Advocacy Toolkit

For Parents, Teachers, and Communities

Educate * Organize * Mobilize

 
~Join  the  Fight  to  Protect  and  Preserve  Public  Education~  
  CAPE:    Concerned  Advocates  for  Public  Education   GEM:    Grassroots  Education  Movement  

~Parents  and  Teachers  Working  Together  to  Protect  and  Preserve  

Public  Education~    
 
 
 
   
www.grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com,  
www.capeducation.blogspot.com,    
capeducation@gmail.com     gemnyc@gmail.com  

 
 
   
 Table  of  Contents:  
 
1.      Educating  &Advertising͙  
x Create  a  press  release  
x Create  a  blog  
x Contact  the  media  
x Create  a  newsletter  
x Advocacy  Resources  

 
2.      Organizing͙  

x Create  an  advocacy  group    

x Community  Organizing    
 

3.    Mobilizing...  

x Create  a  petition    
x Create  a  form  letter    
x Contact  Policymakers    
x Community  Mobilizing    
 
 
 Educate and Advertise

Education and Advertising are the first steps in advocacy. One of the most important
goals, which will provide the foundation for organizing and mobilizing, is to share your
knowledge and to learn from others. Through reaching out to the media and the public,
and by reaching out to other groups, you can successfully spread your message, convey
\RXUµDVNV¶DQGQHWZRUNZLWKRWKHUVZKRKDYHDFRPPRQYLVLRQ or with whom you can find
common ground.

First Steps: 'HYHORSD0HVVDJHDQGDVHWRIµ$VNV¶

x Messaging: An advocacy message is generally 3-5 sentences and communicates

your position and your values. This is different than a slogan, which is generally a
µFDWFK\¶RQHOLQHUWKDWEHVWUHSUHVHQWV\RXUPHVVDJH

x Asks: Asks should include a concise list of the outcomes you want based on your
position and values. Asks should be specific and measurable and you should have
data and rationale to support them.

x Develop a platform: A platform can begin with an executive summary, which is a

longer version of your message. The platform can then be broken into sections for
HDFKµDVN¶$JHQHral format for this could be:

o Current Policy: State the issue you wish to advocate for or reform
o Position: State your position on the issue
o Rationale: Justify your position with quantitative and qualitative data
o Recommendations: List specific and measurable demands
 Creating a Press Release

What is a press release? (From http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp )

A press release is pseudo-news story, written in third person that seeks to demonstrate to an editor or reporter
the newsworthiness of a particular person, event, service or product.

How is a press release used?

Press releases are often sent alone, by e-mail, fax or snail mail. They can also be part of a full press kit, or
may be accompanied by a pitch letter.

Press Release Checklist

9 PRESS RELEASE in all caps

9 Contact Person's Name and Information
9 Immediate Release or Release Date (all caps)
9 HEADLINE or TITLE in BOLD/CAPS
9 BODY-who, what, when, where and why.
9 Catchy Text
9 The more written as quotes, the better
9 Basic Font, Double Spaced, Page Numbers, and ### at the end
9 Additional contact information  

*A shorter version of a press release, a press advisory, can be released the day before a specific
event less the quotes and bulk information.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 EXAMPLE  PRESS  RELEASE  

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  

DATE    

Contact:  main  info  

Parent,  Student,  and  Teacher  Protesters  Demand  Explanation      

Last  Thursday  afternoon,  JanƵĂƌLJϮϭ͕ŽŶ͘ϳϵ^ƚ͕͘ĂĐƌŽƐƐĨƌŽŵƚŚĞŵĂLJŽƌ͛ƐŵĂŶƐŝŽŶ͕ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĂŶĚƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐƉĞĂĐĞĨƵůůLJ

ƉƌŽƚĞƐƚĞĚĂŐĂŝŶƐƚƚŚĞĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶ͛ƐƉƌŽƉŽƐĂůƐƚŽĨŽƌĐĞŵĂƐƐĐůŽƐŝŶŐƐŽĨƉƵďůŝĐƐĐŚŽŽůƐĂŶĚƚŚĞŝƌƚĂŬĞŽǀĞƌďLJĐŚĂƌƚĞƌ
schools.    They  were  exercising  their  constitutional  right  under  the  First  Amendment  to  publicly  demand  that  these  policies  
that  undermine  the  public  school  system  and  deprive  their  children  of  an  adequate  education  be  stopped.    

Meanwhile,  a  reporter  on  the  scene  caught  on  videotape  the  actions  of  police  who  were  taking  photographs  of  the  protesters  
from  the  roof  and  inside  a  private  school  across  the  street.    In  1985,  the  federal  court  ruled  that  it  is  illegal  and  a  violation  of  
civil  rights  for  the  New  York  City  police  to  take  photos  of  protesters,  unless  they  have  cause  to  believe  that  a  crime  may  be  
committed.    The  city  signed  a  consent  agreement  that  year,  restricting  police  surveillance  according  to  these  rules,  called  the  
Handschu  Guidelines.    In  the  case  of  this  peaceful  protest,  there  was  no  such  cause.    The  video  is  available  on  YouTube  at  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbNRt-­‐5OZ68  

The  protesters  are  asking  for  a  full  explanation  as  to  why  the  pictures  were  taken  and  how  the  police  plan  to  use  the  photos.    
The  protestors  also  want  to  know  whether  any  videotaping  of  them  was  done.    Finally,  they  are  considering  filing  a  complaint  
with  Judge  Charles  S.  Haight  Jr.,  the  federal  judge  who  has  continuing  jurisdiction  over  the  enforcement  of  the  Handschu  
Guidelines.  

Lydia  Bellahcene,  a  parent  at  PS  15  in  Red  Hook  Brooklyn  where  the  DOE  is  proposing  an  extension  of  a  charter  school  co-­‐
ůŽĐĂƚŝŽŶ͕ƐĂŝĚ͕͞DĂLJŽƌůŽŽŵďĞƌŐĂŶĚŚŝƐĐŽ-­‐horts  can  not  be  allowed  to  dismantle  public  education.    I  am  outraged  that  
there  was  this  kind  of  surveillance  at  a  peaceful  protest  of  mothers  and  others.    We  broke  no  laws,  and  the  NYPD  should  not  
ďĞĂůůŽǁĞĚƚŽǀŝŽůĂƚĞƚŚĞůĂǁƐĨŽƌDĂLJŽƌůŽŽŵďĞƌŐ͛ƐďĞŶĞĨit  either.    The  mayor  and  the  NYPD  should  get  used  to  these  
ƉƌŽƚĞƐƚƐ͕ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ/ĂŶĚŵŽƚŚĞƌ͛ƐĂĐƌŽƐƐƚŚĞĐŝƚLJǁŝůůďĞĚŽŝŶŐŝƚĂŐĂŝŶ͘͟  

Lisa  Donlan,  public  school  parent  and  the  President  of  the  Community  Education  Council  of  District  1  on  the  Lower  East  Side,  
ƐĂŝĚ͗͞dŚĞŝůůĞŐĂůƐƵƌǀĞŝůůĂŶĐĞŽĨĂƉĞĂĐĞĨƵůŐƌŽƵƉŽĨŽƌĚĞƌůLJ͕ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĞĚƉƌŽƚĞƐƚĞƌƐ  is  yet  another  example  of  this  
administration's  autocratic  and  unreasonable  rejection  of  the  voices  of  parents,  students,  teachers  and  taxpaying  citizens  in  
this  city.  Mayoral  control  has  already  attenuated  our  opinions  to  the  point  of  irrelevance;  by  treading  on  our  basic  First  
Amendment  rights  to  gather  and  protest  peacefully  last  week  this  Mayor  has  once  again  shown  his  true  colors:  they  are  NOT  
ƌĞĚ͕ǁŚŝƚĞĂŶĚďůƵĞ͘͟  

