Considering Needed Efforts through the Lens of State Efforts to Sustain and Grow Education Opportunity

• In Event: Refusing Limitation, Protecting Public Education: Researchers and Practitioners Responding Together to K12 DEI Attacks

Abstract

Two leaders of education protection networks in Missouri and Ohio respectively will react to other panelists’ presentations and discuss in a 20 minute segment, each considering what actors seeking to sustain public education opportunity on the ground need from researchers.

1) Leader of MOEEP: the case of Missouri.

Missouri is often the testing ground for many of the extremist policies that have negatively impacted schools in the past decade. The MO Equity Education Partnership was established to fight for public schools to be places that serve all students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity or identity difference of any kind. MOEEP organizes to promote individual and collective advocacy at both the state and local district level, empowering students, parents, and community members to use their voice to defend their right to high-quality, inclusive public school education. From keeping people informed about the policies and issues impacting their schools to defending public schools against extremist policies and politicians, MOEEP continues to lead the fight for equitable schools. Its Director will react to the panel and discuss related work, including a) a deep canvassing effort to gather data around what parents and taxpayers want from their public schools regardless of political, social, and identity cleavages and b) analysis of one representative district where MOEEP helped to defeat extremist Board candidates.

2) Leader of Honesty for Ohio Education: the case of Ohio.

Honesty has built a coalition of over 80 organizations focused on ensuring every student in Ohio has the freedom to learn and grow in a welcoming, supportive environment. Originally conceived to fight back against specific state legislation, their work now includes organizing district- and geographically connected Teams to collaborate around local need; creating toolkits that empower educators, caregivers and young people; and building momentum for Strong Ohio Schools, all while fighting hateful and harmful education policies, a lack of commitment to fair school funding, and threats to democracy. Honesty’s Director will share this work in reacting to the previous panelists.

We will close the Symposium with audience discussion of related experiences, intended for 30 minutes.

Authors

• Heather Fleming, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Lisa Vahey, Honesty for Ohio Education