2026 Eddies Awards: Best Collaboration

EdAllies, Educators for Excellence, Great MN Schools, National Parents Union (NPU)

Network Policy Pillars: High Expectations, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy ensures that Minnesota students are guaranteed the right to a K-12 education regardless of their background and immigration status, codified into state law, with clear guardrails to ensure they can attend school safely and securely, all while knowing that the privacy of their personal data is protected.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 175,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

In late 2025, federal officials launched Operation Metro Surge. Federal agents conducted immigration raids across Minnesota, arresting thousands in homes and community locations, including school areas at arrival and dismissal time and at bus stops. During the surge, the image of school as a safe place was broken. Absences skyrocketed, volunteers picked up students and delivered food to families who were sheltering, and school officials patrolled bus stops. Formed in early 2025 to make sense of how Minnesota should respond to federal education policy changes, the Push Forward coalition acted. The coalition, made up of EdAllies, Educators for Excellence, Great MN Schools, plus over 30 student-serving nonprofits, called for leadership from state policymakers. Our top priority was to pass the Education Protection Bill, codifying the right to a K-12 education into state law for all students, regardless of immigration status. We sought to ensure the sanctity of schools as a safe place by prohibiting schools from requesting, collecting, or sharing information about actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status unless strictly required by law. This was important guidance as schools were suddenly thrust into the middle of a larger debate around immigrant policy and enforcement. Thanks to clear alignment and an all-hands-on deck approach, the coalition secured a hearing during the first Education Policy Committee meeting in the Minnesota House, and significant traction in the Senate. Due to a cohesive coalition strategy, lessons learned from other states, amplification from national partners, and a united front from educators, families, and students, after several hearings and debates the bill was passed by the Minnesota Senate in an immigration policy omnibus. While the bill ultimately stalled in an evenly-divided House, thanks to a full-fledged communications campaign, targeted relationship building, and strong hearings, the bill is well-positioned for 2027.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

Coordinated coalition strategy and intentional efforts to engage voices from across the community were instrumental in the Education Protection Bill getting traction. Coalition members leaned into their strengths and came together to strategize at weekly huddles. The coalition was nimble with space for different levels of engagement. The core policy-focused members created toolkits and provided updates to ensure direct service and educator partners could support based on audience and capacity. Some members took charge of meetings with elected officials. Others took responsibility for talking points, communication assets, and social media. The effort included not just organizational leaders, but the communities we collectively serve with many voices coming together with a compelling and unified message, delivering robust testimony from different lenses. Consensus and collaborative decision-making were critical. A steering committee with heavy representation from PIE Network member organizations provided direction, but all participants had the opportunity to weigh in on key decisions, from selecting policy priorities to developing strategy. This coalition dynamic helped keep members centered on students and advancing what’s best for the shared mission. Consistent communication with organizational stakeholders was especially effective with opportunities for grassroots action from different types of community members. An action alert allowed people across the state to contact legislators, and a petition allowed educators to share a collective message. In total, nearly 500 community members took part in different pipelines to action. Finally, throughout the legislative session, the Push Forward Coalition welcomed new members and collaborated with other coalitions with an overlapping focus on responding to Operation Metro Surge. There was no gatekeeping of roles, responsibilities, or content. Many coalition members who joined in the midst of the work made a real impact.

One of the strengths of this work was bringing together educators, families, students, community advocates, and over 30 student-serving organizations around a shared commitment to protecting every childs right to learn. While we brought different lenses and organizational priorities, all coalition members had the same north star that helped us move the work forward: to ensure the right to an education was codified into Minnesota law and to keep Minnesota schools safe places of learning for all students, regardless of immigration status. The coalition boasted members with expertise in legislative affairs, policy analysis, grassroots organizing, communications, student engagement, teacher organizing, and more. We leveraged the strengths of the organizations and individuals involved, bringing in new experts from in-state and out-of-state to learn how best to move our issue forward. While coalition members were aligned on a clear vision, there were varying degrees of comfort with policy advocacy, and different perspectives on the scope of must-haves and nice-to-haves when it came to policy. A well-managed coalition structure made space for robust, consensus-based decisionmaking that aligned members around details as they unfolded.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

Strong project management is essential to good coalition management and issue response. The Push Forward Coalition succeeded in large part due to strong, consistent structures, including a steering committee and issue-focused action team that both met weekly between longer full coalition meetings. This allowed a diverse base of member organizations to enter the coalition at different levels of engagement. Being open and welcoming to new organizations throughout the work, regardless of the type of expertise or role they might play, was critical. This led to new members who had expertise in certain committees where our bill was scheduled to be heard, experience in grassroots organizing, connections to diverse community bases, and more.

Putting the cause and work first, with shared organizational leadership, helped maintain a united front and showcase that the commitment to the work is bigger than any single organization. Members were proactive about asking for help and feedback. In a time of skepticism and emotionally charged rhetoric, having a united front provided legitimacy to the cause and reliability throughout the work.

RESOURCES

• Education Protection Bill
• Push Forward Coalition Bill Overview
• EdAllies Action Alert: “Demand a House Vote on Protections for Immigrant Students!” 
• E4E Petition “Tell MN Lawmakers: Keep Schools Safe For Every Student” 
• NPU Testimony

ExcelinEd, Ohio Excels, School Choice Ohio, Thomas B. Fordham Institute-Ohio

Non-Network Partners: Alliance for High Quality Education, Association for Gifted Children, Buckeye Association of School Administrators

Network Policy Pillar: Great Educators, High Expectations, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps Ohio students access the right mathematics supports and opportunities—from evidence-based interventions and high-dosage tutoring to advanced coursework and Algebra I acceleration—so they can build strong math skills, achieve at higher levels, and pursue their full academic and career potential.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 1,600,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

For years, Ohio’s math results showed the need for action. In 2024–25, only 55% of students were proficient, and nearly 40% of eighth graders were far below grade level. At the same time, many students ready for advanced coursework were not given the chance to accelerate. Ohio needed a strategy that both supported struggling students and expanded opportunities for advanced learners. A coalition including Ohio Excels, the Fordham Institute, ExcelinEd, and School Choice Ohio spent over a year developing a comprehensive solution. They brought together educators, policymakers, business leaders, and advocates to review research, learn from other states, and build consensus around practical reforms. The group held dozens of meetings and refined proposals based on feedback. While stakeholders did not initially agree on every issue, we worked through differences to find common ground. This approach built broad bipartisan support and strengthened the final policy. The result was Senate Bill 19, Ohio’s most comprehensive math reform to date. The law requires schools to provide evidence-based support—such as tutoring and extended learning—to students who are struggling, while keeping families informed of progress. At the same time, it expands access to advanced coursework. Starting in 2027, students ready for acceleration will be automatically placed on a path to Algebra I in eighth grade unless families opt out, opening opportunities for about 11,000 more students each year. Senate Bill 19 also improves teaching quality by requiring math proficiency for educators who teach the subject and expanding professional learning. It increases transparency by strengthening school improvement planning and encouraging the use of high-quality instructional materials. This effort shows how collaboration can drive meaningful change. By focusing on both support and opportunity, the coalition ensured that all students—those who need help and those ready to advance—benefit.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

