Why it matters for all of us

As parents, we all want to know that our children are receiving the best education possible and that the schools they go to are safe, up to date and well funded.

It’s not just about the success of our own children; it’s about the future of our communities as well. When our children receive a good education from committed and qualified teachers, they will have more access to the good jobs that make for a thriving middle class.

From early childhood and preschool through college and continuing education, we need to make sure that excellent public education is available to all.

What we’ve done

Wherever we talk with people at their doors, we hear that education is a priority. Because most education policy is decided at the state and local levels, the specific issues can vary. In Houston, we saved four schools from closing. In Ohio, we thwarted amusement park owners who were trying to shorten the school year so that they’d have a cheaper pool of student labor for a longer season.

In many communities, politicians try to slash education funding and then attack teachers as a scapegoat for their bad decisions — while they move to outsource our public schools to private corporations. Those are the kinds of problems we’ve tackled in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas, to name a few. Together, we’ve won more money for schools in state budgets, fought privatization and voucher programs that take resources away from public schools, and elected school board members who really care about the future of our kids.

Where we’re headed

The push for early childhood education and pre-K for all children is gathering steam, and we will be supporting that effort.

Teachers help shape our kids and prepare them for success in the future. That’s why we also support good pay and training for our teachers, as well as manageable class sizes and thoughtful, accountable school boards. It’s everybody’s job — parents, teachers and communities — to speak up to support quality schools and fair treatment for teachers and support staff.

Education doesn’t end with high school. It’s a lifelong goal — and for too many of us, college is increasingly out of reach and continuing education is hard to come by. People are graduating from college with a mountain of student debt. We fight for access to affordable postsecondary education — not just college, but also job training and apprenticeships.