͞dŚĞŝŶƚĞŶƐĞƉŽůŝĐĞĨŽƌĐĞĂŶĚƐƵƌǀĞŝůůĂŶĐĞŽĨĂƉĞĂĐĞĨƵůŐƌŽƵƉŽĨƉĂƌĞŶƚ͕ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ͕ĂŶĚƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƉƌŽƚĞƐƚĞƌƐůĂƐƚdŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ
ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐĂĐůĞĂƌĂƚƚĞŵƉƚďLJDĂLJŽƌůŽŽŵďĞƌŐ͛ƐĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶƚŽƐŝůĞŶĐĞĂŶĚŝŶƚŝŵŝĚĂƚĞƐƚĂŬĞŚŽůĚĞƌƐŝŶĞĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶƉŽůŝĐLJ͘
The  hallmark  of  this  Administration  has  been  to  deny  and  disenfranchise  the  voices  of  parents  in  the  debates  surrounding  
school  policies,  such  as  school  closings  and  charter  school  invasions.    This  is  a  clear  intent  to  dissuade  active  participation  in  
advocacy  efforts  ŽŶƚŚĞŝƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛ƐďĞŚĂůĨ͕͟ƐĂLJƐ:ƵůŝĞĂǀĂŶĂŐŚ͕ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌW^ϭϱ͕͞tĞǀŝĞǁƚŚĞƐĞĂĐƚŝŽŶƐĂƐĂǀŝŽůĂƚŝŽŶŽĨŽƵƌ
ĐŝǀŝůůŝďĞƌƚŝĞƐĂŶĚǁŝůůĐŽŶƚŝŶƵĞŝŶŽƵƌƐƚƌƵŐŐůĞƚŽƉƌŽƚĞĐƚŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛ƐƉƵďůŝĐĞĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶƐLJƐƚĞŵĂŶĚŽƵƌ&ŝƌƐƚŵĞŶĚŵĞŶƚ
ƌŝŐŚƚƐ͘͟  
Name:    Contact  info  
Name:    Contact  info  
 
 

 
Contact  The  Media!  

Make  your  story  public.    8VHQHZVSDSHUVDQGEORJVWREULQJDWWHQWLRQWR\RXUVFKRRO¶VVWUXJJOH    Contact  reporters,  but  remember  it  is  not  
legal  to  meet  with  members  of  press  in  your  school  building.  Do  not  overlook  free  weekly  papers.    Often,  these  papers  will  send  a  reporter  to  
your  meetings,  public  hearings  and  protests.  If  your  story  is  mentioned  in  any  paper,  make  sure  community  members  leave  comments  online  
when  available.  Remember,  when  you  are  dealing  with  the  media,  you  cannot  control  the  nature  of  the  piece  or  how  the  reporter  chooses  to  
use  your  quotes.    

 Press  Contacts  

 Daily  News:      Juan  Gonzalez  jgonzalez@nydailynews.com,  Meredith  Kolodner  mkolodner@nydailynews.com  

 Elizabeth  Lazarowitz  with  ELazarowitz@nydailynews.com,    Rachel  Monahan  rmonahan@nydailynews.com  

 El  Diario  


Tel:  (212)  807-­4600  email:
editor@eldiariony.com    

 New  York  Post:  

Yoav  Gonen  (Education  Reporter)  yoav.gonen@nypost.com  

 New  York  Times  

 Jennifer  Medina:  jemedina@nytimes.com    

 Free  Weekly  Papers:    &RQWDFW<RXU&RPPXQLW\¶V)UHH:HHNO\3DSHU  

Visit  www.yournabe.com,  this  website  has  links  for  free  weeklies  for  all  neighborhoods  in  Brooklyn,  Queens  and  The  Bronx.    You  can  search  
for  education  articles  to  learn  who  covers  these  issues;;  you  may  find  links  to  school  articles  where  you  can  leave  comments.    Below  are  other  
free  weekly  papers.  

 Brooklyn  Eagle  Mary  Frost  mfrost@brooklyneagle.net      The  Brooklyn  Paper
Newsroom@CNGLocal.com  (718)  260-­4504  

 The  Queens  Chronicle  Send  press  releases  to:    lizrqchron.com  

                                                                                 Education  Editor:  michaell@qchron.com  

 The  Indypendent:    www.indypendent.org    phone:    2112-­904-­1282  

 Call  or  Email  News  Tips:  

 Daily  News  News  Tips  Hotline:  (212)  210-­NEWS                                                  Channel  12  Brooklyn  News:    718-­861-­6818  

Fox  5:  http://www.myfoxny.com/subindex/news/news_tips  

New  York  1:    212-­69106397  Education  Reporter  Lindsey  Christ:                                                                                                                              

                       lindsey.christ@ny1news.com                                                                                              NY  Post:    212-­930-­8500  

New  York  Times:  212-­556-­1234  or  news-­tips@nytimes.com                        PIX  News:    212-­210-­2411  

WABC  Channel  7  News  Desk:    2120456-­3100  

WCBS  Channel  2  News:  NEWSLINE:  800-­CH-­2-­NEWS
    

                                                                                     Assignment  Desk:  212-­975-­5867        

 WNBC  Channel  4  News  Tips:  http://www.nbcnewyork.com/contact-­us/  

   

 
 
 Creating  a  Newsletter  

Though  print  media  seems  to  be  under  severe  attack  due  to  the  growth  of  the  internet,  the  impact  of  distributing  hard  copy  
directly  into  people's  hands  should  not  be  underestimated.  Paper  still  works  very  effectively.  It  is  the  only  way  to  get  your  
message  out  at  meetings  and  events.  And  paper  travels.  As  an  organizing  tool  it  can  be  shared  hand  to  hand  or  hung  up  on  
bulletin  boards.  As  advocacy,  it  has  an  impact  on  policy  makers  and  politicians.  As  an  education  tool,  a  well-­reasoned  case  can  
move  people  to  action.  

Organizing  a  newsletter  committee  

A  newsletter  is  only  effective  if  it  is  published  on  a  regular  basis.  This  is  more  difficult  than  people  imagine,  so  initially,  keep  
the  goals  modest.  Once  a  month  might  be  a  good  way  to  start.  It  is  best  to  have  a  few  people  involved  to  share  the  work  and  
make  basic  decisions.  When  one  person  dominates,  only  that  point  of  view  gets  emphasized.  Decide  what  information  you  want  
to  put  out.  If  you  want  to  notify  people  of  upcoming  events  that  makes  the  newsletter  extremely  time  sensitive.  

Format  

Based  on  how  often  you  want  to  publish  and  the  amount  of  information  you  need  to  get  out,  decide  on  a  format.  The  easiest  and  
cheapest  is  a  one-­sided  letter  size.  If  you  need  more  space,  go  to  legal  size  (sometimes  harder  to  manage  in  distribution)  or  2-­
sided  letter  size  (doubles  the  expense).  Consider  distribution  factors  in  making  format  choices.  Do  you  want  to  send  it  out  as  a  
pdf  to  have  others  print  and  hand  out?  Two-­sided  makes  it  tough  for  people  to  do.  

Other  formats:    

A  more  expensive  option  is  using  11x17  sheets  folded  sideways  into  a  4-­page  booklet,  which  gives  you  3  letter  size  pages,  the  
equivalent  of  2  sheets  of  2  sided  letter  size  stapled  together.  Few  home  printers  can  print  in  this  format  and  going  to  a  Staples  or  
Kinkos  is  often  necessary.  But  if  you  have  access  to  a  risograph  you  can  do  it  on  that  (some  machines  conscript  the  borders  
severely  and  you  might  lose  a  few  inches.)  This  format  is  very  readable  and  if  costs  are  not  too  far  off,  a  better  choice  than  
staples  sheets.  You  can  also  bump  to  another  page  as  an  insert  or  2  full  11x17  pages,  the  equivalent  of  8  letter  size  pages.  This  
might  allow  you  to  put  more  info  in  each  edition  and  print  less  often.  

Another  and  cheaper  option  if  you  are  printing  large  amounts  in  the  thousands  is  to  go  to  a  tabloid  newsprint  format,  but  then  
you  have  to  deal  with  a  large  scale  printer.  But  the  prices  really  drop  as  the  numbers  grow.  For  instance,  an  11x15  4  page  layout  
(which  uses  one  sheet  of  newsprint)  -­  the  equivalent  of  8  letter  size  pages  and  offers  what  seems  like  endless  space  for  a  nice  
layout  -­  will  cost  around  250-­300  dollars  for  3000  copies.  The  cost  per  copy  drops  as  you  increase  the  run.  A  printer  to  check  
out  is  Expedi.  718  417  0900  in  east  Williamsburg  near  the  Queens  border.  

