Public Education Network (PEN)

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Public Education Network (PEN) is a national association of local education funds (LEFs) and individuals working to advance public school reform in low-income communities across our country. PEN believes an active, vocal constituency is the key to ensuring that every child, in every community, benefits from a quality public education. PEN and its members are building public demand and mobilizing resources for quality public education on behalf of 11 million children in more that 1,600 school districts in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. PEN has expanded its work internationally to include members in the Philippines, Peru and Mexico.

STRATEGIES AND IMPACT

LEFs support school districts in their strategic reform efforts:

• Leveraging resources for public education reform. LEFs raise over $185 million each year from businesses, foundation, and individual donors; 89 percent of the funds raised are deployed directly to programs and initiatives. LEFs also leverage public resources. In 2003 and 2004 alone, LEFs advocated for, supported, and/or mobilized their communities to support tax and bond referenda resulting in over $5 billion in public dollars for public education.

• Advocating for sound public education policy. LEFs have a longstanding commitment to conducting and/or sponsoring education policy research, and then synthesizing and communicating best practices. Findings have been used to inform the decision of state legislators and local school boards, as well as to inform the public about issues requiring civic action such as school board elections or the passage of tax and bond referenda.

LEFs support educators, students, and families:

• Quality staff professional development. LEFs raise about $1.5 billion for profession development programs and serve over 500,000 teachers in 16,000 public schools (17 percent of the nation’s 95,000 public schools). Evaluations of many of these professional development activities reveal increases in student achievement. Noteworthy examples: Philadelphia Education Fund’s Talent Development Schools have increased student achievement by an average of 16.9 percentile points in Algebra, English and Science; Baltimore’s Fund for Educational Excellence Achievement First Schools have gained, on average, 19 points in Reading on the nationally administered Terra Nova tests.

LEF teacher professional development activities result in a variety of other valued outcomes. Salient among these are the reduction in teacher isolation as a result of the Boston Plan for Excellence in the Public Schools Collaboration Learning and Coaching Model, and Houston A+ Challenge Schools reduction in teacher turnover to 21.8 percent (statewide average).

• Learning opportunities for students and student support services. LEFs invest over $40 million annually to support before, during, and after-school programs that benefit more than 2 million elementary and middle school students. These programs include mentoring and tutoring, scholarships, out-of-school support, and access to health, social and other community-based services. Some LEFs also address pre-school and early childhood programs as part of their out-of-school efforts.

• Parent and community member involvement. Many LEFs facilitate involvement of parents and other community members—typically, representatives from the business and nonprofit sectors—in designing, planning, and implementing programs. Nearly 100,000 volunteers a year serve as tutors, mentors, and classroom aides, and participate in community forums and events such as public information and awareness campaigns.

LEFs build strong connection between public schools and communities:

• School-community partnerships. In a typical year, PEN’s 79 member LEFs initiate and manage partnerships with at least 1,500 corporations and small businesses. These partnerships have resulted in over $30 million dollars to support a wide range of LEF activities and to influence a district wide reform agenda.

• Informed citizens. LEFs hold town hall meetings and other public forums to inform members of the public about, or to assess community perspective on, education reform issues.

For more information:

www.publiceducation.org

www.GiveKidsGoodSchools.org

http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3494

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/4373.htm

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1999/05/26/39pen.h18.html