This coalition succeeded by uniting organizations with diverse strengths, constituencies, and perspectives around a shared belief that Ohio students deserve better mathematics outcomes. Ohio Excels, the Fordham Institute, ExcelinEd, and School Choice Ohio worked collaboratively to convene stakeholders, build and sustain the coalition, conduct research and policy development, provide state and national expertise, coordinate legislative advocacy, lead strategic communications, and draw on implementation lessons and model policies from across the country. The partnership was strengthened through PIE Network’s Math Multipliers Community of Practice, which provided valuable research, peer learning, messaging, and implementation support. The coalition expanded through Ohio’s Literacy and Math Coalition, engaging leaders from state agencies, regional implementers, Alliance for High Quality Education, Association for Gifted Children, as well as consulting with the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, math professionals, and other organizations. Together, these partners created a forum where policymakers and these state leaders could work through difficult issues and build consensus. The collaboration wasn’t successful because everyone agreed at the onset. Partners held different views on local control, implementation, educator capacity, acceleration policies, gifted education, accountability, and mandates. Rather than allowing disagreement to derail progress, coalition members listened to one another, shared research, refined proposals, and remained focused on improving outcomes for students. By embracing disagreement instead of avoiding it, the coalition produced stronger policy, broader bipartisan support, and more durable reforms than any single organization could have achieved alone. The effort demonstrated that lasting policy change depends not only on evidence-based solutions, but also on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to putting students first.

Passage required collaboration across ideological, political, and organizational differences. Coalition members worked with bipartisan legislative champions and stakeholders to address concerns about implementation, local flexibility, acceleration, educator capacity, and accountability. Through months of listening, research, negotiation, and policy refinement, the coalition built consensus around a shared belief that every Ohio student deserves both meaningful support and meaningful opportunity.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

One of the most important lessons from this effort is that durable policy change requires durable relationships. The coalition invested more than a year in building trust before achieving a legislative victory. That investment created the foundation needed to navigate disagreement, refine proposals, and sustain momentum through a lengthy legislative process. Rather than rushing to introduce legislation, partners first built the relationships necessary to tackle difficult policy questions together.

Another lesson is the importance of embracing disagreement. Some of the legislation’s strongest partners did not begin fully aligned on the policy agenda. Stakeholders raised concerns about local control, implementation, educator capacity, accountability, acceleration, and gifted education. Instead of viewing those concerns as barriers, the coalition treated them as opportunities to strengthen both the policy and the partnership. By creating space for honest dialogue and remaining focused on student outcomes, coalition members transformed disagreement into consensus and ultimately produced stronger legislation with broader bipartisan support.

A third lesson is that excellence and equity are not competing priorities. Too often, education policy forces stakeholders to choose between supporting struggling students and expanding opportunities for advanced learners. This coalition intentionally rejected that false choice by advancing policies that do both—providing stronger interventions for students who need support while expanding access to accelerated learning for students who are ready. Finally, this campaign demonstrates the power of turning network learning into state action.

Through PIE Network’s Math Multipliers Community of Practice, coalition members gained access to research, messaging, and peer organizations from across the country. Those ideas were adapted to Ohio’s context and ultimately became enacted state policy that no single organization could have accomplished alone.

RESOURCES

• Ohio Senate Bill 19 (enacted legislation, testimony and analysis)
• Fordham Institute commentary
• ExcelinEd Math Policy
• Ohio Excels LinkedIn page (includes mathematics campaign)
• Press Coverage

Advance Illinois, Kids First Chicago, The Chicago Public Education Fund

Non-Network Partners: The Civic Federation

Network Policy Pillar:  Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps Chicago students, families, principals, and school communities preserve classroom resources and maintain stable school budgets, so they can focus on teaching and learning rather than absorbing cuts from short-term fiscal decisions. By supporting a balanced budget without new loans, borrowing, or school-level reductions, the policy advances both educational opportunity and long-term financial sustainability.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 316,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

In 2025, Chicago Public Schools faced a projected $734 million budget deficit, pressure to reimburse the City of Chicago for a $175 million pension payment, and proposals to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to close the gap. The stakes for students and schools were significant. School budgets had already been approved, and additional reductions threatened resources principals rely on to support students. Borrowing to cover operating expenses also risked worsening the district’s long-term financial challenges. These decisions unfolded during the first year of Chicago’s partially elected, 21-member school board, creating a new governance environment as board members, families, educators, labor unions, and community organizations navigated new roles and responsibilities.
On August 28, 2025, the Chicago Board of Education approved a balanced FY26 budget that preserved school budgets, avoided new borrowing, and limited any pension reimbursement to unexpected new revenue sources. More than 316,000 students benefited from a budget that protected classroom investments while strengthening the district’s fiscal position. This outcome was made possible through a broad coalition effort.

The Chicago Public Education Fund provided governance expertise, budget analysis, and implementation support. Kids First Chicago educated and activated parents, elevated community voices, and helped families engage directly with decision-makers. The Civic Federation provided independent fiscal analysis to inform policymakers, reporters, and the public. Advance Illinois and the Funding Illinois Future coalition successfully advocated for additional state investment in K-12 education, helping improve the fiscal conditions facing CPS. Together, these efforts helped shift the conversation toward protecting students, preserving school resources, and promoting long-term financial stability.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

This collaboration succeeded because each partner contributed a distinct strength while remaining aligned around a shared goal: protecting students and school communities during a challenging budget cycle.

The Chicago Public Education Fund brought expertise in governance, district operations, school leadership, and budget implementation by helping stakeholders understand how various budget scenarios would affect schools and supporting efforts to develop a fiscally responsible path forward.

Kids First Chicago brought strong relationships with parents and communities across the city. Through bilingual webinars, parent leadership structures, public testimony, media engagement, and direct outreach, Kids First translated complex budget issues into accessible information and helped families engage with decision-makers.

The Civic Federation provided trusted, independent fiscal analysis that helped policymakers, journalists, and community members understand the implications of borrowing, pension reimbursement proposals, district debt, and revenue options.

Advance Illinois contributed statewide policy expertise through the Funding Illinois Future coalition. While local partners focused on the CPS budget, Advance and coalition partners successfully advocated for increased state investment in K-12 education, helping improve the district’s fiscal outlook.

Together, the coalition engaged parents, school leaders, board members, district staff, elected officials, media outlets, and community organizations. Different partners reached different audiences, but the message remained consistent: students should not bear the burden of short-term fiscal decisions. The result was a coordinated effort that combined governance expertise, community engagement, fiscal analysis, and policy advocacy to help secure a balanced budget that protected school resources and strengthened CPSs financial position.

