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“ Parents for Public Schools is one of those amazing organizations that we think of as being like air, it's just there when we need it. ”
-PPS of San Francisco member

Chapters

Parents for Public Schools is a national organization of community-based chapters working with public school parents and other supporters to strengthen their local public schools.  Each chapter has its own identity and yet each is a part of the PPS national network. This national network is for each chapter is a source of power, support, and expertise.  PPS is invigorated by a diverse membership whose involvement in public schools helps to insure that quality public education is available equally to all children.

The chapter structure is integral to the identity and agenda of PPS, which is fundamentally a civic action and public advocacy organization.  Through its work with individual chapters, PPS strengthens the ability of parents to advocate for better public schools, and helps parents become partners with school and community leaders in the process of educating children, and improving systems, structures, and policies at the local school level.

Currently, PPS has seventeen member chapters in 13 states.*  The chapters are grassroots organizations that represent the education stakeholders of their local communities and concentrate on the issues of their local public schools while at the same time connecting local issues to national ones. The PPS National Office organizes, supports, and connects chapters to help maintain the focus on our organization’s unifying mission.

The national office provides a clearinghouse of information and best practices, technical assistance, and training that assists chapters to serve their communities while serving as standard bearers for the PPS mission. PPS at its core is a civic action and public advocacy organization.  Through its work with individual chapters, PPS strengthens the ability of parents to advocate for better public schools and helps parents become partners with school and community leaders in the process of educating children, and improving systems, structures, and policies at the local school level.

ESSENTIALS FOR IMPACT: How PPS Chapters Need to Function

Parents for Public Schools knows that the following must be in place for our chapters to have a sustained constructive impact on its local public schools:

  • A vision that embraces the PPS philosophy of public education in their community;
  • A distinct mission that transforms parent involvement and ties it to factors that improve schools and student achievement;
  • A solid organizational infrastructure
  • A plan and mechanism for communicating locally derived goals and strategies;
  • A plan for carrying out activities that reflect PPS-defined best practices;
  • A commitment to diversity by working on behalf of all children and all schools and by building membership representative of parents and others throughout the district, including those who have had the least connection to schools;

BEST PRACTICEs: What PPS Action Should Look Like and Produce

  • How does this practice demonstrate the attitude that parents are owners of the schools?  How does it improve the working relationships with teachers, administrators, policy makers, and the community?
  • How does this practice yield new skills for parents that help improve schools and boost student achievement?
  • How does this practice provide opportunities for the effective involvement of all parents, especially those not typically at the decision-making table?
  • How does this practice bring about district level action that benefits all children?
  • How does this practice affect student performance directly or indirectly
  • How does this practice affect the practice of teachers, principals or superintendent directly or indirectly?
  • How does this practice improve the process of inclusive decision-making directly or indirectly?
  • How does this practice build confidence and inspire hope in public education?

We believe that when chapter work combines the Essentials for Impact with the PPS Best Practices and the PPS Brand of Parent Engagement, 

chapters have what is needed to be a

strong and powerful force for improved public education

in their local communities and, by extension, nationally.

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