Tasks  

Writing  the  articles,  Graphics,  Layout:  there  are  pros  that  do  this  but  it  is  learnable,  Printing,  Distribution:  Consider  how  and  
where  this  will  be  handed  out  and  to  what  audience  (producing  the  newsletter  is  only  half  the  job),  and  Budget.  

Software  

Many  people  find  Microsoft  Word  adequate.  Others  use  Publish  (I  don't  believe  this  is  available  on  Macs).  A  more  
sophisticated  program  on  a  professional  level  is  Adobe's  In  Design,  which  is  what  I  use.  There  is  a  bit  of  a  learning  curve  but  it  
gives  you  every  tool  a  professional  has.  You  would  also  want  a  Photoshop  type  program  to  handle  graphics.  

 
 EXAMPLE  NEWSLETTER  

 
V1  #1  GEM  -­  Grassroots  Education  Movement  to  Defend  Public  Education  November,  2009  
gemnyc@gmail.com  http://grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com/  
 
+DUOHP¶V36)LJKWV³6HSDUDWH 8QHTXDO´6FKRROLQJ  
Prior  to  the  invasion  of  its  space  a  year  ago  by  the  Harlem  Success  Academy  (HSA2)  charter  school,  PS  123  was  rated  by  
the  DOE  as  a  successful  school,  thus  undermining  one  of  the  major  reasons  for  the  existence  of  charter  schools  in  the  first  place  
-­  the  claim  they  are  a  remedy  for  failing  schools.  Why  are  charter  schools  invading  the  spaces  of  A-­  rated  schools?    
+6$¶V&(2(YD0RVNRZLW]FODLPVKHUVFKRROVH[FHOGXHWR³UHYROXWLRQDU\´WHDFKLQJVWUDWHJLHVZKHQLQIDFWWKHVHVFKRROV
are  gaining  a  reputation  as  test-­prep  factories.  Every  effort  is  made  to  court  the  best  students  via  data  banks  and  mailing  lists  
from   the   DOE,   provide   smaller   class   sizes,   and   use   a   lottery   system   that   self   selects   the   most   involved   parents.   The   out-­
resourcing  and  out-­funding  compared  to  public  schools  has  widened  the  separation  and  inequality.    
This   past   summer,   Harlem   Success   took   away   an   entire   floor   IURP 36  0RYHUV FDPH LQ DQG UHPRYHG WHDFKHUV¶
materials  from  their  rooms  and  placed  them  in  the  halls.  Teachers  came  into  the  school  in  protest  and  physically  blocked  access  
to  their  rooms.  Demonstrations  were  held  but  the  DOE,  as  it  always  does,  favored  the  charter  school.  PS  123  lost  two  science  
labs,  half  a  library,  a  social  studies  room,  and  a  PTA  room  with  computers  for  GED  classes.  The  separate  and  unequal  treatment  
LVHYLGHQWE\YLHZLQJ+6$¶VIDFLOLWLHVQHZO\SDLQWHGKDOOVVWDWHRIWKHDUWVFLHnce  labs,  renovated  bathrooms  with  bright  wall-­
tiles,  toilets  &  sinks,  rooms  with  high-­tech  smart-­boards,  rugs,  air  conditioners,  modern  lighting,  newly  tiled  floors  and  re-­wired  
electricity.  Elite  facilities  are  set  aside  for  the  3rd  floor  HSA  charter  students  while,  the  PS  123  students  are  treated  as  inferiors  
ZLWKROGHULQDGHTXDWHDQGZRUQRXWIXUQLVKLQJV IDFLOLWLHV7KH'2(DQGWKH+6$¶VFDOORXV³VHSDUDWHDQGXQHTXDO´SUDFWLFHV
are   destructive.   Equitable   and   quality   public   schooling   for   all   is   essential.   Parents,   teachers   and   the   community   continue   to  
protest  ±  but  the  deceptions  continue.  See  photo  of  rally  at  PS  123  on  reverse  side.    
PS  15K/CAPE  Battles  PAVE  Charter  in  Red  Hook  
When  teachers  and  parents  at  PS  15  of  Red  Hook,  Brooklyn  were  informed  that  the  PAVE  charter  school  was  going  to  occupy  
space  in  their  building,  they  began  to  organize  to  preserve  their  space.  PAVE  promised  to  vacate  in  two  years,  claiming  they  
ZHUHORRNLQJIRUVSDFH%XWLWGLGQ¶WWDNHORQJIRU3$9(WRSXOOWKHFKDUWHUVFKRRO  ³EDLWDQGVZLWFK´2QFHWKH\KDGWKHLUIRRW
in   the   door,   they   requested   more   space.   Given   this   behavior,   the   recent   request   to   extend   their   stay   from   two   to   five   years  
should  not  come  as  a  total  surprise,  despite  the  fact  that  the  UFT  -­  playing  their  usuaOUROHRIFRQWUROOLQJWKH³PLOLWDQW´DFWLYLVP
of  their  teachers-­  had  assured  that  PAVE  would  not  stay  beyond  the  two  years  requested.    
Understanding  that  there  would  be  no  assistance  from  the  UFT,  the  PS  15  community  organized  to  form  their  own  organization  
±   the   Concerned   Advocates   for   Public   Education   (CAPE).   Hearing   of   the   work   GEM   was   doing   exposing   Harlem   charter  
schools,  CAPE  reached  out  for  support  as  they  organized  community  forces  to  attend  the  September  District  15  CEC  meeting.  
At   the   meeting,   PS   15   parents   and   staff   engaged   in   a   raucous   debate   with   the   parents   of   PAVE.   (Video   available   at  
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/).   CAPE   continued   their   efforts   with   a   table   at   the   Atlantic   Antic   street   fair,   gathering  
hundreds   of   signatures   calling   on   PAVE   to   leave   PS   15   as   promised.   But   as   expected,   the   DOE   ruled   for   PAVE.   CAPE  
(capeducation.blogspot.com)  and  GEM  are  soon  planning  a  conference  on  charter  schools  issues.  
What  Is  Wrong  With  Charter  Schools?    
GEM  opposes  the  concept  of  charter  schools  as  an   alternative  to  struggling  public  schools,  which  are  often  shortchanged  the  
resources  necessary  to  succeed.  Charter  schools  are  under  the  complete  control  of  a  private  enterprise  within  a  public  school  
district.  Although  taxpayer-­funded,  charters  operate  without  the  same  degree  of  public  and  district  oversight  of  standard  public  
schools.  While  we  understand  the  need  of  parents  and  teachers  to  find  alternatives  to  failing  public  schools,  the  answers  lie  in  
the  public  sphere.  The  short-­term  answers  offered  by  the  privatization  movement  as  epitomized  by  charters  will  turn  into  long-­
term  disasters  for  parents,  students,  teachers  and  the  future  of  public  education.  
PS  15  parents,  students,  teachers  rally    
Send  gemnyc@gmail.com  your  stories  or  articles.  Anonymity  guaranteed  
UFT  UNION  =  Your  BOSS  At  UFT  Charter  Schools  A  GEM  member  writes:  At  a  union  meeting,  I  
UDQLQWRDIULHQGZKRQRZWHDFKHVDWD8)7UXQFKDUWHUVFKRRO³:HDUHGURZQLQJLQZRUN7KH8)7
Charter  School  demands  so  much  of  our  personal  time.  We  must  volunteer  too  much.  If  one  decides  to  
PDUU\DQGKDYHNLGVRQHZRXOGKDYHWRTXLW´$EUXSWO\KLVYRLFHIHOOVLOHQW,QDORZYRLFHKHH[SODLQHG
³,FDQ¶WWDON0\%266LVDSSURDFKLQJDQG,FDQ¶WKDYHKLPVHHPHWDONLQJWR\RX*(0´,ZDVVKRFNHG
to  seHWKDWWKLVDSSURDFKLQJERVVLV³RXU´8)79LFH-­President  Leo  Casey!  A  school  BOSS  as  a  union  
advocate?!  How  can  this  be?  Rank  and  file  teachers  are  faced  with  the  problem  that  the  UFT  itself  has  
bought  into  so  much  of  the  system  -­  having  two  charter  schools  of  its  own,  with  both  occupying  space  in  
SXEOLFVFKRROVLQ(DVW1<ZKLFKFRPSHWLQJIRUSXEOLFVFKRRONLGV7KH8)7¶VDELOLW\WRKHOSWHDFKHUV
fight  back  invading  charter  schools  has  been  compromised.  In  schools  like  PS  123  and  PS  15,  the  UFT  
remains  on  the  sidelines.  Can  the  UFT  complain  about  charter  invasions?  The  argument  that  these  UFT  
charter  schools  are  unionized  seem  irrelevant  considering  that  the  staff  workload  load  mirrors  those  
working  at  non-­unionized  charter  schools.    
+DUOHP¶V36)DFHV  Charter  Takeover  
In  Feb.  2009,  PS  197M  was  denied  its  application  to  extend  its  elementary  school  to  the  7th  grade.  Soon  
after,  the  school  was  ordered  to  scrap  the  entire  6th  grade,  turning  it  into  a  Pre-­K  to  grade  5  school.  This  
triggered  speculation  among  WKHVWDII³$UHWKH\JRLQJWRFORVHGRZQWKHVFKRRO",VD&KDUWHU6FKRRO
FRPLQJLQ"´  
The  suspicions  were  justified  when  Democracy  Prep  charWHUVFKRROWDUJHWHG360¶VVSDFHIRUWKHLU
own  6th  graders.  The  DOE  orchestrated  the  plan  for  the  charter  schooOWRWDNH360¶VVL[WKJUDGHUV
from  the  beginning.  The  staff  at  PS  197M  was  shaken  at  the  turn  of  events.  5th  and  6th-­grade  students  
were  forced  to  graduate  together  because  there  was  no  place  for  the  current  5th  graders  to  go  the  fol-­
lowing  school  year  (2009-­2010).    
Meanwhile,  Democracy  Prep  and  DOE  officials  scouted  for  rooms  they  wanted.  They  ended  up  with  six  
rooms  on  the  second  floor,  upsetting  some  PS  197M  parents.  PS  197M  opened  with  450  students  from  
Pre-­K  to  Grade  5.  Democracy  Prep  opened  with  103  students  and  five  6th-­grade  classrooms  which  were  
renovated  and  furnished  with  brand  new  furniture  for  the  teachers  and  students.  The  renovation  made  the  
classrooms  inviting,  in  stark  contrast  to  the  non-­renovated  classrooms  in  the  public  school  part  of  the  
building.    
Democracy  Prep  Charter  claims  it  has  its  own  building  in  construction  and  would  occupy  part  of  the  
second  floor  of  PS  197M  for  only  two  years.  But  schools  have  heard  that  story  before  (see  article  on  PS  
3$9(&KDUWHUVFKRROVGRQ¶WJLve  up  space  that  easily.  It  will  take  a  struggle  to  get  them  out  after  two  
years.  
Teachers  and  parents  rally  at  PS  123  in  July  to  protest  Harlem  Success  charter  invasion  
Charter  Kicks  Public  Schools  Kids  Out  of  THEIR  Library    
³7KHUH¶VWKLVZKROHOLEUDU\IXOORIQHZERRNVERXJKWIRURXUVFKRRODQGZHFDQ¶WHYHQXVHLW´-­-­-­-­8th  
grader  at  MS  126K  
Middle  school  students  at  MS  126  in  Brooklyn  have  lost  nearly  all  access  to  their  newly  renovated  
school  library.  The  librarian  managed  the  renovation  herself  by  bringing  in  numerous  volunteers  during  
the  past  year.  Just  as  the  job  was  completed,  the  library  was  taken  over  by  three  charter  schools  that  share  
the  same  building  in  exchange  for  some  gymnasium  space.  Students  now  have  access  to  half  the  original  
library  for  only  two  hours  per  day.  Library  instruction  takes  place  in  classrooms  using  laptops.  A  student  
pointed  out  the  location  of  the  neighborhood  public  library  was  dangerous.  For  many  children,  especially  
those  who  live  in  high-­poverty  areas,  the  school  library  is  the  only  source  of  reading  material.  The  
charters  and  MS  126  both  lost  out  on  this  deal.  MS  126  lost  most  of  its  access  to  its  own  school  library,  
while  the  three  charters  are  utilizing  the  library  ineffectively.  View  Middle  School  126  Library  to  make  way  
IRUD&KDUWHU6FKRRO7HDFKHU¶V/RXQJHon  the  GEM  blog  or  at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-­gJCdIx_n0U.  