This effort required collaboration across organizations with different missions, constituencies, and approaches. The Chicago Public Education Fund worked closely with district leaders, principals, and school communities. Kids First Chicago engaged parents directly and elevated parent and community voices. The Civic Federation approached the issue through a public finance and governance lens. Advance Illinois focused on statewide education funding through the Funding Illinois Future coalition. While each organization brought a different perspective, all shared a commitment to protecting students and supporting sound fiscal decision-making.

The coalition also worked across political and institutional divides. Chicago’s first partially elected school board included members with different constituencies and priorities. Rather than relying on partisan arguments, coalition partners focused on facts, transparency, and student impact. Partners met with board members, provided analysis, hosted events, testified at hearings, briefed reporters, and communicated regularly with stakeholders across the city.

Parents, principals, civic leaders, policy experts, labor organizations, and community advocates all played important roles. Community voice remained central throughout the campaign. Families participated in webinars, meetings, testimony, and direct outreach to board members. School leaders described how budget decisions would affect their schools, while fiscal experts and state advocates helped stakeholders understand the broader implications. As key decisions approached, we also collaborated with our local SEIU chapter and members of Chicago’s City Council on shared messaging – helping to demonstrate broad support from labor, community, civic, education, and parent stakeholders. By bringing together diverse voices and expertise, the coalition built support for a fiscally responsible budget that protected students and schools.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

This campaign offers several replicable lessons for advocates working in dynamic, politically complex environments.

1. Build coalitions around complementary strengths. The most effective partnerships are those in which organizations contribute different assets. This coalition brought together governance expertise, parent leadership, fiscal analysis, state policy advocacy, and community engagement.
2. Start early and invest in public understanding. Budget decisions are often made over many months. By educating stakeholders early and continuously, the coalition helped families, community members, and policymakers engage with complex issues before key votes occurred.
3. Translate technical issues into accessible language. School finance can be difficult for the public to follow. Clear explainers, webinars, fact sheets, polling, testimony support, and community conversations helped move stakeholders from awareness to action. 
4. Connect local and state advocacy. District budgets are influenced by decisions made at multiple levels of government. Coordinating local budget advocacy with statewide funding advocacy helped address both immediate challenges and longer-term funding needs.
5. Use trusted messengers. Parents, principals, fiscal experts, governance organizations, and policy advocates each brought credibility with different audiences. Coordinated communication across those messengers strengthened the coalition’s impact.
6. Protect relationships while advancing policy goals. The coalition focused on maintaining constructive relationships with decision-makers, even when disagreements emerged. That approach created opportunities for continued dialogue and problem-solving throughout the campaign. Most importantly, the campaign demonstrated that diverse organizations can remain aligned around a common goal when they keep students and school communities at the center of their work.

RESOURCES

• Visit this link to see sample collateral materials (testimonies, blog posts, briefing materials, and webinars) of our campaign

DC Charter School Alliance, DC Policy Center, Education Forward DC, EmpowerK12, Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE)

Non-Network Partners: CitySchools Collaborative and The Center for Strong Public Schools 

Network Policy Pillar:  Great Educators, High Expectations, Innovative Options, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps strengthen math and literacy skills and outcomes for students in both DC Public Schools and DC public charter schools by increasing funding for statewide math and literacy coaches, investing in statewide educator professional development, sustaining funding for high-impact tutoring, and furthering statewide transparency around high-quality instructional materials.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 99,562 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

After decades of growth, DC’s budget and student enrollment are in a slowdown. Thus far, this has not slowed down reading and math progress with DC again coming out on top on Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research’s Education Recovery Scorecard. As a challenging budget loomed over us in a critical statewide election year, our coalition knew we would have to work together to ensure that policymakers fund the practices that support students’ reading and math outcomes. As a result of a partnership between PAVE, EmpowerK12, The Center for Strong Public Schools, the DC Charter Alliance, and CitySchools Collaborative, the DC Council restored and protected programs to support literacy and math achievement in the FY27 budget. A total of $302,926 was restored and added in math, $280,727 for literacy, and $3M was sustained for HIT. The Council also added a new requirement for LEAs to report their math curricula to the state, increasing transparency and laying the groundwork for stronger instructional quality.

The combined investment of ~$3.6M will have a meaningful impact on DC students by expanding proven academic supports, including high-impact tutoring, educator and school leader professional development, literacy and math coaching, and implementation of recommendations from DC’s Math and Literacy Task Forces. Together, these strategies ensure students receive high-quality instruction and targeted support to accelerate learning and close achievement gaps. This win protects momentum for academic recovery and growth at a time when education investments were at risk — and other coalitions were sometimes even asking Councilmembers to use money reserved for literacy and math for their priorities. By securing these resources and advancing policies that promote high-quality instructional materials and stronger accountability, this collaboration is helping ensure that every DC student has access to the tools, teaching, and support they need to thrive.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

This collaboration brought together parents, students, educators, advocates, policy experts, and stakeholders across sectors around a single powerful goal: ensuring DC students have access to the academic supports they need to thrive. And it was born from parent voice. PAVE Parent Leaders prioritized math & literacy in 2025 after discovering a lack of investment in academic supports. They grounded the coalition’s multi-year advocacy and kept students and families at the center of every policy and budget decision. 

We also had complementary strengths. Our coalition has decades of strong relationships and a deep understanding of how the education systems work in practice, allowing us to coordinate both big public moments and influence behind the scenes. We coordinated and testified at hearings, provided analysis of the budget legislation, laid out the qualitative and quantitative research, and held meetings and conversations with policymakers and their staff. Together, we had the trust and a shared vision to achieve success: 

• Families paired their stories with rigorous evidence about what works to improve student outcomes.
• Parents led with urgency, sharing powerful testimony about their children’s experiences with academics, and got commitments from policymakers on the asks during 13 DC Parent Voice and Choice Week meetings. 
• Data leaders shared research on best practices that produce a strong return on investment and outcomes for students. 
• School leaders opened their doors for site visits, showing what strong evidence-backed instruction looks like. 
• Advocacy partners tracked every step of the legislative process, navigated budget conversations, and counted the votes. 

We aligned our messaging, communications, and policy asks across all groups, amplifying a voice that decision-makers couldn’t ignore. The result was a movement capable of securing meaningful investments that will benefit students across the District.

