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Author: Visceral Dev Admin

Grassroots Organizing Just Won $1.5 Billion for Public Schools

Yesterday the landmark Student Opportunity Act was signed into law in Massachusetts, guaranteeing an additional $1.5 billion in funding for k-12 public schools across the Commonwealth: 

Four years after a state commission determined the existing foundation budget formula underestimates the cost of education by $1 billion annually and more than a year after a previous bill to correct inequalities collapsed, the focus now shifts to implementing the funding law and holding districts accountable for improvement plans.

The new money is intended to reduce disparities between districts across the state and to put communities with larger cost drivers — special education, employee health care, and high numbers of low-income students and English language learners — on a more even footing with their peers.

Follow These #EdJustice Superstars on Twitter

It’s that time of the year again… the Schott Foundation’s second annual list of 10 Education Justice Superstars to follow on Twitter! Spice up your feed with knowledge and inspiration from these influential and energized advocates. They’re leading the way, pushing racial and gender equity, fair funding, community schools, grassroots organizing and other crucial issues to the fore. Be sure to give them a follow!

The Fight for Public Education in Puerto Rico: 3 Lessons for the Field & Philanthropy

Yesterday we convened organizers from across the country to highlight the popular struggles in Puerto Rico against austerity, privatization, and the larger neocolonial project the island has been subjected to. Members of Schott grantee partner Journey for Justice Alliance have visited the island to support and learn from the struggles there, including co-organizing a conference this past summer.

Join Schott at GFE 2019!

The Schott team is at the annual Grantmakers for Education national conference this week in New Orleans — we hope to see you there. We’re happy to host a learning session and a funder reception on Wednesday, October 23, and Schott Vice President Edgar Villanueva will close out GFE in a plenary session on Thursday morning. Join us!

A Strike for a Loving City

More than 30,000 educators and support staff, Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU members, are on strike in Chicago:

The strike comes on the heels of other teacher strikes in Oakland, Los Angeles, Colorado and Virginia earlier this year, and is CTU’s first since its eight-day strike in 2012, when teachers sought higher wages, fair teacher assessment and job security, among other issues. Community support is once again strong in the city today as the union seeks higher pay and benefits, fully staffed schools and smaller class sizes.

Young People Lead: A Youth Mandate for Presidential Candidates

Endorsed by more than a hundred youth organizations and their allies, including the Schott Foundation, “A Youth Mandate for Presidential Candidates: Permanently Dismantle The School-to-Prison-and-Deportation Pipeline” was released today: the boldest intervention yet in the education justice space in the 2020 political discussion.

Navigating Racist Triggers: The Unsettling Impact of Current Events on the Immigrant Experience

Carolina Espinal

Carolina Espinal

Schott Foundation Board Member

As Donald Trump continues to fuel white nationalism with his recent tirade against four members of Congress who are all women of color, the essence of what it means to be American is in a seismic shift. The values of the constitution, the leadership elected to uphold it, and the American people are in direct conflict and the threat to already vulnerable communities like mine is real. The question that keeps getting louder in my ears is: Am I safe?

Schott Foundation Applauds Dr. Gail Christopher Appointment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Quincy, MA –The Schott Foundation congratulates Dr. Gail Christopher as she assumes leadership of the National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE). Dr. Christopher, former vice president and senior advisor at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, is a long-time philanthropic partner whose vision, tenacity and leadership have made major contributions to growing the movement for racial justice.

Investing in Native Communities

by Edgar Villanueva

Schott Vice President of Programs and Advocacy Edgar Villanueva is a board member of Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), and wrote the foreword below for the pathbreaking new report “Investing in Native Communities,” produced by NAP and Candid. Read the report and explore the new website.

It’s been said that “whoever holds the data tells the story.” Our story is a difficult one, due to the history of colonization and genocide in the United States and around the world. Because of this, Indigenous peoples have historically not been authors of our own narratives. But thanks to the work of Native Americans in Philanthropy, other Native-led organizations, and Indigenous leaders inside philanthropic institutions, many donors are becoming aware of this history and the resulting trauma that continues to plague our communities.

Infographic: LGBTQ Students Need Help, and Philanthropy Needs to Step Up

A new infographic released today highlights the challenges facing LGBTQ students and analyzes trends, gaps, and opportunities in funding for LGBTQ education issues.

Produced in partnership between Funders for LGBTQ Issues and Schott, we hope this infographic will help both those in philanthropy and LGBTQ advocates to chart a better course toward a future where all LGBTQ youth attend well-resourced, supportive and safe public schools.