National Commission on Civic Investment in Public Education

Posted by on May 30, 2011

Parlaying civic support into civic investment

Civic investment in public education in the 21st century must have two goals: to ensure quality public education as a civil right for every child, and to elevate public education as a fundamental institution of democracy. For over 25 years, non-profit, community-based public education support organizations — local education funds (LEFs) and public education funds (PEFs) — have provided billions of private dollars to support local school projects and implement systemic reform strategies in districts. A new report from the National Commission on Civic Investment in Public Education indicates how these organizations — which number over 19,000 across the nation — can operate in a transparent and ethical manner, and describes what districts, prospective donors, and the public can expect from them. It outlines a set of common operating standards to guide their work and allow community members to hold them accountable. It also addresses the broader accountability of governments for the current state of public education, and discusses what policymakers can do to ensure that public schools are educating all students equitably and well. Setting policymakers’ priorities straight will take public will, and policymakers must see their constituents demand equity and excellence in education opportunities and outcomes. LEFs and PEFs can lead the advocacy efforts, but can only do so effectively if they have the strong support of the public they represent.

See the report: http://www.publiceducation.org/pubs_20110526_report.asp