In early 2026, PAVE hosted an Academic Convening to bring together education leaders from across DC. EmpowerK12 provided data and research underscoring the urgency of improving literacy and math instruction. The Center for Strong Public Schools shared legislative strategy learned through relationships with DC Council. The DC Charter School Alliance shared the charter sectors perspective, CitySchools Collaborative brought their on-the-ground experience with HIT, and Education Forward DC brought expertise as the city’s ed champion. Representatives from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) also participated. OSSE oversees many of the programs and initiatives addressed in our recommendations, and the DME office provided valuable insight into DC’s budget process and broader education priorities. As the convener, PAVE centered the experiences and voices of Parent Leaders throughout the process. The Academic Convening was foundational to this policy win because it created a shared vision for improving academic outcomes and aligned stakeholders around common goals, strategies, and responsibilities. By bringing together organizations with complementary expertise and influence, we built the trust, coordination, and momentum needed to advance a unified policy agenda. PAVE also organized school tours in partnership with some of DC’s highest-performing schools. These visits gave us the opportunity to observe high-quality instruction in action, deepening our understanding of what students deserve and strengthening parents’ ability to advocate for kids. The firsthand experiences from these tours directly informed testimony, shaped our budget requests, and reinforced the policy solutions we advanced. Together, this collaboration transformed parent-centered priorities into coordinated action, laying the foundation for the successful policy changes and investments that followed.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

Center lived experience: Testimony and storytelling from families, advocates, and education leaders demonstrated the importance of investing in math and literacy support. Their voices grounded the policy conversation in real stakes and real lives. 

Coordinate across channels: We paired public testimony with direct policymaker engagement, community outreach, and a coordinated messaging strategy to influence budget and legislative outcomes. 

Build and maintain long-term relationships: Our years of work advocating for DC students, coupled with ongoing trust-building with policymakers, meant we didn’t show up for the first time when there was a crisis—we already had deep relationships in place. That credibility allowed us to move quickly and effectively when funding and policy were on the line. 

In tough budget years, give policymakers cost-free wins along the way: We identified opportunities to support cost-free wins for policymakers that aligned with our values, which built momentum and goodwill—positioning us to make budget asks when the stakes were highest. 

Follow through: From budget to bill, we stayed engaged at every stage—drafting policy solutions, organizing families to meet directly with Councilmembers, and showing up again and again for public hearings.

RESOURCES

• Special Edition of PAVE Newsletter
• Special Edition Update of PAVE Newsletter
• PAVE Newsletter
• One-Pagers
• State of High-Quality Instructional Materials in the District of Columbia (June 2026)
• Parent Testimony
• Organization Testimonies & Resources

All4Ed, Bipartisan Policy Center, Center for American Progress (CAP), Collaborative for Student Success, EdTrust, Educators for Excellence, MassPotential, National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), National Parents Union (NPU), Teach Plus, The Center for Learner Equity

Network Policy Pillar:  High Expectations, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

By modernizing the largest federal literacy grant, this policy helps states and districts leverage federal dollars to advance and accelerate evidence-based literacy policies, so that they can connect and scale state-by-state progress into a coordinated national strategy: high-quality instructional materials, statewide coaching networks, teacher prep reform, universal literacy screenings, mandatory parental notification, and interventions for struggling readers. 
Our policy and advocacy impacts 20,000,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

American kids are in a reading crisis. States have led the way on literacy, but leading state-by-state means that hard-won progress can often stay confined to the states that can sustain them, and stall where political conditions shift. The Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant is the single largest federal lever for that work, yet it hasn’t been updated since 2015 and fails to reflect the lessons we’ve learned from state gains over the past decade. A national IES/AIR evaluation found that the CLSD program produced mixed results at best, and that programs backed by strong research were rarely the focus of grant-funded efforts. Few districts used federal literacy funds on programs with strong evidence, and few teachers reported using them in class. The READ Act fixes this problem, taking what’s working in states and making these evidence-based practices the condition of federal funding, not the exception. The READ Act encourages states to use their federal grant dollars to evaluate and fund high-quality instructional materials, train and hire literacy coaches, audit teacher preparation programs, screen early learners, and notify parents when their kids are falling behind. In addition to supporting states who apply for this federal competitive grant program, the bill also has a 10% set aside for states that continue to rank in the bottom 10 on NAEP. These states will receive a small amount of money to start building literacy plans, hopefully acting as a runway for them to compete for the full CLSD grant. By meeting states where they are, the READ Act accelerates the strong work that leading states are already doing, helps others complete the full puzzle (including less common but essential pieces like teacher prep alignment and parent notification), and gives states yet to start both the incentive and the runway to do so. This is the federal reform that turns state-led breakthroughs into a standard every kid can count on. 

The READ Act has passed out of the Senate HELP committee and has been introduced in the House.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

This work began by listening to parents across the country who were concerned that their own child was not reading on grade level. Two years ago, the National Parents Union brought members from 37 states to all 100 offices in the United States Senate with a single ask: a real solution to our nation’s literacy crisis. From there, we built the national coalition that the moment demanded. The National Parents Union hosted two congressional briefings—one with parents and state policymakers who were struggling to pass statewide literacy legislation and asking for federal support, and a second in partnership with resource expert, George W. Bush Institute, where we hosted State Chiefs who all named the need to continue to improve federal grant levers. We introduced two consecutive resolutions calling for federal action to the nation’s literacy crisis and then spent a year gathering stakeholder feedback and aligning best practices to write the READ Act. 

This collaboration was unique because it was exactly what policymaking should be: listening intentionally to those who are impacted by existing policy failures, joined with experts in the field who have the right solutions. Bringing dyslexia moms from all over the country to the same room as organizations like the National Council on Teacher Quality is what made this policy as comprehensive as it is. Parents brought the urgency and the lived reality, field experts brought the evidence and the technical rigor, and neither alone would have produced the READ Act.

Working across lines of difference is one of the hardest things a coalition can do right now, and it is at the heart of this nomination. At the state level, literacy has become a rare common ground that the left, right, and center could all stand on; we are proud to bring that bipartisan energy to federal literacy efforts. Throughout this process, we did not ask anyone to set aside their politics. We asked them to agree that a child who cannot read is a child that the system has failed, and that the science of reading is the proven remedy. This coalition includes over 120 organizations from across the political spectrum, including local parent organizations, state advocacy organizations, and federal think tanks. We made room for very different organizations at very different levels of capacity, and we never treated anyone as a junior partner. Two former U.S. Secretaries of Education from opposing administrations, Arne Duncan and Margaret Spellings, also publicly backed the bill. And the Senate sponsors are bipartisan by design, led by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The clearest evidence that we moved people who do not usually move came on the appropriations side. Even as the House FY27 Labor-HHS bill proposed cuts across nearly every other education program, it included substantial increases for federal literacy: 33 percent for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy grant and 13 percent for the Comprehensive Literacy State Development program. At a moment when Washington is more inclined to dismantle than to build, this coalition produced a rare exception: a bipartisan bill with room to grow rather than another casualty of the partisan divide.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

The biggest lesson from this campaign is that the strongest policies combine lived experience with technical expertise, building broad coalitions that unite the parents who watch the reading crisis play out in their own homes with the policy leaders writing and implementing legislation across the country. There should be no tradeoff between the two. Both perspectives are integral to making policy that actually works. In practice, this means building both halves deliberately and bringing them into the same rooms, in a coalition that treats every voice as essential. We spent years learning from the advocates, researchers, and state leaders who had already pioneered literacy reform across the country, ensuring that the READ Act builds on their successes while addressing the barriers they ran into. At the same time, we kept families at the center, anchoring every part of the campaign in parents who knew something was wrong before the system would admit it. Their voices weren’t used only to champion the bill; they were used to build it from the ground up. Together, this coalition produced a bill grounded in both evidence and lived experience, making it nearly impossible to dismiss. That same combination is what fueled us to continue crossing lines of difference in a polarized Congress, earning the support of Senators who rarely agree on anything else. 

