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National Organizations
For lists of advocacy organizations by state,
use our State-by-State
map.
For a list of national policy organizations,
see our Policy
Organization list.
This list is divided into two sections: National
Organizations and University-Based
Organizations
21st Century School Fund
The 21st Century School Fund, founded in 1994, emphasizes
its commitment to the creation of healthy, safe, and
educationally appropriate learning environments. The
Fund's stated mission is to build the public will
and promote community responsibility and ability to
improve urban public school facilities. The Fund is
the leader of four organizations collaborating in
Building Educational Success Together (BEST),
which is working to ensure that improvement of school
facilities is a priority of national and regional
school reform agendas.
Executive Director: Mary Filardo
2814 Adams Mill Road, NW
Washington, DC 20009-2204
Phone: (202) 745-3745
Fax: (202) 745-1713
info@21csf.org
Advancement
Project
The Advancement Project describes itself as a democracy
and justice action group. The organization focuses
on three main areas of policy and research: opportunity
to learn, power and democracy, and urban peace. The
Advancement Project produces policy and legal research
and analysis, and translates academic and legal language
into "user-friendly" materials that are
relevant to their advocacy efforts. Partnering with
local communities to link external resources with
concerned citizens, the Advancement Project works
to advance universal opportunity and equality and
access to those left behind in America. The Advancement
Project also does advocacy work.
1730 M Street, NW #910
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 728-9557
Fax: (202) 728-9558
ap@advancementproject.org
West Coast office:
Advancement Project Los Angeles
1545 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 989-1300
Fax: (213) 989-1309
Alliance
for Excellent Education
The stated mission of the Alliance for Excellent
Education is to promote high school transformation
to make it possible for every child to graduate prepared
for postsecondary education and success in life. The
Alliance works on both advocacy and policy and envisions
a larger federal role in funding programs for at-risk
students. The organization advocates for additional
help for older students who struggle to read at grade
level, academic counseling that encourages parental
involvement, quality teachers, and school environments
that foster achievement.
President: Bob Wise
1201 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 901
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 828-0828
Fax: (202) 828-0821
wise@all4ed.org
The
Center for Community Change
The Center for Community Change describes itself
as a progressive social justice organization whose
mission is to support the emergence of social and
economic justice movements in the United States. They
strive to transform national debate and politics,
institutions, economic systems and policies that affect
low-income, working class and minority communities.
Working to achieve this goal, they help grassroots
leaders build strong organizations, coordinate and
support national issue campaigns, engage low-income
and minority communities in political participation,
and advocate for strategies and policies that promote
economic and social justice.
Center for Community Change
1000 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 342-0519
info@communitychange.org
Field Office
8201 Fourth Street, Suite G
Downey, CA 90241
(562) 862-2070
LAOffice@communitychange.org
Center
for Reflective Community Practice
The Center for Reflective Community Practice at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology organizes teams
of diverse individuals in order to "build social
capital, improve community practice, and inform policy."
The Center strives to bring together experts, community
members, and various interest groups in order to utilize
the expertise and innovation of each group to create
original and unusual solutions to the problems of
under-resourced communities. The Center's projects
focus on building the engagement, health, and cultural
awareness of communities, especially through the creative
use of technology.
Center for Reflective Community Practice
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Building 7, Room 307
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-3216
Fax: (617) 258-6515
crcp@mit.edu
Children's
Aid Society's National Technical Assistance Center for
Community Schools (NTACCS)
The Children's Aid Society's National Technical Assistance
Center for Community Schools (NTACCS) was created
in 1994 as a result of an increased demand for information
about the Children's Aid Society (CAS) Community Schools
model. NTACCS provides technical assistance about
the collaboration and integration of social services
in a public education institution as demonstrated
by the CAS community schools. Beyond showing others
how to adapt the model, NTACCS plays a leading role
in local and national advocacy efforts to advance
the community schools movement and place this approach
on the broader education agenda.
NTACCS
I.S. 218 Community School, NYC
Phone: (212) 569-2866 or 2882
Fax: (212) 544-7609
ta@childrensaidsociety.org
Critical
Exposure
Critical Exposure describes itself as an organization
dedicated to building public demand for quality education
through the use of compelling documentary photography,
first-person narrative and accessible policy analysis.