 
 Creating  a  blog  or  web  site  

Of  course,  hard  copy  must  also  partner  with  

the  internet  and  using  listserves,  blogs  and  
web  sites  to  dovetail  with  the  message  in  the  
hard  copy  should  not  be  neglected.  

Uploading  pdfs:  Get  a  free  account  at  scribd:  

http://www.scribd.com/  

People  could  download  newsletters  to  extend  

the  reach.  

How  do  web  sites  and  blogs  differ?  

A  web  site  takes  some  technical  skill  and  can  incur  some  expense  for  an  effective  site.  Changes  often  
mean  uploading  files.  Design  factors  can  enter  into  the  equation.  There  are  free  web  hosting  sites.  Do  a  
search.  Here  is  one:  http://www.freewebsites.com/  

Blogs  are  much  easier  to  manage  than  web  sites  but  you  have  limited  control  over  the  real  estate.  

It  can  take  as  little  as  10  minutes  to  have  a  blog  up  and  running.  Blogs  are  linear  -­  latest  posts  are  at  the  
top.  You  have  some  control  over  the  order  they  appear  in  by  manipulating  the  publication  dates.  But  your  
posts  scroll  down  with  age  and  eventually  disappear  into  the  archive  section.  

You  can  also  use  the  side  panel(s)  to  put  up  information  that  is  visible  on  a  more  permanent  basis.  

One  of  the  simplest  blogging  environments  is  blogger,  

owned  by  Google.  https://www.blogger.com/start  

Another  is  Word  press  

http://wordpress.org/  which  seems  a  touch  more  

complex  to  manage  than  blogger.  

 
 
 Advocacy  Resources  
 
How  to  find  your  local  representatives:    simply  enter  your  zip  code,  and  it  lists  all  the  government  
representatives  at  each  level,  and  their  contact  info:  

http://www.capwiz.com/ascd/dbq/officials/  
 
Advocates  for  Children:    http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/  
AFC  promotes  access  to  the  best  education  New  York  can  provide  for  all  students,  especially  students  of  
color  and  students  from  low-­‐income  backgrounds.  We  use  uniquely  integrated  strategies  to  advance  
systemic  reform,  empower  families  and  communities,  and  advocate  for  the  educational  rights  of  
individual  students.  

Class  Size  Matters:    http://www.classsizematters.org/    

Class  Size  Matters  is  a  non-­‐profit,  non-­‐partisan  clearinghouse  for  information  on  class  size  and  the  
proven  benefits  of  smaller  classes.    We  also  advocate  for  class  size  reduction  in  NYC,  where  our  students  
continue  to  suffer  from  being  crammed  into  the  largest  classes  in  the  state  and  some  of  the  largest  in  
the  nation.      
 
CEJ,  Coalition  for  Educational  Justice:    http://www.nyccej.org/  
Led  by  parents,  the  NYC  Coalition  for  Educational  Justice  is  organizing  a  movement  to  end  the  inequities  
ŝŶƚŚĞĐŝƚLJ͛ƐƉƵďůŝĐƐĐŚŽŽůƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘tĞĂƌĞĂĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚŝǀĞŽĨĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ-­‐based  organizations  and  unions  
whose  members  include  culturally  diverse  parents,  community  members,  students  and  educators.  We  
are  motivated  by  the  urgent  need  to  obtain  a  quality  and  well-­‐rounded  education  for  all  students.  We  
will  mobilize  the  power  of  parents  and  the  community  to  affect  policy  change  and  create  a  more  
equitable  educational  system.  
 