Which brings us to our final takeaway: Organize the coalition before chasing the politics. We did not begin with bill sponsors. We began with a sign-on drive, with parents in Senate offices, with congressional briefings. Instead of starting with a bill, we had federal Congressmen across the political aisle asking us for one—but only after years of making the issue impossible to ignore and building the relationships and the political will to make literacy a priority.

RESOURCES

• Bill text and tracking, S. 4689
• NPU statement
• Senate HELP Committee announcement
• NPU landing page with more information about the bill

Delaware Charter Schools Network, DelawareCAN, Rodel

Network Policy Pillar:  Innovative Options, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps schools align resources with student needs so they can provide more equitable opportunities for success and ensure every student can reach their full potential.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 140,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

For nearly two decades, Delaware’s education funding system failed to account for the differing needs of students. Schools received funding through a structure that provided little additional flexible support for students facing greater barriers to success, including multilingual learners and students from low-income backgrounds. While the need for reform had long been recognized, meaningful change remained elusive. 

This win matters because it transforms years of research, recommendations, and advocacy into action. The legislation establishes the foundation for a more student-centered funding system by directing additional resources to students with the greatest needs and providing schools with greater flexibility in how those resources are used. It also increases transparency and accountability, ensuring communities can better understand how education dollars are allocated and invested. 

The impact extends far beyond school finance. By aligning resources with student needs, schools will be better positioned to provide tutoring, mental health supports, academic interventions, college and career pathways, and services for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Most importantly, the reform recognizes a simple but powerful principle: students who need more support should generate more resources. This achievement represents the culmination of nearly twenty years of work by advocates, educators, policymakers, community leaders, and families across Delaware. DelawareKidsCAN, Rodel, and the Delaware Charter Schools Network played a key role in advancing this work through the Public Education Funding Commission. Together, the organizations helped build consensus around student-centered funding, engage stakeholders across the state, and sustain momentum through years of policy discussions, ultimately helping turn recommendations into action.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

What made this collaboration uniquely powerful was that each organization brought a distinct strength that was essential to moving funding reform from concept to reality. 

Rodel contributed deep policy expertise and research, helping to develop, analyze, and communicate complex funding proposals grounded in evidence and best practices from across the country. 

DelawareKidsCAN brought an advocacy lens, elevating the voices of families and communities, building public support, engaging policymakers, and ensuring the conversation remained focused on student outcomes. 

The Delaware Charter Schools Network brought the perspective of school leaders and practitioners serving on the Public Education Funding Commission, helping to translate policy ideas into solutions that could be implemented effectively in schools. 

Together, the partnership bridged the gap between research, advocacy, and implementation. Policy recommendations were not only evidence-based, but also informed by the realities facing educators and the needs of students and families. The organizations maintained a shared commitment to a student-centered funding system while engaging stakeholders with differing perspectives and priorities. This combination of technical expertise, grassroots advocacy, and practitioner experience helped build credibility, trust, and consensus around a complex issue that had been debated for nearly two decades. By aligning their strengths, the organizations helped transform years of discussion into actionable recommendations and ultimately historic legislative progress for Delaware students.

Education funding reform touches nearly every part of the education system, and stakeholders often approached the issue from different perspectives. Rather than seeking perfect agreement on every detail, we focused on a shared goal: ensuring funding better reflects student needs. Through the Public Education Funding Commission, we convened advocates, school leaders, policymakers, and community members, listened to concerns, incorporated feedback, and built trust over time. That approach helped transform a historically divisive issue into one with broad, bipartisan support.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

One of the most important lessons from this campaign is that major policy change often requires patience and persistence. Education funding reform was not achieved in a single legislative session; it was the result of nearly two decades of relationship-building, research, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy. Sustained effort matters. 

Second, coalitions are strongest when partners bring different strengths to a shared goal. Our partnership combined policy expertise, advocacy capacity, and practitioner experience, allowing us to engage decision-makers, build public support, and ensure recommendations were grounded in the realities facing schools. 

Third, we found success by focusing on principles rather than demanding agreement on every detail. Stakeholders often had different priorities, but broad consensus emerged around a simple idea: funding should better reflect student needs. Keeping the conversation centered on students helped build support across sectors and political perspectives. 

Finally, meaningful stakeholder engagement must happen throughout the process, not just at the end. Through the Public Education Funding Commission, advocates, educators, policymakers, and community members had opportunities to shape recommendations, build trust, and develop shared ownership of the final outcome. The result was not only stronger policy, but also a broader coalition prepared to support implementation. 

For Network members pursuing ambitious reforms, our experience demonstrates the value of combining evidence, advocacy, and authentic stakeholder engagement over the long term.

RESOURCES

• Senate Bill 302
• PEFC Report_June 2026.docx.pdf

Advance Illinois, Chicago Public Education Fund, Kids First Chicago, Teach Plus Illinois, Stand for Children Illinois

Network Policy Pillar:  Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps Illinois education leaders assess, understand, and respond to rapidly changing federal education policies so they can make informed decisions, coordinate action across sectors, and protect access to critical supports and opportunities for students. By providing timely information, shared learning, and collaborating strategically, Illinois Federal Education Response Group (IFERG) helps ensure Illinois students continue to receive the education and services they need to thrive.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 1,900,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

The Illinois Federal Education Response Group (IFERG) was created in 2025 as a response to an unprecedented wave of federal policy changes affecting students, families, educators, institutions, and early childcare providers across Illinois. Since then, IFERG has convened more than 50 advocates and leaders every 3-4 weeks to assess emerging federal actions, understand their implications for Illinois, and coordinate strategies to protect students. The scope of federal changes has touched virtually every part of the education ecosystem. Participants track threats to special education funding and protections for students with disabilities; changes to immigration policy affecting educational access and safety for undocumented students; the dismantling of federal education data and research infrastructure; efforts weakening civil rights protections, DEI initiatives, and supports for multilingual learners; reductions to education funding and programs such as Head Start; and higher education policies affecting financial aid, student loan forgiveness, and international students. For many state-level education advocates, these rapidly evolving federal actions created uncertainty and concern. Organizations often lacked the capacity to independently monitor developments and identify action across multiple issue areas. IFERG filled this gap by creating a trusted space for leaders to learn from experts, share expertise, coordinate responses, discuss impact, and identify opportunities for advocacy. The result has been a stronger, more connected statewide advocacy community capable of responding quickly to emerging challenges. Rather than operating in silos, advocates work together across sectors to ensure Illinois students continue to receive the supports they need. When many leaders felt overwhelmed by the pace and breadth of federal changes, IFERG transformed uncertainty into action, demonstrating how collaboration can strengthen our ability to protect students and families.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

