Parents Campaign Research And Education Fund

PROVIDE ANALYSIS OF EDUCATION POLICY & PRACTICE TO INFORM DECISIONS AFFECTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS:THE PARENTS' CAMPAIGN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FUND (TPCREF) ANALYZED LEGISLATION DURING THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, EVALUATING POTENTIAL POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENTS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES. AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE COST SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FUND AND THE PARENTS' CAMPAIGN, THE ANALYSES WERE ALSO SHARED WIDELY WITH THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAILS TO THE PARENTS' CAMPAIGN'S 64,000 MEMBERS.EDUCATION BILLS WERE TRACKED AND ANALYZED AS THEY MOVED THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IN 2021; PRIMARY LEGISLATION INCLUDED:HB 505 MISSISSIPPI BROADBAND ACCESSIBILITY ACTHB 754 DYSLEXIA DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICESHB 852 TEACHER PAY RAISEHB 1123 AMENDMENTS TO EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE ACTHB 1179 WINTER AND REED TEACHER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMHB 1301 COMPREHENSIVE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION REFORM ACTHB 1387 PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 12 APPROPRIATION HB 1439 REVENUE REDUCTION SB 2001 TEACHER PAY RAISE SB 2149 HOLD HARMLESS PROVISION FOR 2020-2021 ADA SB 2267 TEACHER RECIPROCITY SB 2305 WINTER AND REED TEACHER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM SB 2307 DYSLEXIA DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICES SB 2664 PROGRAM AMENDMENTS TO EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE ACT SB 2665 FUNDING AMENDS TO EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE ACT SB 2798 BROADBAND EXPANSIONSB 2971 BONDS; REVENUE REDUCTION

RESEARCH:TPCREF ADDED VALUE TO THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON EDUCATION ISSUES IN 2020-2021 BY CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND PUBLISHING STUDIES, POSITION PAPERS, AND REPORTS ON VARIOUS TOPICS. ISSUES STUDIED AND RESEARCH PUBLISHED BY PCREF:- BUDGET ANALYSIS OF K-12 FUNDING COMPARED TO OTHER STATE AGENCIES.- MULTIPLE ANALYSES AND GRAPHICS COMPARING MISSISSIPPI'S AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES TO THOSE OFNEIGHBORING STATES.- ANALYSIS AND GRAPHICS COMPARING MISSISSIPPI'S PRE-K INVESTMENT TO THAT OF NEIGHBORING STATES.- ANALYSIS AND GRAPHICS COMPARING MISSISSIPPI'S PER STUDENT PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING TO THAT OF NEIGHBORING STATES.- PRESENTATIONS AND SPEECHES ON EDUCATION TOPICS INCLUDING MISSISSIPPI'S TEACHER SHORTAGE, THE SCHOOL CHOICE AND PRIVATIZATION AGENDA THAT THREATENS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SCHOOL FUNDING AND THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS, THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF ADEQUATE FUNDING ON ACHIEVEMENT, THE HISTORY OF UNDERFUNDING IN MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND ADVOCACY TRAINING: - EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY - USE YOUR TEACHER VOICE - WHAT CHILDREN NEED AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM GET IT - HOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS REALLY WORKS- EDUCATION POLICY IN OTHER STATES: TPCREF TRACKS DATA AND REPORTS FROM OTHER STATES REGARDING EDUCATION POLICY, PARTICULARLY ON THE ISSUES OF PRIVATIZATION, FUNDING, EARLY CHILDHOOD, CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS. THE LESSONS GLEANED FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER STATES INFORMS OUR RESEARCH ON MOST EDUCATION ISSUES.MILLENNIAL PROJECT:THE MISSISSIPPI COLLECTIVE WAS LAUNCHED BY TPCREF IN FEBRUARY 2020 TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCACY AMONG MILLENNIALS (MISSISSIPPIANS UNDER AGE 40). ACTIVITIES IN 2020-2021 INCLUDED SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY, HOSTING OF VIRTUAL EVENTS, AND ADVOCACY TRAININGS.WEBSITE:TPCREF CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS NEW WEBSITE (LAUNCHED JUNE OF 2020) WITH LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS, RESEARCH AND POLICY INFORMATION, EDUCATION-RELATED UPDATES ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AND DATA/BRIEFS/INFOGRAPHS ON SCHOOL FUNDING, ACHIEVEMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, AND PRIVATIZATION.

ADVOCACY AND COLLABORATION:THE PARTNERS LISTED BELOW ARE LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHARE TPCREF'S VISION OF A STRONG, EQUITABLE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MISSISSIPPI. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER AND NEWER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS PASTORS FOR CHILDREN AND WORKING TOGETHER, TPCREF SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2013 HAS SUPPORTED THE WORK OF ALL OF THESE PARTNERS BY PROVIDING RESEARCH AND STATISTICS THAT FILL CRITICAL INFORMATION NEEDS RELATED TO CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.SINCE 2016, THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER HAS DEPENDED UPON TPCREF TO PROVIDE TIMELY, ACCURATE DATA ON MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL POVERTY RATES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING NEEDED TO SUPPORT ITS NATIONAL WORK. SIMILAR DATA PRODUCED BY TPCREF IS UTILIZED BY THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR JUSTICE AS IT SEEKS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE CHILDREN. THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND AND THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER HAVE BEEN STRONG PARTNERS IN TPCREF'S WORK TO EMPOWER LOCAL LEADERS AND PARENTS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. TPCREF PARTICIPATES IN REGULAR ROUNDTABLES WITH ADVOCATES FROM THESE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO COLLABORATE ON STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.WITH THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS, MISSISSIPPI PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS, MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, TPCREF SHARES NATIONAL AND GLOBAL POLICY RESEARCH AND STATE POLICY UPDATES THAT SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATIONS' WORK TO INFORM EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS - IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCIES IN EMPOWERED COMMUNITIES.COLLABORATION WITH PARENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS INVOLVES DIRECT TRAINING BY TPCREF'S OUTREACH STAFF OF PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ON STATEWIDE POLICIES THAT AFFECT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SOUTHERN ECHO UTILIZES TPCREF'S SCHOOL FUNDING DATA TO BUILD STATE MAPS DETAILING EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S UNDERFUNDING STATUS, THEN UPDATES AND DISTRIBUTES THE MAPS ANNUALLY. HOPE POLICY INSTITUTE SERVES AS A DATA SOURCE FOR TPCREF, PARTICULARLY ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE STATE BUDGET, REVENUE, AND TAX CUTS.TPCREF HAS PARTNERED WITH THE MISSISSIPPI LOW INCOME CHILDCARE INITIATIVE TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AND LACK OF ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN IN LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.TPCREF WORKS CLOSELY WITH PASTORS FOR MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN AND WORKING TOGETHER ORGANIZATIONS TO IDENTIFY, EDUCATE, AND MOBILIZE NEW ADVOCATES IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.STAFF OF TPCREF PARTICIPATED IN 230 MEETINGS IN WHICH APPROXIMATELY 11,902 PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS:CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUNDCHILDREN'S FOUNDATION OF MISSISSIPPIEDUCATION LAW CENTERHOPE POLICY INSTITUTELEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERSMISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORSMISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR JUSTICEMISSISSIPPI LOW-INCOME CHILD CARE INITIATIVEMISSISSIPPI PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORSMISSISSIPPI SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATIONMISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSMISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTSPARENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLSPASTORS FOR MISSISSIPPI CHILDRENSOUTHERN ECHOSOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTERWORKING TOGETHER JACKSONWORKING TOGETHER MISSISSIPPI