GEM,  Grassroots  Education  Movement:  www.grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com  

The  Grassroots  Education  Movement  (GEM)  to  Defend  Public  Education  is  a  coalition  of  NYC  groups  that  
educates  and  mobilizes  educators,  parents,  students  and  our  communities  against  the  corporate  and  
government  policies  that  underfund,  undermine  and  privatize  our  public  school  system.  GEM  advocates  
both  within  and  outside  the  UFT  for  the  equality  and  quality  of  public  education  services  and  the  rights  
of  school  workers.  

AQE,  Alliance  for  Quality  Education:  http://www.aqeny.org/  

)RXQGHGRQO\LQWKH$OOLDQFHIRU4XDOLW\(GXFDWLRQ$4(KDVTXLFNO\EHFRPH1HZ<RUNVWDWH¶V

lead community-based organization in the fight for high quality public education. A statewide non-profit,
AQE unites a coalition of over 230 organizations of parents, children's advocates, schools, teachers,
clergy, and others. AQE believes it will take fair funding and smarter spending to support better schools
and give every child in New York State a quality education from pre-K to high school graduation. Truly
statewide, AQE has active community-based education coalitions in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, the
Capital District (Albany), New York City and Long Island.
  

Teachers  Unite:    http://teachersunite.net/  

Teachers  Unite  is  the  only  membership  organization  of  public  school  educators  building  power  to  
demand  that  our  union  stand  for  educational  justice,  and  to  win  social  justice  demands  for  the  low-­‐
income  and  working  communities  of  New  York  City.  Members  participate  in  our  programs  that  develop  
leadership  and  organizing  skills,  while  establishing  collaborative  relationships  with  community  
organizations  fighting  for  meaningful  social  change.  We  believe  that  a  strong  organization  of  activist  
teachers,  working  in  coalition  with  parents  and  students,  will  transform  our  city,  and  its  schools,  to  best  
serve  all  New  Yorkers.  

CPE,  Coalition  for  Public  Education:  http://forpubliced.blogspot.com/  

The  Coalition  for  Public  Education/Coalición  por  la  Educación  Pública  is  an  independent,  non-­‐sectarian,  
and  non-­‐governmental  organization  with  short,  middle  and  long-­‐term  educational  and  social  goals.  We  
believe  that  education  is  a  human  right  and  we  want  to  ensure  that  New  York  City  public  schools  are  
places  of  learning  in  which  all  stakeholders  (parents,  students,  educators,  non-­‐pedagogical  staff,  
administrators  and  the  community)  are  engaged  in  a  democratic  process  to  provide  a  free  and  quality  
education  to  all  its  students,  from  Pre-­‐school  to  College.  

Time  Out  From  Testing:  http://timeoutfromtesting.org/  

Time  Out  From  Testing  is  a  statewide  coalition  of  parent,  educator,  business,  community,  and  civil  rights  
organizations  in  New  York  State  committed  to  a  "time-­‐out"  from  excessive  and  high  stakes  exams.  We  
call  for  a  comprehensive  review  of  the  Regents  exams  and  state-­‐initiated  standardized  tests  and  the  
impact  they  have  had  on  our  children,  our  schools,  and  our  communities.  

New  York  State  Board  of  Regents:  http://www.regents.nysed.gov/contacts/    

The  Regents  are  responsible  for  the  general  supervision  of  all  educational  activities  within  the  State,  
presiding  over  The  University  and  the  New  York  State  Education  Department.  The  Regents  are  organized  
into  standing  committees  and  subcommittees  whose  members  and  chairs  are  appointed  by  the  
Chancellor.    The  Board  comprises  16  members  elected  by  the  State  Legislature  for  5  year  terms:  1  from  
each  of  the  State's  12  judicial  districts  and  4  members  who  serve  at  large.  Regents  are  unsalaried  and  
are  reimbursed  only  for  travel  and  related  expenses  in  connection  with  their  official  duties.  
 
Make  the  Road  New  York:  http://www.maketheroad.org/whatwedo_publiced.php  
Promoting  Full  Participation  by  Immigrant  Parents  EĞǁzŽƌŬŝƚLJ͛ƐĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚŽĨĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶŚĂƐ
responded  to  our  participatory  action  research,  direct  action  and  strategic  policy  advocacy  by  issuing  
ŶĞǁŚĂŶĐĞůůŽƌ͛ƐƌĞŐƵůĂƚŝŽŶƐƚŚĂƚƌĞƋƵŝƌĞƚƌĂŶƐůĂƚŝŽŶƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐĂƚĂůůEĞǁzŽƌŬŝƚLJƐĐŚŽŽůƐĂŶĚďLJ
investing  over  twelve  million  dollars  annually  in  a  new  Translation  and  Interpretation  Services  Unit  to  
ensure  that  hundreds  of  thousands  of  New  York  City  parents  with  limited  English  can  participate  
meaningfully  in  the  education  of  their  children.  
 
New  York  State  Council  of  School  Superintendents:    http://www.nyscoss.org/  
The  New  York  State  Council  of  School  Superintendents  is  a  professional  and  advocacy  organization  with  
over  a  century  of  service  to  school  superintendents  in  New  York  State.  The  Council  provides  its  more  
than  800  members  with  numerous  professional  development  opportunities,  publications  and  personal  
services,  while  advocating  for  public  education  and  the  superintendence.  
 
Statewide  School  Finance  Consortium:  http://www.statewideonline.org/  
The  Statewide  School  Finance  Consortium  (SSFC)  is  a  statewide  organization  of  public  school  districts  
ĂůůŝĞĚƚŽƌĞĨŽƌŵEĞǁzŽƌŬ^ƚĂƚĞ͛ƐĚLJƐĨƵŶĐƚŝŽŶĂůƐĐŚŽŽůĂŝĚƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘Member  school  districts  speak  with  
one  voice  in  joining  with  overburdened  taxpayers  throughout  Upstate  to  ask  the  Legislature  and  
Governor  to  drastically  reform  the  system  of  financing  schools  primarily  by  property  taxes.  
New  York  State  Association  of  Small  City  School  Districts:    http://scsd.neric.org/  
 
Campaign  for  Fiscal  Equity:    http://www.cfequity.org/  
Founded  in  1993,  The  Campaign  for  Fiscal  Equity,  Inc.,  a  not-­‐for-­‐profit  corporation,  is  a  coalition  of  
parent  organizations,  community  school  boards,  concerned  citizens,  and  advocacy  groups.  We  seek  to  
reform  New  York  State's  school  finance  system  to  ensure  adequate  resources  and  the  opportunity  for  a  
sound  basic  education  for  all  students  in  New  York  City.  Our  efforts  will  also  help  secure  the  same  
opportunity  for  students  throughout  the  state  who  are  not  currently  receiving  a  sound  basic  education.  
 
Citizen  Action  of  New  York:  http://www.citizenactionny.org/  
Citizen  Action  of  New  York  is  a  statewide  membership  organization  founded  in  1983.  We  have  individual  
members  and  are  a  coalition  of  labor,  senior  citizen,  women's,  student,  tenant  and  community  
organizations  that  works  with  community  activists  for  social  and  economic  justice.  We  fight  for  quality  
affordable  health  care  for  all,  jobs  that  pay  living  wages  with  decent  benefits,  expanded  Medicare  
coverage  for  seniors  that  includes  prescription  drugs,  strong  investment  in  public  education  and  after-­‐
school  programs,  campaign  finance  reform,  an  end  to  corporate  tax  loopholes  and  tax  breaks  for  the  
wealthy,  and  consumer  protections.  
 
Northwest  Bronx  Community  and  Clergy  Coalition:  http://www.northwestbronx.org/improveedu.html    
We  engage  parents,  students,  school  staff  and  concerned  community  members  to  improve  the  quality  
of  public  education  for  all  children  in  the  Northwest  Bronx  community.  
 