Advance Illinois served as the convener of IFERG with critical support and collaboration from the following organizations: The Chicago Public Education Fund, Kids First Chicago, Teach Plus Illinois, and Stand for Children Illinois. Advance Illinois convened and facilitated the meetings, but each organization stepped up to monitor changing policies, facilitate small groups, connect with national partners, and highlight proposed statewide policies when relevant.

IFERG’s greatest strength is its ability to bring together organizations that do not traditionally work in the same spaces and unite them around a shared commitment. While many groups focus on a single issue, IFERG intentionally spans the entire b-20 continuum and recognizes that federal policy changes often affect multiple systems simultaneously. IFERG includes leaders from ECEC, K-12 education, higher education, disability advocacy, civil rights organizations, research and data organizations, multilingual learner advocates, and community-based organizations. It also expanded beyond traditional education stakeholders to include partners working on issues such as immigration, Medicaid, SNAP, and other supports that directly impact student success. This breadth of expertise proved especially important because many state-level advocates had limited experience navigating federal policy changes at this scale. IFERG became a space where participants could build knowledge together, share emerging information, and collectively assess implications for Illinois. Rather than requiring every organization to independently monitor federal developments, the group pooled expertise and created a shared understanding of risks and opportunities. The collaboration also fostered relationships across sectors that historically have not worked closely together. Advocates focused on special education learned from immigration experts. Data and research organizations partnered with civil rights groups. These connections created a more comprehensive understanding of how federal actions affect students throughout their educational journey. Importantly, IFERG created trust during a period of uncertainty. By providing a consistent forum for learning, collaboration, and problem-solving, the group strengthened the collective capacity of Illinois advocates to respond to changes. The result is a stronger, more connected statewide network prepared not only for today’s challenges, but for future ones

At a time of intense political polarization, IFERG intentionally focused on students, families, and communities rather than partisan politics. The group’s success depended on creating a space where organizations with different missions, perspectives, and policy priorities could engage in constructive dialogue around a shared goal: ensuring Illinois students continue to receive the supports and opportunities they need to succeed. Federal policy changes were presented in a factual, nonpartisan manner, allowing participants to focus on understanding impacts and identifying practical responses. This approach created an environment where diverse stakeholders felt comfortable raising concerns, sharing expertise, and contributing solutions regardless of their organizational focus. The group brought together advocates from across the birth-to-career continuum as well as leaders working in disability rights, immigration, civil rights, healthcare access, nutrition assistance, higher education, and research. Many of these stakeholders rarely share the same advocacy space, yet federal actions increasingly affect their work in interconnected ways. By elevating diverse voices and encouraging collaboration across issue areas, IFERG helped organizations move beyond individual priorities and identify collective solutions. The group demonstrated that meaningful collaboration is possible even during politically charged moments when stakeholders remain focused on a common purpose: protecting students and families.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

One of the most important lessons from IFERG is the value of acting quickly while remaining responsive to stakeholders. As federal policy changes accelerated, we recognized that advocates across IL needed a space to share information, make sense of rapidly evolving developments, and coordinate responses. Rather than waiting for a perfect structure, we launched quickly and allowed the group to evolve based on participant feedback and emerging needs. From the outset, we surveyed leaders from across the state to gauge interest, identify priority concerns, and understand where organizations needed support. This feedback directly informed the group’s design, meeting structure, and areas of focus. By allowing participants to shape the agenda, we built strong buy-in and ensured the group remained responsive to challenges. 

We also prioritized consistency. Regular convenings every 3-4 weeks created a reliable forum for information-sharing and relationship-building, while attendance and engagement data helped us understand which issues resonated most and where additional support was needed. Tracking participation allowed us to continually refine our approach, do targeted outreach, and ensure the group remained responsive as federal developments evolved. 

Another key strategy was to create multiple levels of engagement. Full-group meetings provided broad updates and opportunities for cross-sector learning, while smaller working groups allowed participants to dive deeper into specific topics (see above). This structure enabled organizations to engage where they could add the most value while still benefiting from the broader group. 

Finally, IFERG reinforced the importance of building relationships before a crisis occurs. By creating a trusted space where organizations could learn from one another, share expertise, and work across traditional silos, the group strengthened Illinois collective capacity to respond to uncertainty.

RESOURCES

• Federal Explainer: FEDERAL ACTIONS & STATE RESPONSES 
• https://ilfededwatch.org/

50CAN, ConnCAN, School + State Finance Project, The Mind Trust

Network Policy Pillar: Innovative Options

SUMMARY

This policy helps children and families access charter schools that best fit their individual needs so they can learn in an environment that works for them, and achieve their dreams by actualizing their potential.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 12,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

Connecticut has long been a challenging ecosystem for charter schools. Entrenched political dynamics, difficult budgetary constraints, and inconsistent advocacy coordination has stalled charter growth in the state. This win breaks much of the logjam for charters through a series of key wins for the sector that, together, mark a turning point for charter access in Connecticut. Now, with 5 additional schools funded, Connecticut children in 4 additional communities have access to schools that fit their needs. Each school represents an innovative and personalized model of instruction that is demanded by families. This has the impact of increasing choice, largely in an environment where children have few, and improves student learning and engagement. This has the potential of being a large political and advocacy shift for charter schools in Connecticut.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

Each organization plays an aligned by different role in the charter ecosystem. 

The Mind Trust incubates school leaders, drives school growth and provides technical support for charter operators to improve their school models and program delivery. 

The Alliance for Connecticut Charter Schools, or ACCS (fiscally sponsored by 50CAN) provides the community engagement and expertise to understand the sector’s needs and, through their collaborative process, advocate on behalf of the member organizations they represent. 

School and State Finance Project is a policy and thinktank that models statutory and budgetary decisions, and advocates for equitable treatments of choice programs in the education funding campaign. Likewise, they ensure that funding decisions, including bonding and school construction, include charter schools. 

ConnCAN serves as the primary legislative advocacy organization that provides direct and consistent engagement with elected leaders, and sets campaign agenda through bill writing, lobbying and elected leader partnerships. Their community engagement work also pairs seamlessly with ACCSs community-based approach.

