The PIE Network consists of 34 advocacy groups working for education reform in 23 states and the District of Columbia..
Members are all committed to advancing common commitments and objectives, but often look different in their form and strategies for responding to their unique state context. But, they do share some common characteristics in organization and focus, such as:
- All are primarily focused on improving public education. (How it looks in practice: education is not merely on component of the organization’s focus; generally, these organizations were created to advance education reform in their states. Therefore, the organization maintains a full-time presence in the state’s policymaking process and education never sits on the back burner while the organization’s political capital is expended on other issues.)
- All are advocates who work primarily to build and leverage relationships with state-level policymakers to advance the core commitments. (How it looks in practice: While the organization’s mix of tactics varies greatly due to context, a substantial portion of the organization’s staff support outreach to policymakers and it has dedicated advocates who are regular players in the state’s policymaking process.)
- All are evidence-based and non-partisan. (How it looks in practice: the mission doesn’t shift when the state’s political leadership changes, but it does evolve with new research and lessoned learned in implementation.)
- All bring a public voice to the process of education policymaking. (How it looks in practice: While some have boards made up of civic or philanthropic leaders, some have business-backed boards, and some have boards that combine educators and civic leaders, EAO board members are primarily interested in improving education and are not dominated by individuals or groups with conflicted interests, such as sitting policymakers or employee groups.)
These groups play important and unique roles in their states.
- Raise awareness and create a sense of urgency about important challenges facing public schools, challenges such as closing achievement gaps; raising expectations for a changing economy; and ensuring fiscal transparency, equity, and accountability.
- Advocate for important education policy advances and maintain a diligent watch over the lawmaking process, ensuring that when important decisions are made, a voice for kids is in the room.
- Bring evidence and data to the state policymaking process, a process too often dominated by opinions and ideology.
- Convene diverse interests to find creative, forward-looking solutions to intractable challenges.
- Challenge usual players to think differently about solutions to the problems about which “everybody knows” but no one seeks to change.
- Engage the broader public in a process that is too often left to insiders by providing important information about the lawmaking process and how to access it, and targeting energies to ensure that the concerned broader public has a voice when important decisions are made.
