In April 2020, PPS-PC was scheduled to send our Executive Director to present about our work at the Network for Public Education national conference in Philadelphia, PA. Of course, the conference was postponed due to COVID-19, and then postponed again, and again, and again. Finally, during the last weekend of April 2022, the conference occurred, and we had the opportunity to send Kylene Dibble to present information about our work to education advocates from across the country.
In addition to presenting, Kylene had the opportunity to attend conference sessions that sent messages of inspiration to education advocates across the country. She attended one session with Diane Ravitch, founder of NPE and Research Professor of Education at New York University, who spoke about the impact advocates can have on public education, reminding the room that when we support parent rights in positive ways, we also support the building up of public education. She attended another session with Pastors For Children, a national organization doing similar work to Parents for Public Schools, except rather than gathering parents to advocate for support of public education, they gather faith leaders across the country. Their session focused on making sure that voices are shared with legislators when it comes to policies that affect public education. Another session included parents and educators from Washington, DC, California, Kentucky, and North Carolina, all sharing their experiences of how they have seen parents and educators work together to enhance public education experiences for families and students.
Dibble presented with staff from Save Our Schools Arizona and Save Our Schools New Jersey. While they focused on statewide campaigns to address issues like school vouchers, Dibble shared information about the three programs PPS-PC runs: Community Conversations, School Tours, and the Parent Engagement Program. Attendees were interested in all three programs, and particularly their tangible nature that has a concrete plan and produces direct results. Questions from the audience focused on how school tours might help community members get a better picture of the work being done by public schools, how to make all voices feel valued in the midst of community conversations, and recruitment strategies for a Parent Engagement Program.
Dibble also had the opportunity to connect with staff from Parents for Public Schools from our national office, as well as Milwaukee, WI. The conference was a great way to gather with other advocates and rejuvenate as our chapter continues to move forward in innovative ways to enhance the role of families and communities in securing a high quality public education right here in Pitt County.