 
Community  Service  Society:    http://www.cssny.org/    
The  Community  Service  Society  (CSS)  engages  in  advocacy,  research  and  direct  service  to  champion  
better  job  opportunities  to  break  the  cycle  of  intergenerational  poverty  among  low-­‐income  New  
Yorkers.  Our  work  is  particularly  targeted  toward  communities  of  color  that  have  been  historically  
disadvantaged  and  now  comprise  the  majority  of  our  city.  We  use  a  variety  of  tools  to  encourage  
decision  makers  in  the  public  and  private  sectors  to  support  measures  to  help  these  hard-­‐working  New  
Yorkers  get  ahead.  CSS  promotes  policies  and  programs  that  result  in  systemic  change  and  advance  the  
economic  security  of  the  working  poor  and,  as  a  result,  strengthens  our  city.  
  
The  Institute  for  Education  and  Social  Policy:    http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/iesp/      
The  Institute  for  Education  and  Social  Policy  conducts  non-­‐partisan  scientific  research  about  U.S.  
education  and  related  social  issues.  Our  research,  policy  studies,  evaluations,  seminar  series,  and  
technical  assistance  inform  and  support  policy  makers,  educators,  parents  and  others  in  their  efforts  to  
improve  public  schooling.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                       
The  Center  for  Immigrant  Families:    http://www.c4if.org/                                                                                                                                                    
Center  for  Immigrant  Families  (CIF)  is  a  collectively-­‐run  and  popular  education  based  organization  for  
low  income  immigrant  women  of  color  and  community  members  in  Manhattan  valley  (Uptown  NYC).  
We  build  from  an  approach  that  recognizes  the  intersectionality  of  oppressions,  and  locate  our  most  
powerful  resistance  as  one  that  can  emerge  from  the  strength  of  who  we  are  as  women,  caregivers,  
economŝĐƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌƐ͕ƐƵƌǀŝǀŽƌƐ͕ĂŶĚ͕ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂůůLJ͕ĂƐƚŚĞ͞ŐůƵĞ͟ƚŚĂƚŚŽůĚƐŵĂŶLJŽĨŽƵƌĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚŝĞƐ
together.  We  organize  to  transform  the  conditions  of  injustice  we  face  and  their  multi-­‐layered  impact  on  
our  own  lives  and  that  of  our  communities.  

Blogs,  People  and  Organizations  to  Follow  and/or  Contact:  

GEM,  Grassroots  Education  Movement:      http://grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com/    

CAPE,  Concerned  Advocates  for  Public  Education:      http://capeducation.blogspot.com    

Ed  Notes  Online,  by  Norm  Scott:    http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/    

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/    

http://nyceducator.com/  

CPE,  Coalition  for  Public  Education:    http://forpubliced.blogspot.com/    

NYCoRE,  New  York  Collective  of  Radical  Educators:  http://www.nycore.org/      

ISO,  International  Socialist  Organization  (NYC  District):  http://www.nycore.org/      

http://www.dianeravitch.com/index.html  

http://insideschools.org  

http://gothamgazette.com/  

Teachers  Unite:      http://www.teachersunite.net/  

   

 
 Organize  

Organizing  is  no  easy  task.    It  takes  perseverance,  leadership  and  persistence  to  organize  
individuals  and  communities.    This  is  a  process,  one  that  should  begin  with  a  dedicated  group  of  
individuals  who  share  a  common  vision  or  goal.    Organizing  can  take  many  forms,  from  a  team  
of  people  advocating  around  a  single  issue,  to  the  development  of  an  advocacy  group  that  
works  for  one  or  many  issues.    In  either  case,  the  steps  and  process  are  similar:    create  points  of  
unity,  create  a  process  structure,  create  goals  and  asks,  and  then  take  action.  

Creating  an  Advocacy  Community-­‐Based  Group  

Parent-­‐Teacher-­‐Community  groups  are  key  to  advocacy  work.  The  current  climate  regarding  
school  governance,  policy,  and  education  reform  disenfranchises  key  stakeholders  from  
participating  in  educational  conversations  key  to  the  success  of  our  schools.    All  stakeholders  
should  be  involved  in  decision  making  that  affects  our  children  and  communities.    If  the  space  
for  this  involvement  is  not  being  facilitated  by  our  policy  makers  and  decision  makers,  
communities  should  find  ways  to  demand  their  voices  be  heard.    In  creating  a  community  based  
organization,  consider  the  following:  

x Join  parents,  teachers,  and  community  members  together  in  community  meeting  
spaces.  

x Develop  a  shared  vision,  group  name,  and  mission.  

x Develop  a  message,  asks,  and  platform  (see  educate  section).  

x Create  an  organization  and  process  structure  that  works  for  your  group.    Will  you  have  a  
leadership  team?    How  will  decisions  be  made?  Who  speaks  for  the  group?  How  are  
meetings  run  and  how  is  the  agenda  set?    

x Develop  a  series  of  tools  and  actions  your  group  will  use  and  undertake.  (media  
outreach,  education  outreach,  meeting  with  policy  makers,  rallies,  forums,  
ĚŝƐƐĞŵŝŶĂƚŝŽŶŽĨŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů͙Ϳ  

x ƌĞĂƚĞŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐƚŽƉƌŽŵŽƚĞLJŽƵƌŐƌŽƵƉ͛ƐĂŐĞŶĚĂ͗ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĐĂƌĚƐ͕ĨůLJĞƌƐ͕ŚĂŶĚŽƵƚƐ͕
ďůŽŐ͕ŶĞǁƐůĞƚƚĞƌ͙  

x Set  goals  and  benchmarks  

x Network  with  other  advocacy  and  community  groups  

 
A  School-­‐Community-­‐Based  Advocacy  Group  Model:    CAPE,  Concerned  Advocates  for  Public  Education  

CAPE  joins  together  parents,  teachers,  and  community  members  in  Red  Hook,  Brooklyn.    CAPE  was  created  in  
response  to  a  co-­‐location  and  extension  of  a  charter  school  in  their  successful  community  public  school.    
Stakeholder  voices  in  the  community  were  disenfranchised  from  the  conversation  involving  the  co-­‐location  of  
the  charter  and  through  the  process,  parents  and  teachers  realized  the  importance  of  their  voice  in  the  larger  
education  reform  debate.    Through  their  advocacy  regarding  their  school,  those  involved  learned  the  
importance  of  parent  and  teacher  activism  in  education  reform  and  see  their  role  in  the  larger  educational  
policy  and  reform  movement.    For  far  too  long,  beginning  in  1989  when  George  Bush  Sr.  called  the  first  
educational  summit  led  by  then  Governor  Clinton  where  not  one  parent  or  teacher  was  invited,  stakeholder  
voices  have  been  ignored  and  silenced  when  it  comes  to  the  education  of  our  children.    Below  please  find  the  
process  CAPE  used  from  inception  through  today  to  advocate  on  behalf  of  their  children  and  school  
community:  

o First  Meeting:    Set  vision  and  mission,  created  name,  message,  and  a  series  of  asks  and  goals    

o The  group  structure  was  inclusive,  open,  and  democratic/consensus  driven  the  only  official  role  
created  was  a  treasurer    

o Group  set  specific  positions  and  policy  recommendations  creating  a  platform  for  the  group  

o Group  created  Google  group  for  efficient  communication  and  information  sharing,  group  email  for  
outside  contact  on  behalf  of  the  group,  group  Facebook  and  Twitter  page  for  education  and  
networking,  blog  created  for  education  and  information  sharing  

o Later  Meetings:  teams  and  individuals  discussed  plans  of  action  and  took  responsibility  for  various  
group  work  including:      

¾ meeting  with  policy  makers  (where  asks  and  vision  were  presented)  

¾  materials  creation  and  dissemination  (business  cards,  bookmarks,  flyers,  form  letters,  
petitions,  policy  maker  contact  sheets,  op  ed  letters  and  posts,  letter  writing)  

¾ networking  with  other  groups  and  organizations,  education  outreach  (tables  at  city  or  
community  events,  attending  other  group/organization  meetings,  participation  in  and  
organizing  of  forums  in  and  outside  of  the  community)  

¾ media  outreach  (press  releases,  interviews,  contact)  

¾ community  outreach  (canvassing,  community  meetings  ʹrefreshments,  materials,  copies,  

ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ͙Ϳ  

¾ ĞǀĞŶƚƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ;ƌĂůůŝĞƐ͕ƉƌŽƚĞƐƚƐ͙Ϳ  

¾ education  outreach  (blog,  articles,  interviews,  public  speaking,  networking)  

 
 Community  Organizing  

Get  Organized!  

