Initiatives Overview

The foundation of PEN’s work—and that of our national member network—is building public responsibility for public education as defined in our theory of action.

Toward this end, PEN launched public engagement initiatives in 14 communities across the nation, where participating members are helping their communities adopt action plans for education policies that improve student achievement.

The initiatives, which incorporate data collection, coalition building, community organizing, and strategic communications, focus on three areas central to quality in public education:

Standards & Accountability: Communities take a role in supporting high standards and crafting sound accountability policies so that all students, especially low-performing students, get the help they need to meet rigorous standards.

Schools & Community: Through a child-centered, coordinated-services perspective that recognizes the role of schools, families, and community agencies in the lives of children, communities create and sustain strategies for addressing the academic and non-academic needs of children.

Teacher Quality: Inequitable distribution of quality teaching in low-performing middle schools and high schools is addressed through a public exploration of teacher compensation, working conditions, and skills and capacities.