It accomplishes this mission through youth development
and empowerment, public engagement, and partnering
with local school reform groups. They provide students
with cameras and training in documentary photography
so the can document the impact of school funding disparities
and use photographs as a tool to help engage the public
and policymakers.
1816 12th St. NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-745-3745 x20
Fax: 202-745-1713
www.criticalexposure.org
Cross
City Campaign for Urban School Reform
The Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform states
that it is a national network of school reformers
that supports efforts to create high-quality schools
that ensure educational success for all urban young
people. To that end, Cross City advocates for policies
and practices that move authority, resources, and
accountability to the school level, reconnect schools
with their community, and rethink the role of school
districts. Headquartered in Chicago, Cross City's
membership includes parents, educators, researchers,
and funders from nine major cities: Baltimore, Chicago,
Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia,
and San Francisco.
407 South Dearborn Street, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60605
Phone: (312) 322-4880
Fax: (312) 322-4885
http://www.crosscity.org/contact_us.html
The
Education Trust
The Education Trust "works for the high academic
achievement of all students at all levels, pre-kindergarten
through college, and forever closing the achievement
gaps that separate low-income students and students
of color from other youth." The Education Trust
"advances its mission along several fronts, from
raising its voice in national and state policy debates
to helping teachers improve instruction in their classrooms."
Their actions include: "advocacy that encourages
schools, colleges, and whole communities to mount
effective campaigns so that all their students will
reach high levels of academic achievement; analysis
and expert testimony on policies intended to improve
education; writing and speaking for professional and
general audiences about educational patterns and practices;
research and wide public dissemination of data identifying
achievement patterns among different groups of students;
assistance to school districts, colleges, and community-based
organizations to help their efforts at raising student
achievement, especially among minority and poor students."
President: Kati Haycock
The Education Trust
1250 H St. NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
PH: 202-293-1217 FAX: 202-293-2605
http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/contact+us
The
Institute for Educational Equity & Opportunity
The Institute for Educational Equity & Opportunity
(“IFEEO”) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the pursuit of educational equity and
opportunity, particularly for disadvantaged public
school children through legal means. The IFEEO is
especially interested in fair and equitable public
school finance laws. IFEEO has four main projects:
(1) the study of the history of the education clause
in the state constitutions of all fifty states; (2)
a IFEEO Legal Fellowship and Summer Associate Award;
(3) the IFEEO Educational Archives Project; (4) grants
to counsel for plaintiffs for assistance with drafting
an article regarding school equity and finance litigation.
Washington Office
Phone: 202-661-4652
Fax: 202-661-4699
Philadelphia Office
Phone: 215-557-6224
Fax: 215-557-9552
info@ifeeo.org
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under
Law, founded in 1963, describes itself as a nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization whose mission is to secure,
through the rule of law, equal justice under law.
Its major objective is to use the skills and resources
of the bar to obtain equal opportunities for minorities
by addressing factors that contribute to racial justice
and economic opportunity. Besides various projects
in voting rights, housing, environmental justice,
and employment equality, LCCRUL also does extensive
advocacy on equal opportunities for minority and poor
youth within the nation’s public schools and
institutions of higher education. The Lawyers' Committee
implements its mission and objectives by marshaling
the pro bono resources of the bar for litigation,
public policy advocacy, and other forms of service
by lawyers to the cause of civil rights.
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, D.C.20005
Phone: (202) 662-8600
Fax: (202) 783-0857
Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR),
founded in 1950, is a civil rights coalition of over
180 national organizations representing a wide variety
of constituents. LCCR is a legislative advocacy organization
that claims to have been involved in coordinating
national campaigns on behalf of every major civil
rights law since 1957. Its stated mission is to promote
the enactment and enforcement of effective civil rights
legislation and policy. LCCR also has an Education
Fund which is devoted to public education concerning
pressing topics in public policy, including education
reform.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
1629 K Street NW
10th Floor
Washington , DC 20006
Phone: (202) 466-3311
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
Phone: (202) 466-3434
The
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
(MALDEF)
MALDEF describes itself as a nonprofit Latino litigation,
advocacy and educational outreach institution. According
to MALDEF, its mission is to foster sound public policies,
laws and programs to safeguard the civil rights of
Latinos living in the United States and to empower
the Latino community to fully participate in our society.