Start  conversations  within  the  school  and  school  community.  Visit  your  PTA  room,  speak  with  your  
parent  coordinator  and  speak  with  members  of  the  School  Leadership  Team.    Get  a  core  group  together  
to  discuss  your  goals  and  plan  your  first  community  meeting.    

Make  Connections!  

Once  you  have  a  clear  vision  of  what  you  want  to  accomplish,  you  should  also  begin  contacting  your  
local  council  members,  assembly  members  and  community-­‐based  organizations.    Also,  become  familiar  
ǁŝƚŚLJŽƵƌĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ͛ƐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶŽƵŶĐŝůĂŶĚĂƚƚĞŶĚƚŚĞŝƌǁŽƌŬŝŶŐƐĞƐƐŝŽns.    Ask  for  your  
ƐĐŚŽŽů͛ƐŝƐƐƵĞƚŽďĞŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚŝŶĨƵƚƵƌĞĂŐĞŶĚĂƐ͘Network  with  other  community  groups  such  as;  parent  
teacher  organizations,  children  and  women's  groups,  daycare  providers,  the  legal  community,  and  
housing  organizations.  

Things  to  Consider:  

ŚĂŶĐĞůůŽƌ͛ƐZĞŐƵůĂƚŝŽŶƐƐƚĂƚĞƚŚĂƚ͞^ĐŚŽŽůďƵŝůĚŝŶŐƐĂƌĞŶŽƚƉƵďůŝĐĨŽƌƵŵƐĨŽƌƉƵƌƉŽƐĞƐŽĨĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ
ŽƌƉŽůŝƚŝĐĂůĞdžƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ͘͟ΎdŚŝƐŝƐŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ͘DĂŬĞƐƵƌĞƚŚĂƚLJŽƵĚŽŶŽƚƵƐĞƐĐŚŽŽů-­‐owned  supplies,    
gather  on  school  property  or  disseminate  material  on  school  property.      

Meeting:    To  include  as  many  people  as  possible,  choose  a  venue  in  your  school  community.    A  local  
library  meeting  room  is  a  good  choice.    Call  your  library  to  reserve  space.    There  may  be  a  local  
community  organization  or  agency  willing  to  lend  you  space,  brainstorm  with  your  group  to  find  the  
ideal  meeting  place.    Also  consider  local  colleges  and  churches.      

Get  the  Word  Out:    Create  a  flier  to  distribute.  This  flier  must  stress  the  urgency  of  the  situation  and  
convey  that  participation  is  valuable!        Keeping  in  mind  CŚĂŶĐĞůůŽƌ͛ƐƌĞŐƵůĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐŵĂŶLJŶŽƚ
legally  issue  notices  on  campus.    Having  some  teachers,  school  staff  and  parents  stationed  outside  
before  and  after  school  during  dismissal  works  well.  

Communicate:    Use  a  blog  or  Facebook  page  to  communicate  with  people  who  cannot  attend  meetings  
or  want  more  information.    Establish  an  email  where  core  group  members  can  check  and  reply  regularly.  

Set  an  Agenda:  Use  an  agenda  to  frame  the  direction  of  your  meeting  and  be  sure  your  time  is  well  
spent.    List  each  subject  you  wish  to  cover  and  leave  time  for  attendees  to  ask  questions  and  share  
ideas.  

 
TIPS:  How  to  Conduct  the  Meeting**  

As  the  meeting  convener,  you  should  start  by  thanking  everyone  for  coming,  introducing  yourself  and  
give  a  brief  background  on  why  you  are  interested  in  this  issue,  then  have  the  others  do  the  same.  Ask  
the  group  to  select  the  issue(s)  they  want  to  discuss,  then  get  the  team  members  to  prioritize  the  
problem(s)/issue(s)  to  work  on.  You  don't  want  to  overwhelm  folks,  but  share  your  knowledge  with  
them.  It  is  also  helpful  to  pass  out  materials/brochures  you  found  useful.  Other  suggestions:  

Sign-­‐In.  Make  sure  all  attendees  sign  in,  giving  phone  number,  address  and  email.  Not  all  folks  who  
attend  the  first  meeting  are  going  to  come  back,  but  they  can  be  called  on  to  write  
letters,  make  phone  calls  or  do  other  smaller  tasks.  
Select  a  Facilitator.  The  facilitator  is  the  person  who  runs  the  meeting,  and  also  works  to  ensure  
that  all  people  feel  comfortable  participating.  This  can  be  you,  but  doesn't  have  to  be.  
Work  with  the  facilitator  to  train  and  support  them  so  they  are  comfortable  with  this  
role  and  have  the  skills  to  run  the  meeting  effectively.  
Note  Taker.  Make  sure  that  someone  (other  than  the  facilitator)  takes  notes  of  the  key  points  at  the  
meetingͶ  particularly  any  "to  do"  items  assigned  to  attendeesͶ  then  emails  the  
meeting  notes  to  all  folks  in  the  group  a  few  days  after  the  meeting.  This  will  keep  the  
people  who  were  not  able  to  attend  up  to  date,  and  remind  attendees  of  the  tasks  they  
agreed  to  take  on.  "To  do"  tasks  or  main  points  can  also  be  written  on  a  flip  chart  at  the  
end  of  the  meeting,  so  everyone  has  a  reminder  of  their  volunteer  responsibilities.  
Timekeeper.  Find  a  volunteer  to  ensure  that  the  agenda  is  followed  in  a  timely  manner.  This  job  is  
important;  you  risk  losing  people  if  meetings  go  on  too  long.  
Supplies.  Have  pens  and  paper  available  for  attendees,  and  something  large  enough  for  notes  for  
the  whole  group  Ͷ  a  blackboard,  a  flip  chart,  etc.  
Snacks.  Have  some  light  snacks  Ͷ  chips,  soda,  etc.,  particularly  if  it's  at  a  time  when  people  may  be  
hungry  (like  after  work,  but  before  dinner).  Don't  spend  your  time  making  fancy  foods;  
store-­‐bought  snacks  will  do  the  trick.  
TIPS:  Concluding  the  Meeting  

Follow-­‐up.  The  work  doesn't  end  when  the  meeting  ends,  it  really  just  begins.  Before  the  next  
meeting,  work  should  be  started  on  accomplishing  your  developed  plan  of  action.  Most  
participants  should  be  given  tasks  to  accomplish  before  the  next  meeting.  Don't  take  on  
all  the  tasks  yourself,  but  make  sure  that  attendees  are  comfortable  with  their  
assignments  -­‐  you  don't  want  to  scare  anyone  away.  
Set  the  next  meeting.  Pick  a  date,  time  and  place  while  you  are  all  together  so  that  everyone  knows  
when  and  where  you'll  be  meeting  next.  

Community  Outreach:    Create  canvassing  teams  of  parents  and  teachers  to  reach  out  to  community  
members,  businesses,  and  other  schools.    These  teams,  and  individuals  should  also  attend  other  
community  and  organization  meetings  to  educate,  organize,  and  mobilize  others.  

x &ŽƌŵŽƌĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶŽŶŚĂŶĐĞůůŽƌ͛ƐZĞŐƵůĂƚŝŽŶƐǀŝƐŝƚ͗http://docs.nycenet.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-­‐
86/D-­‐130__1-­‐15-­‐04.pdf  
 

                 **Taken  from  www.marininstitute.org  

 Mobilize  

Mobilizing  is  taking  action  and  getting  others  to  join  you  and  do  the  same.    If  there  are  steps  to  
advocacy,  this  would  be  the  last  one.    Through  educating  and  organizing  groups  and  individuals  develop  
and  share  their  vision,  message,  and  asks  and  create  spaces  for  others  to  join  in  the  process  and  prepare  
to  take  action.    Work  up  until  this  point  has  largely  been  internal,  with  some  educational  and  community  
outreach.    Through  mobilizing  your  work  comes  to  life,  it  is  the  realization  of  your  vision  and  the  time  
and  space  is  created  for  those  involved  to  spring  into  action  and  create  and  advocate  for  change.      

