Founded in 2011 by public school parents, Families for Excellent Schools is a community organization that fights for every child’s right to an excellent education. Through organizing and political work, they work to amplify the voices of families over the din of electioneering and special interest campaigning. Rather than speak on behalf of public school parents, Families for Excellent Schools empowers parents to speak for themselves. Their staff comes from leadership positions at charter management organizations, labor unions, and political campaigns. FES implements four key strategies to ensure success: they partner with schools to develop a solid base of institutional support in their work with families, they train and develop parent leaders, who plan and lead our work over time, they grow neighborhood chapters and a city-wide organizing committee, which leads their campaigns and engagement efforts in their neighborhoods. These chapters work at the local level to build sustained support for key educational reforms. Their members organize one other into action through legislative and electoral campaigns. For the last several years, the parent voice in New York City has been assumed by a handful of groups associated with other interests—offering an important perspective, but not a complete one. As New Yorkers prepared to elect a new mayor last November with full responsibility for – and control – over the city’s public schools, it was crucial that every parent have an outlet to engage with the candidates and voice their concerns about public education. In the following months, their more than 5.000 parents were given that chance through town halls, training sessions, and a candidate forum to ensure that every family has a say in the direction of City schools. 
Website: http://www.familiesforexcellentschools.org/ Jeremiah Kittredge, the CEO Samantha, the parent
What are the Families for Excellent Schools?
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