We're education advocates

We are a family of parents, teachers, community leaders and education advocates that will not rest until every student in Oregon has access to a world-class education that prepares them for life beyond the classroom, whether their path leads to college, a career, or both.

Our mission

Our mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for, and with access to, college or career training. To make that happen, we:

• Educate and empower parents, teachers, and community members to demand excellent public schools.
• Advocate for effective local, state and national education policies and investments.
• Ensure the policies and funding we advocate for reach classrooms and help students.
• Elect courageous leaders who will stand up for our priorities.

Our guiding principles

At our member summit in 2012, Stand for Children members and parent leaders collectively determined the principles that guide our work:

1. We believe all children, regardless of their background, should receive a quality public education. We will intentionally prioritize the needs of children who are underserved. This includes children living in poverty, children learning English, and children of color. We will work with community partners to improve education for all students and address Oregon’s large inequities.
2. We believe Oregon schools are underfunded. Our large class sizes and short school year are unacceptable. We will strategically fight to increase and stabilize state and local funding. We will partner across the political spectrum to find effective ways to invest in our schools. We will do the tough work of ensuring every dollar is spent wisely and in the best interest of children.
3. We believe children learn best in vibrant public schools with motivated and supported professionals. We will work to build a better system of developing and supporting diverse and effective educators. We will collaborate to find meaningful solutions to challenging issues including working conditions, placement, evaluation, seniority, and many others. Teacher voices are critical to creating these solutions.
4. We believe that in order for kids to thrive, they need engaged, committed adults supporting them in and out of school. Community partners play a key role in educating children. We join with other advocates to be a voice in decisions that impact all of our kids. We work with school districts to effectively engage parents and caring adults in children’s education because they are critical to academic success.