Thursday, January 23, 2014

Network for Public Education National Conference




Register to join us at the NPE National Conference!

Several PAA founding members will be featured at the first annual Network for Public Education National Conference in Austin TX on March 1 and 2, and other PAA leaders plan to attend.

Speaking at the conference will be Helen Gym from PAA affiliate Parents United for Public Education in Philadelphia, Sue Peters, recent winner of a Seattle school board position and co-founder of PAA-Seattle, Leonie Haimson, from PAA affiliate Class Size Matters in NYC, and Julie Woestehoff, from PAA affiliate Parents United for Responsible Education in Chicago.

The Network for Public Education was formed by Diane Ravitch in 2013 and has become a prominent voice in the education reform debate. During the November 2013 elections, NPE rallied support for successful school board candidates in Bridgeport, CT, Seattle (PAA's Peters) and Atlanta.

The 2014 National Conference will be an opportunity for NPE to coordinate its network of education activists from across the United States in preparation for the 2014 elections. "We are bringing together allies from around the country who really know what is happening on the ground in their own states and communities. One of our main goals in forming our network was to create a means to support candidates willing to defend public education," said Anthony Cody, an NPE co-founder with Ravitch. "By gathering together, we hope to build real momentum, making 2014 the year we turn the tide in the fight for our schools."

PAA co-founder Haimson also serves on the NPE Board.

The conference will take place at the Thompson Conference Center at the University of Texas at Austin on March 1 & 2, 2014, the Saturday and Sunday before SXSWedu. The conference will feature more than twenty panels
and workshops, keynote speakers including Ravitch and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, and networking opportunities for education advocates from across the United States
"Our movement demands a positive agenda for change based on love of learning, respect for educators, and dedication to the healthy development of children as good people," Ravitch said. "We hope you will be there and join us as we review the status and condition of our movement to reclaim public education and decide what we should do to grow stronger in the future."

You can find more information about the Network for Public Education 2014 National Conference here. Registration is currently open and the website contains information about the speakers, panels, accommodations and travel.

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