This  section  contains  samples  of  helpful  documents  for  mobilizing,  these  ideas  and  others  are  listed  
below:  

x Create  a  petition  (a  paper  example  follows,  for  online  petitions  use  http://www.ipetitions.com).  

x Create  a  survey  for  data/research  based  materials  (use  http://www.surveymonkey.com  ).  

x Create  a  form  letter  (a  paper  example  follows,  you  can  disseminate  and  collect  these  in  paper  
form  or  digitally  to  send  to  policy  makers  or  other  decision  makers).  

x Contact  Policy  Makers  and  Decision  Makers:    Stakeholders  should  write  letters,  send  faxes  (most  
effective  b/c  someone  has  to  pick  up  that  piece  of  paper),  send  emails,  and  make  phone  calls.    
Stakeholders  should  also  go  in  person  to  offices;  policymakers  should  give  you  and/or  your  
group  a  meeting  if  you  request  one  (a  paper  example  of  a  contact  sheet  for  a  community  is  
attached).    Do  not  underestimate  the  power  of  political  pressure;  elected  officials  want  to  be  re-­‐
elected.  

x Plan  forums,  community  meetings,  rallies,  and  protests.  

x Attend  CEC  (Community  Education  Council),  PEP  (Panel  for  Educational  Policy)  and  Community  
Board  meetings.    Attend  forums,  other  organization  meetings,  and  lobbying  days.  

x Disseminate  widely  informational  materials.  

x Speak  at  public  events,  invite  others  from  outside  of  your  community  to  meetings  and  forums.  

x Go  Public:    make  your  voice  heard  in  the  media,  in  public  spaces,  and  at  various  events.  

All  of  the  steps  of  advocacy  (educate,  organize,  mobilize)  overlap,  when  we  for  example  create  a  petition,  its  purpose  covers  
education  as  it  spreads  the  work  of  your  issue,  organizing  as  it  is  a  capacity  building  tool  for  your  group,  and  mobilizing  
because  members  take  the  issue  outside  of  the  group  involving  themselves  and  others.    However  you  conceptualize  the  
information  given  in  this  toolkit,  we  hope  you  have  found  it  useful  and  will  use  it  to  inspire  a  connection  with  others  to  fight  
for  public  education,  or  any  advocacy  goal.    Advocacy  and  activism  have  been  minimized  in  our  society  for  far  too  long,  the  
time  has  come  for  all  of  us  to  take  a  more  active  role  in  our  communities  and  our  country;  the  people  united,  cannot  be  
defeated!  
 EXAMPLE  PETITION  

BACKGROUND:  

PAVE  Academy  is  currently  occupying  space  in  PS15K  The  Patrick  F.  Daly  School  in  Brooklyn.  When  the  director,  
Spencer  Robertson,  first  approached  the  school  community  about  his  plan  to  open  a  charter  school  in  the  
PS15K  building,  he  stated  that  it  would  only  be  for  two  years  and  that  PAVE  Academy  would  leave  at  the  
conclusion  of  the  2009-­‐2010  school  year.  This  original  agreement  has  since  been  altered.  The  PAVE  Academy  
Charter  School  is  planning  on  occupying  space  at  PS15K  beyond  June  2010.This  extended  occupation  will  have  
a  negative  impact  on  the  PS15K  school  community  and  the  students  of  PS15K  will  feel  the  repercussions  of  
such  an  action  for  years  to  come.    
TITLE:  
   
 
PAVE  ACADEMY  MUST  LEAVE  PS  15K  BY  THE  END  OF  JUNE  2010  

  TARGET:  NEW  YORK  CITY  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  

PETITION  STATEMENT:  WE,  THE  UNDERSIGNED,  DEMAND  THAT  PAVE  ACADEMY  VACATE  PS15K  THE  PATRICK  
 
F.DALY  SCHOOL  AT  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  2009-­‐2010  SCHOOL  YEAR.  
 
 

.  
PRINT  NAME   ADDRESS   SIGNATURE  
 
     
 
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
 Example  Form  Letter  

*This  form  letter  was  created  for  stakeholders  and  sent  digitally,  they  can  also  be  sent  in  paper  
version.    Other  form  letters  can  also  include  a  text  box  for  additional  comments.  

Date:

Dear Chancellor Klein:

We urge you to move to a more central location the Panel for Educational Policy meeting that will decide
the fate of 36 schools, many of which are slated for closure, as well as a host of critical regulations that
relate to parent involvement and the role of parents and teachers in decision making at the school and
district level.

We object because this time and location -- January 26 at 6 PM on Staten Island -- does not afford
stakeholders and members of the community who will be most affected by these momentous decisions a
reasonable opportunity to be heard.

The site would take more than an hour and a half to get to for most NYC parents, students, and teachers,
making it impossible for those with daytime responsibilities to get to the meeting in time to comment.

To hold such a meeting in a location and time inaccessible to overwhelming majority of NYC students,
teachers and parents is wrong and legally suspect.

We ask that you respond to this request as soon as possible.

Signature (include name, title, and if you choose contact information)

 Contact  Policy  Makers  

______________________________________________________________________________  

Political  Contacts  

 Borough  Presidents:      

Bronx:    Ruben  Diaz  Jr.:  webmail@bronxpb.nyc.gov  

                     Director  of  Education  and  Youth:    Jesse  Mojica    718-­590-­3515  

 Brooklyn:    Mary  Markowitz:    askmarty@brooklylnpb.nyc.gov  

                                     Education  Policy  Analyst:  Margaret  Kelley  718-­802-­3839  

 Manhattan:    Scott  Stringer:    212-­669-­8300,  bp@manhattanbp.org  

Queens:    Helen  M.  Marshall  
info@queensbp.org  

                               Special  Assistant  for  Education:    Roseann  Darche  718-­286-­2626  

 Staten  Island:    James  P.  Molinaro  718-­816-­2000  

 Community  Education  Councils:  http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/CEC/default.htm    (there                          

                                                                                           is  a  link  on  the  right  that  says  CEC  Contacts)  

 Use  these  websites  to  locate  and  contact  your  City  Council  members,  State  Assembly  
members,  Representatives  and  Senators.  

 New  York  City  Council  Members:    http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml  

 New  York  Representatives:  http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#ny  

 New  York  State  Assembly:    http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem  

Panel  for  Educational  Policy  Contacts:  "Patrick  Sullivan"<patk.j.sullivan@gmail.com>,"Anna  Santos"  

<asantos104@hotmail.com>,  "Joan  Correale"  <SIPEPREP@aol.com>,  "Dmytro  Fedkowskyj"  
<pepofqueens@yahoo.com>,  "Gbubemi  Okotieuro"  <okotieuro@mec.cuny.edu>,  "Gitte  Peng"  
<gittepeng@yahoo.com>,  "Nieves  Lisette"  <LNieves10@schools.nyc.gov>,  "Linda  Lausell  Bryant"  
<llbryant.pep@gmail.com>,  "Chang  David  C."  <chang@poly.edu>,  "Philip  Berry"  
<philip@philipberryassociates.com>,  "Joe  Chan"  <jchan@dbpartnership.org>,  "Tomas  Morales"  
<tomas.morales@csi.cuny.edu>,  "Tino  Hernandez"  <thernandez@samvill.org>  

 
 Example  Contact  Sheet  

What can we do to make our voices heard? Contact one or all of the people below to hold the
Department of Education to their promise of a two-­year PAVE incubation site at P.S. 15.

Joel Klein

6FKRRO·V&KDQFHOORU

Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St. #320B4

New York, NY 10007

212-­374-­0200, Email-­ JKlein@schools.nyc.gov

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

City Hall, New York, NY 10007

Phone: 311

Fax: 212-­788-­2460, Email-­ http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Sara Gonzalez

Council Member

5601 5th Ave S-­2

Brooklyn, NY 11220

718-­439-­9012, Email-­ Gonzalez@council.nyc.ny.us

Nydia Valezques

Congresswoman

718-­222-­5818

Velmanette Montgomery

Senator

Dist. Office 718-­643-­6140, Email-­ montgome@senate.state.ny.us

Felix Ortiz

Assemblyman

718-­492-­6334