Offices and Contact Information:
http://www.maldef.org/about/offices.cfm
National
Black Caucus of State Legislators
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators’
(NBCSL) primary mission is to develop, conduct and
promote educational, research and training programs
designed to enhance the effectiveness of its members,
as they consider legislation and issues of public
policy which impact, either directly or indirectly,
upon "the general welfare" of African American
constituents within their respective jurisdictions.
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 622
Washington DC 20001
Phone: (202) 624.5457
Fax: (202) 508.3826
staff@nbcsl.com
National
Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
Since its founding in 1989, the National Hispanic
Caucus of State Legislator's (NHCSL) primary mission
has been to organize Hispanic state legislators who
advocate on behalf of Hispanic communities across
the United States, its commonwealths, and territories.
Their efforts focus on advancements in education,
healthcare, housing, economic development, criminal
justice, and employment and job training for the Hispanic
community.
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 404
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 434-8070
Fax: (202) 434-8072
http://www.nhcsl.com/contact.html
National
Indian Education Association
The National Indian Education Association states
that its mission is to support traditional Native
cultures and values, to enable Native learners to
become contributing members of their communities,
to promote Native control of educational institutions,
and to improve educational opportunities and resources
for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians
throughout the United States.
Acting Executive Director: Sheryl McCreary
700 North Fairfax Street, Suite 210
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-838-2870
Fax: 703-838-1620
niea@niea.org
National
School Boards Association (NSBA)
The stated mission of the National School Boards
Association is to promote excellence and equity in
public education through school board leadership.
NSBA believed that school boards are American's best
examples of grassroots democracy, and that they are
especially capable of providing leadership for the
purposes of improving student achievement and of actively
engaging the community. They feel that if school boards
working together and individually aim to formulate
clear goals for increasing student and school performance,
they can prepare students for the unique challenges
of today and tomorrow.
Executive Director: Anne L. Bryant
1680 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 838-6722
Fax: (703) 683-7590
info@nsba.org
Parents
for Public Schools (PPS)
Parents for Public Schools (PPS) describes itself
as a national organization with approximately 25 community-based
chapters in 13 states around the country working
to strengthen public schools through proactive involvement.
Its members believe that quality public education
is vital to our democracy and to America's future,
and they therefore aim to help make public schools
attractive to all families in a community by making
sure all schools effectively serve all children.
Executive Director: Ken C. Rolling
National Headquarters:
3252 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216
Phone: (60) 713-3229
Fax: (601) 713-3099
ppschapter@parents4publicschools.com
or http://www.parents4publicschools.com/contactus.html
Pre-K
Now
Pre-K Now is a public education and advocacy organization
that advances high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten
for all three and four year olds. They describe themselves
as "committed to [the] vision of a nation where
every child enters kindergarten prepared to succeed."
Executive Director: Libby Doggett
1025 F Street, NW
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20004
Main Number 202.862.9871
Fax 202.862.9870
http://www.preknow.org/contact/contact.cfm
Public
Education Network (PEN)
The Public Education Network has been a long-standing,
effective proponent of strong public schools nationwide,
especially in low-income communities. PEN believes
that "equal opportunity, access to quality public
schools, and an informed citizenry are all critical
components of a democratic society."
To promote what it describes as essentials for successful
public education - public engagement, community support,
and adequate resources - PEN was established nearly
two decades ago as a national association of nonprofit,
local affiliate organizations, Local Education Funds
(LEFs). PEN has grown to 69 LEFs in 28 states and
the District of Columbia, including, for example,
the Mobile
Area Education Foundation in Alabama, Forward
in the Fifth in Kentucky, New Visions for Public Schools
in New York City, and the Portland
Schools Foundation in Oregon.
