Let me pause for a minute, in the middle of raising hackles and poking hornets’ nests, to sing the praises of a Minnesota gem:  Parents United for Public Schools, or Parents United for short.

Seriously, if there was a Mount Rushmore for great Minnesotans, Parents United founder Mary Cecconi would have to be on it, right next to the teachers, parents, and families from around the state that are functioning–and excelling–on the tiniest of shoestring budgets. 

Mary is, first and foremost, a teacher. She has a background in the classroom, and that matters. As one of the founders and former Executive Director (and now Legislative Director) of Parents United, Mary puts her teaching skills to good use by sharing complex information–about education policy and state budget procedures–with parents and public education advocates every chance she gets. 

And, like all great teachers, she challenges those of us who look to her for information by pushing us in directions we need to go. When I’ve talked with her about the current state of high stakes testing and my deep criticisms of it, Mary has fired back and pushed me to think harder about all of the kids who need real, concrete pathways to a better future. Overtesting these kids to highlight their deficiencies or punish their teachers might not be the answer, but Mary doesn’t stop there. She is relentless about pursuing practical, goal-oriented solutions and compromises for all of Minnesota’s public school kids, and that makes her not only a great teacher, but also a powerful leader. 

These days, Parents United, under Mary’s well-informed guidance, is calling on all Minnesotans to advocate NOW for all kids. In an uncharacteristic call to action, Parents United has been peppering my Facebook feed with very important messages about the pittance of public money state government leaders–both the DFL-held Senate and the Republican-controlled House–have proposed for our E-12 system.

When Mary and Parents United tell us to act, we should. Immediately. The stakes could not be higher, as the Parents United website makes clear. Unless more of the state’s budget surplus (and Mary could tell you a lot more about why the surplus is not really a surplus) goes to public ed, all of us with kids or careers in the system will be facing dire cuts. Think your kid’s class couldn’t get any bigger? Think again. 

And Mary, along with the whole Parents United crew, are doing the kind of education advocacy work that really matters. Parents United is not an Astroturf reform group that sprouted upover night, flush with hedge fund-fueled cash and dripping with policy priorities that just don’t amount to much at the end of the day. (Beware of “nonprofits” that are able to throw up slick websites and ad campaigns overnight.)

Instead, Parents United is leading where other groups fear to tread. The group is mostly funded by individual donors (that would be you and me); the rest comes from the services, such as workshops, that Mary and her crew provide. This is so key. In a world of increasing privatization of our public services, non-profit organizations are often hamstrung by the funding they receive. In other words, he or she who provides the money calls the shots and sets the agenda. (Always, always follow the money).

If we actually want smaller class sizes, better outcomes for all kids, and a democratically run education system, then we’d better step up, and follow Parents United’s lead. 

State budget decisions are being made NOW, at the Capitol! Here’s more info from Parents United:

Thank you for all you have done so far. If you have not yet, please, call and/or email your legislators, House Speaker Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Bakk.

Send the same email to Rep. Jenifer Loon and Senator Chuck Wiger’s Committee Administrator.

Your voices are instrumental

CALL TODAY

Representative Daudt: 651-296-5364

Senator Bakk: 651-296-8881

*Join the Twitter campaign, too: #MNSurplus4MNStudents