The Balacing Act: How a Youth Organizing Group Influences Educational Policy

• In Event: The Power of Parent and Youth Organizing in School Reform

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented how youth organizing groups have achieved political and institutional change; however, the processes by which youth organizers have effected policy change remain substantially under-theorized. This paper explores how youth organizing groups build their power and impact the policy landscape. Through in-depth interviews with over 30 educational power brokers in one urban context, we find that Students for Equity has built a reputation over the past 15 years as a serious and persistent organization and become an “undeniable force” in education reform in the city. It has achieved its influence by strategically balancing various dimensions of relationship-building, organizing tactics, and self-presentation. We put forward a theoretical framework, “The Balancing Act” to illuminate this process

Authors

• Jerusha Osberg Conner, Villanova University

• Emily Scarola, Villanova University

• Karen Zaino, Holmes High School