for teacher professional development and English language learner support. Read…

Across the nation, a growing number of laws have changed what teachers can teach about American history in public classrooms. What began as political debates around “critical race theory” has evolved into legislation that has created fear, confusion, and uncertainty for many educators. In some instances, teachers are “walking on eggshells” to avoid conversations about race, civil rights, inequality, gender, and even current events because new laws and political pressure have made honest teaching risky. At Parents for Public Schools, we believe students deserve access to a complete and accurate education that prepares them to think critically, engage thoughtfully, and succeed in…

In a time when health information travels faster than ever, families are faced with complex decisions about their children’s well-being. In our recent Clearinghouse on Childhood Immunizations we focused on one essential truth: immunizations remain one of the most effective tools we have to protect children, schools, and communities. For generations, routine childhood vaccines have safeguarded children from serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. Illnesses that once disrupted classrooms and claimed young lives were rare in the United States because families, healthcare providers, and schools worked together to prioritize prevention. These immunizations not only protected individual children, but also strengthened community immunity, which aided in shielding infants,…

On this Valentine’s Day, we wanted to share a love letter about our nation’s public schools! Public schools serve many purposes.  They prepare students for the workforce or higher education, and to be informed participants in our democracy.  They provide child care, meals, transportation, health screenings, counseling, and access to sports and the arts.  They are community centers, polling places, and emergency shelters.  At the root of all of this, our public schools exist to serve the common good. Parents for Public Schools (PPS) was founded over 30 years ago by a group of parents and community members in Jackson,…