Education highlighted as fall election issue

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

A coalition of six national advocacy groups – including the community organizing group ACORN and the largest national teachers’ union, the National Education Association – have joined forces to bring attention to the challenges facing the nation’s public schools as the November 2 presidential election draws near.

Teachers, parents, and community members are gathering at hundreds of "house parties" across the nation for the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools on September 22. Participants in the event will watch a video created by the coalition that highlights critical issues currently facing public education, including the need to fully fund the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"This is not just about narrow reforms and the lack of resources for education," said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, a member of the coalition organizing the Mobilization. "We believe we must make education a higher priority from the community to the federal government."

House party-goers have the opportunity to sign an "Education First voter" pledge, which the event’s organizers hope will get voters to consider the importance of the presidential candidates’ positions on public education when they vote in November.

"The house parties are the first step," says the Mobilization’s website, urging participants to "attend rallies, register new voters, [and] make sure parents, teachers and community members get to the polls in November," after the event is over.

For more information, visit www.greatpublicschools.org or call the NEA at 202-822-7261.