Supporting Education Organizing for Education Equity: Communities for Public Education Reform

Southeastern Pennsylvania was selected as one of four sites for funding from Communities for Public Education Reform (CPER), a national philanthropic collaborative aimed at increasing student and parent power to affect school reform. CPER-funded groups seek to improve education for all students by building the power of low-income and minority communities to influence educational policies at the local and state levels. The funded groups include ACORN, Eastern Pennsylvania Organizing Project, Good Schools Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Student Union, and Youth United for Change. RFA is providing technical assistance about how to incorporate research evidence into the coalition’s campaigns. Two other groups–Education Law Center and the Philadelphia Public School Notebook–are also playing supportive roles. All of the funded groups are members of Philadelphia Cross City Campaign for School Reform, which serves as a forum for coordination. CPER-funded work will focus on two primary campaigns, one for school funding reform both statewide and locally and one for high school reform in Philadelphia.