Our organizations are highly aligned. Each wants to see an education sector with robust choice, built on a foundation of equity and access to resources necessary to improve school experience, regardless of school type. Most of the coalition’s work this year was integrating The Mind Trust’s talent and abilities in the Connecticut context. They play a vital role in building charter ecosystems in Indiana, and with their launch of The Mind Trust – Connecticut, we knew that their voice was a key piece, and a missing piece, of charter development and expansion. By working with them directly, we were able to better frame our collective strengths and push in a united fashion. Additionally, ACCS just launched this year too. While many of the organization’s key leaders were well-versed in Connecticut education advocacy, they had to make adjustments to prioritize building the organization’s capacity to serve in a new space.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

To achieve something different, you have to do something different. We were all stronger in partnership and it took time and energy to create the space and cadence for consistent strategic communication. It worked because we all made the commitment to openly discuss pain points and roadblocks as they were happening, so we could make necessary adjustments.

RESOURCES

• State budget that includes new charter schools and expanded funding for charter schools
• State Bonding Commission with charter school facility bonding
• Charter School Para Healthcare

EdTrust-West, Teach Plus California

Non-Network Partners: Young Invincibles

Network Policy Pillar: High Expectations, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

The Data for the People campaign has been primarily focused on the implementation of California’s Cradle to Career (C2C) Data System. The C2C Data System helps state and local advocates and decision makers to make data-based decisions so they can advance outcomes for students, target resources strategically, and monitor outcomes of state and local policies and investments. This campaign is working to strengthen California’s education data infrastructure by advocating for greater access to high-quality education data that informs policymaking, improves transparency, and supports more equitable resource allocation and student outcomes.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 9,000,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

California’s Cradle‑to‑Career Data System matters because it directly improves how students experience and benefit from the education system. By securely linking data from early learning, K–12 schools, colleges, and the workforce, it provides a complete picture of students’ journeys—something that previously wasn’t possible due to disconnected systems. For students, this means better support at every stage. The system helps identify where students are thriving and where they are falling behind, allowing educators and policymakers to target resources and interventions more effectively. It also offers user‑friendly tools so students and families can access information about college pathways, financial aid, and career outcomes, helping them make more informed decisions about their futures.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

The Data for the People coalition has been uniquely effective and powerful because it combines broad-based coalition-building, a clear equity vision, and sustained implementation engagement. 

First, it brings together diverse stakeholders—advocates, researchers, community organizations, and youth leaders—creating a unified voice that has strengthened advocacy for a statewide data system and ensured it reflects real community needs. 

Second, the coalition has maintained a strong focus on equity-centered design principles, consistently pushing for disaggregated data, inclusion of all students, and safeguards to prevent harm—ensuring the system is not just built, but built to address racial and socioeconomic disparities. 

Third, it prioritizes accessibility and public-facing tools, advocating that data be usable by families and communities, not just policymakers. This emphasis has helped keep the system accountable to those it is meant to serve. 

Finally, the coalition supports ongoing implementation monitoring by encouraging participation in public processes, engaging with system governance, and mobilizing advocates to track progress and funding. This sustained involvement ensures the Cradle‑to‑Career Data System continues to evolve in ways that are transparent, responsive, and aligned with community priorities.

EdTrust‑West worked with partners to advocate for and monitor the implementation of the Cradle‑to‑Career Data System by building a diverse, cross-sector coalition of advocates, researchers, and community leaders unified around equity. It engaged stakeholders across lines of difference to push for inclusive design, transparency, and public access, while sustaining participation in governance and implementation to ensure the system remains responsive to community needs.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

Our key learnings from this campaign include:

• Build broad, diverse coalitions early: Bring together advocates, researchers, students, and community groups to create a unified, credible voice.
• Anchor in clear equity principles: Set non‑negotiables (e.g., disaggregated data, inclusion, accessibility) to guide both advocacy and implementation.
• Pair policy advocacy with technical expertise: Combine storytelling with data knowledge to influence both legislators and system designers.
• Stay engaged beyond the “win”: Continue monitoring implementation, participating in governance, and mobilizing partners to ensure accountability.
• Center community voice: Ensure those most impacted shape priorities and keep pressure on decision-makers.

RESOURCES

• 2026 Policy Agenda
• Collateral can be found on our campaign webpage
• Bill Text – AB-132 Postsecondary education trailer bill
• Cradle to Career Data System Reports to the Legislature

Teach Plus New Mexico, NewMexicoKidsCAN, Public Charter Schools of New Mexico

Network Policy Pillar:  Great Educators

SUMMARY

This policy helps future educators and school systems strengthen mathematics instruction through better teacher preparation, professional learning, and early intervention so every student has a stronger foundation for long-term success in mathematics and economic mobility.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 300,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

This win matters because New Mexico students need stronger math instruction starting in the earliest grades. SB 29 helps address this by improving how future elementary teachers are prepared to teach math and by creating stronger supports for current teachers and students. The policy requires stronger math preparation for elementary teachers, a statewide math instructional leadership framework, district math professional learning plans, and K–3 math screening and support for students who need extra help. This is important because too many students struggle with math before they have the foundation they need for later grades, college, careers, and economic mobility. SB 29 helps New Mexico move from short-term fixes to a stronger statewide system that prepares and supports teachers so students receive better math instruction from the start.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

This collaboration was uniquely powerful because it united classroom educators, state agencies, higher education, legislators, and education organizations—including three New Mexico PIE Network members— around a shared commitment to strengthening elementary mathematics instruction. Following the 2025 legislative session, there was broad recognition that New Mexico needed a stronger, more collaborative approach to improving how future elementary teachers are prepared to teach mathematics. Teach Plus New Mexico contributed by ensuring educators had a meaningful role throughout the process. Policy Fellows and elementary teachers participated in focus groups to identify challenges and practical solutions, resulting in an educator-informed policy memo that helped strengthen advocacy efforts. Teacher leaders also developed their advocacy skills, met with legislators and education leaders, testified during committee hearings, participated in a radio interview, and hosted a public screening of Counted Out that brought together more than 70 educators, policymakers, higher education leaders, and community members to elevate the conversation around mathematics education. At the same time, NMPED worked closely with the bill sponsors and numerous statewide partners to shape and advance the legislation. Higher education leaders, advocacy organizations, and other education partners contributed expertise, provided testimony, and helped build broad support for the bill. Each partner brought a unique perspective and area of expertise, creating a stronger policy than any one organization could have developed independently. The collaboration succeeded because it combined educator voice, partner organizations, agency leadership, and legislative partnership around a common goal. Rather than advocating from separate perspectives, partners worked together to strengthen the legislation and improve outcomes for future teachers and the students they will serve.