PEN's website provides a wealth of information, including
links to other websites, on dozens of important education
topics.
601 Thirteenth Street, NW
Suite 710 South
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 628-7460
Fax: (202) 628-1893
pen@publiceducation.org
Rebuild
America's Schools (RAS)
Rebuild America's Schools describes itself as a nonpartisan
coalition of national organizations and school districts
from around the county that works to create federal
support for the efforts of local communities to build,
renovate, and modernize school facilities. It enumerates
two immediate goals: 1) persuade federal lawmakers
to put school modernization on the agenda of Congress
and 2) build and show public support for a partnership
between the federal government and state and local
communities dedicated to building and funding modern
schools. RAS provides its member school districts
with newsletters, legislative updates, and Action
Alerts. RAS partner organizations include the Organizations
Concerned about Rural Education (OCRE), the National
School Boards Association (NSBA), the National
Education Association, and the American
Institute of Architects.
Chair: Robert Canavan
1440 N Street NW, Suite 106
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 462-5911
Fax: (202) 588-8094
information@modernschools.org
The
Rural School and Community Trust
The Rural School and Community Trust describes itself
as a national nonprofit organization rooted in rural
America that works with schools and community groups
across the country. Through its Policy Building and
Capacity Building Programs, it aims to improve the
links between schools and rural communities to better
the quality of education and community life and to
affect state education policy. The Rural Trust sees
itself as primarily focused on those rural communities
facing historic patterns of poverty and racism or
challenged by declines in population, major changes
in population composition, and fundamental economic
change. The Trust is the convener of the Rural Equity
Collaborative, which aims to improve the equity and
adequacy of school finance systems in rural communities
with high poverty rates. The Trust's website
provides state-by-state links to issues, projects,
and rural advocacy groups.
The Trust has also established the Rural
Education Finance Center (REFC), which describes
itself as dedicated to improving educational opportunity
for rural children by reducing inequality in state
school finance systems, improving rural schools' fiscal
practices, and ensuring the adequacy of rural-school
funding. The REFC states that it strives to meet those
goals by: building civic capacity; generating good
research and monitoring existing research; and providing
legal support for rural people involved in school-finance
lawsuits. President: Rachel B. Tompkins
National Office:
1825 K Street NW, Suite 703
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 955-7177
Fax: (202) 955-7179
info@ruraledu.org
Director, Rural Education Finance Center: Gregory
C. Malhoit
3344 Hillsborough Street, Suite 302
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 833-4541
greg.malhoit@ruraledu.org
Stand
for Children
Stand for Children has refined the model of valuable
citizen activism by successfully building effective
networks of grassroots advocates and joining people
under one voice to promote concrete and lasting improvements
for children at state and local levels. The organization
focuses on securing adequate funding for public schools
and reforming education policies to give children
the opportunity to succeed academically. Since 1999
members of Stand for Children have won 88 state and
local victories - achieving a number of education
reforms and leveraging more than $1.7 billion in public
funding for programs that are now improving the lives
of more than 2.7 million children. Every dollar donated
to the organization has delivered $115 in public funding
for schools and other children's programs. Stand for
Children has state affiliates in Massachusetts, Oregon,
Tennessee, and Washington.
Executive Director: Jonah Edelman
516 SE Morrison, Suite 420
Portland, OR 97214
Phone: 800-663-4032
fax. 503-963-9517
stand@stand.org
University-Based Organizations Education
Justice Collaborative
University of California, Los Angeles
The Education Justice Collaborative is a coalition
of about 30 grassroots, research, and advocacy organizations.
The EJC allows these groups to share resources and
strategies in order to maximize their impact on the
educational opportunities in their communities and
across the state, and specifically to ensure that
these opportunities are equally accessible to students
of color, low-income students and immigrant students.
The group’s members include Californians for
Justice, Public Advocates, and many others. EJC does
not participate in any advocacy on its own behalf,
but provides research assistance and support to member
organizations who themselves advocate for change.
The EJC is a joint program of UCLA’s Institute
for Democracy, Education and Access (IDEA) and Program
in Public Interest Law and Policy (PILP).
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