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“I have really enjoyed PPS's training and what I have learned I can apply to my job. It helps me understand how to work effectively with parents. ”
-PPS PEP Graduate
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In Joann's notes

School Board Elections – The Epicenter for Political Control 

School board meetings and school board elections are becoming frontline battlefields for the nation’s political division. School board decisions directly impact three of our most precious resources – our children, our public schools, and our money. School boards not only determine policy, they are also the community’s educational watchdog and, in rural districts, they may be overseers of the largest employer in the area. To a considerable extent, school boards also determine the level of difficulty for parents and citizens to navigate their local public school system and find a seat at the decision-making table, itself. This is where politicization...
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In Press Release

Hearing Update: Judge Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools is Unconstitutional

Share Tweet Share (JACKSON, MS October 13, 2022) On Thursday, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Crystal Wise Martin ruled that a recent law which would allocate $10 million of federal pandemic relief money to infrastructure grants for private schools is unconstitutional. This ruling by Judge Martin is a major victory for Parents for Public Schools, a national organization based in Mississippi with chapters in several states. Parents for Public Schools (PPS), represented by The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)-Mississippi, Democracy Forward, and the Mississippi Center for Justice, filed a complaint in June petitioning the court to prevent the State from...
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In Joann's notes

When Schools Are Underfunded, Children Suffer

A lack of equitably funded public schools is creating huge barriers for many of our nation’s students. Inequitable funding is creating huge barriers for many of our nation’s public school students. According to The Century Foundation, we are underfunding our, “K-12 public schools by nearly $150 billion annually, robbing more than 30 million school children of the resources they need to succeed in the classroom.”  The schools that are being robbed of much needed funding are most often those where Black and Latinx students make up most of the student body. Funding formulas directly impact the support for public schools. For...
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In National Statement

Supreme Court of the United States’ decision, Carson v. Makin

Parents for Public Schools, Inc. (PPS) believes that the recent Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin to give public funds to private religious schools doesn’t just crack the constitutional wall separating church and state, it punches a hole through which untold amounts of public tax dollars may flow drastically changing public education in America as we know it.   In addition to being unconstitutional, the Supreme Court’s decision rewards poor state leadership and fails to hold the state accountable for its constitutional duty to provide public education to all school-age children in the state.   If Chief Justice John Roberts could make recommendations...
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In Press Release

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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In Joann's notes

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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In Press Release

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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In Press Release

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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In Press Release

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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In Press Release

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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