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 2022. PRIMARY LEGISLATION MONITORED:(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)- SB 2430 - PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING FUND- SB 2443 - TEACHER PAY RAISE- SB 2444 - TEACHER PAY RAISE- SB 2706 - COVID IMPACT LITERACY-BASED PROMOTION MODIFICATION ACT- SB 3064 - PRIVATE SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING- SB 3164 - INCOME TAX CUT- HB 31 - DISTRICT FUNDS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS- HB 530 - TEACHER PAY RAISE- HB 531 - INCOME TAX CUT- HB 795 - VOUCHERS FOR VIRTUAL SCHOOL- HB 1246 - FUNDING AMENDMENTS TO EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE ACT- HB 1340 - VIRTUAL PRE-K PROGRAM- HB 1600 - PRE-K-12 APPROPRIATION- HB 1685 - VOUCHERS, TAX CREDITS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS- HB 1687 - VOUCHERS, TAX CREDITS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS

RESEARCH:TPCREF ADDED VALUE TO THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON EDUCATION ISSUES IN 2021-2022 BY CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND PUBLISHING REPORTS ON VARIOUS TOPICS: - K-12 FUNDING- STATE BUDGET AND PRESERVING REVENUE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES- TEACHER SALARIES, INCLUDING CHARTS SHOWING POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF EACH LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL ON SALARIES ACROSS ALL CERTIFICATION LEVELS AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE- PRE-K INVESTMENT- PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)- PRIVATIZATION- 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.WEBSITE:TPCREF CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS 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:TPCREF GAVE PRESENTATIONS AND SPEECHES, PARTICIPATED IN PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND GRANTED MEDIA INTERVIEWS ON EDUCATION TOPICS INCLUDING MISSISSIPPI'S TEACHER SHORTAGE AND TEACHER PAY, 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, THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE-K INVESTMENT, AND MORE.TPCREF OUTREACH STAFF CONDUCTED ADVOCACY TRAINING FOR PARENTS, SHARING STRATEGIES AND TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) ADVOCACY AND EDUCATING TRAINING PARTICIPANTS ON THE BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES AFFECTING THE STRENGTH OF THEIR CHILDREN'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.TPCREF HOSTED A THREE-SESSION VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES DURING THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. REAL TALK: EDUCATION & THE ECONOMY FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDING HOUSE AND SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE LEADERS, LEADERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS, MINORITY LEADERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE, AND LEADERS FROM CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND, HOPE CORPORATION, ONE VOICE/NAACP, AND THE MISSISSIPPI ECONOMIC COUNCIL.STAFF OF TPCREF PARTICIPATED IN 182 MEETINGS IN WHICH APPROXIMATELY 10,248 PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.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. 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.PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS:- BARKSDALE READING INSTITUTE- CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES- CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND- CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION OF MISSISSIPPI- EDUCATION LAW CENTER- HOPE POLICY INSTITUTE- LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS- MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS- MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR JUSTICE- MISSISSIPPI ECONOMIC COUNCIL- MISSISSIPPI LOW-INCOME CHILD CARE INITIATIVE- MISSISSIPPI PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS- MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION- MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS- MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS- ONE VOICE- PARENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS- PASTORS FOR MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN- SOUTHERN ECHO- SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER- S.T.A.N.D.- WORKING TOGETHER JACKSON- WORKING TOGETHER MISSISSIPPI