Teach Plus staff and teacher leaders worked alongside NMPED, bill sponsors, legislative staff, and statewide education organizations to advance SB 29 through multiple House and Senate committees. Partners met regularly to align strategy, coordinated testimony and legislative outreach, and engaged directly with lawmakers to build support and move the bill through the legislative process. Together, we achieved a stronger policy than any one organization could have accomplished alone.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

Our biggest lesson is that successful policy campaigns begin with authentic educator voice. Teachers should not simply be asked to support legislation after it is written—they should help identify the problem, shape solutions, and share how policy will impact students and classrooms. Their credibility and lived experience create trust with policymakers and strengthen the policy itself. 

We also learned the importance of maintaining a consistent message. Throughout the campaign, partners stayed focused on what was best for students rather than protecting the status quo or advancing individual organizational priorities. A shared, student-centered narrative helped build broader support across policymakers and stakeholders. 

Finally, effective coalitions require intentional organization. Partners were clear about roles, responsibilities, and communication, allowing each organization to contribute its unique strengths while reinforcing common goals. This coordinated approach strengthened relationships, avoided duplication, and created a unified advocacy effort that ultimately led to a stronger policy and a successful legislative outcome.

RESOURCES

• Fellows Memo: Strengthening Math Training in Teacher Preparation Programs: Recommendations from Teach Plus New Mexico Policy Fellows
• SB 29 FIR Text for Senate Bill SB0029
• Teach Plus New Mexico Applauds Passage Of Senate Bill 29 To Strengthen Math Education
• Teach Plus New Mexico looks to improve math comprehension for teachers and students | KSFR

BEST NC

Network Policy Pillar:  High Expectations

SUMMARY

NC Counts On Math (a coalition convened by BEST NC) recommendations were translated into law through the 2026 NC State Budget: $15M for K-8 high-quality instructional materials and pilot initiatives, a new K-8 math screening and intervention plan requirement for low-performing schools (phasing in for 2028-29), and repeal of the Textbook Commission in favor of a broader instructional-materials framework.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 950,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

Mathematics is foundational to long-term student success. Because math learning builds cumulatively, early mastery is critical. Yet, across North Carolina, inconsistent curriculum quality, uneven instruction, and limited access to actionable data have weakened K–5 outcomes, disproportionately harming rural students, students of color, and low-income communities. Where a child goes to school should not determine what math instruction they receive. Led by BEST NC and funded through a State Implementation Fund grant, North Carolina Counts on Math (NCCOM) convened a high-caliber, cross-sector working group — researchers, district and school leaders, NC General Assembly members, NC DPI and State Board representatives, educator preparation experts, and business leaders — that produced a shared vision for K–5 math, a role-specific implementation chain, and a policy agenda built around HQIM adoption, curriculum-based professional learning, Advanced Teaching Roles™ coaching, a statewide numeracy screener, and updated educator preparation standards. 

The measure of a research report is whether it moves policy; and this one did. Senate Bill 1044, the Foundational Mathematics Act, included in the 2026 State Budget with bipartisan support, translates NCCOM’s blueprint into statute and appropriations, with a phased implementation timeline that begins with the state’s low-performing schools — the students most affected by inconsistent math instruction — before scaling statewide.

The 2026 NC State Budget reinforced that momentum: $15M was appropriated for K-8 HQIM curriculum and pilot initiatives, a K-8 math screening requirement was enacted for low-performing schools (phasing in for the 2028-29 school year), and the Textbook Commission was repealed and replaced with a broader instructional-materials framework.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

North Carolina Counts on Math (NCCOM) succeeded because it was designed to succeed. Several structural choices set it apart from conventional education reform efforts. 

BREADTH WAS BY DESIGN: The Working Group included classroom teachers, ATR™ instructional leaders, district math coordinators, NC DPI math consultants, educator preparation faculty, mathematics researchers, State Board members, General Assembly members, and the Governor’s office — alongside business leaders. Every collaborator who would need to implement the recommendations helped write them, and that shared ownership accelerated everything that followed. 

THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY’S INVOLVEMENT CHANGED THE LEGISLATIVE DYNAMIC: BEST NCs role as a business-led convener gave the partnership credibility with the General Assembly that traditional education advocacy cannot always achieve. Framing early math as a workforce competitiveness issue opened doors other framings would not have. 

NCCOM BUSTED THE MOST COMMON MYTH BLOCKING HQIM ADOPTION: A legal analysis from McGuireWoods LLP confirmed North Carolina already had authority to incentivize or require HQIM adoption — removing the (potential) objection that we’d need new legislation before the conversation began.

THE REPORT GAVE LEGISLATORS A READY-MADE FRAMEWORK: Rather than broad goals, NCCOM handed the General Assembly a role-specific implementation chain with concrete, observable actions at every system level — a key reason recommendations moved into legislation as quickly as they did. 

NCCOM BUILT ON PROVEN INFRASTRUCTURE: By designating Advanced Teaching Roles—already operating in 600+ North Carolina schools—as the primary HQIM coaching backbone, the coalition proposed a model grounded in existing, successful structures rather than requiring new systems from scratch.

Education transformation requires bridging divides that typically slow or stop reform. NCCOM built processes to connect them: 

STATE AGENCY & LOCAL PRACTITIONER DIVIDE: NC DPI departments frequently operate in silos, and NCCOMs landscape analysis confirmed teachers regularly receive conflicting guidance across initiatives. By co-designing the implementation chain with NC DPI math consultants and district-level educators simultaneously, NCCOM built shared ownership rather than a top-down mandate. 

RESEARCHER & PRACTITIONER DIVIDE: National mathematics experts—including Watershed Advisors and ExcelinEd—provided the evidence base while classroom teachers and district practitioners provided the implementation reality check. Working group discussions were structured so both perspectives shaped every recommendation, ensuring local conditions informed statewide conclusions. 

BUSINESS & EDUCATION COMMUNITY DIVIDE: BEST NCs involvement signaled to legislators that math transformation was a priority extending beyond traditional education advocacy. NCCOM translated this cross-sector credibility into legislative momentum, reaching audiences that research briefs alone do not. 

EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE ALIGNMENT: Governor Josh Stein, State Superintendent Mo Green, the State Board of Education, and General Assembly members were all engaged concurrently and intentionally. S1044 entered a prepared environment because NCCOM had cultivated relationships across branches throughout the process. 

BLURRING PARTISAN LINES: Eight House and Senate education leaders from both parties actively participated in the working group. Framing the effort around student outcomes and workforce competitiveness—rather than curriculum ideology—made genuine cross-party participation possible and sustained it through the legislative process.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

COMMISSION THE EVIDENCE FIRST: NCCOMs landscape analysis—interviews, document reviews, and instructional practice analysis—revealed significant variation in curriculum quality, professional learning, and data use, giving the Working Group a shared diagnosis from day one. 

RESOLVE LEGAL AMBIGUITY PROACTIVELY: NCCOMs McGuireWoods memo confirmed North Carolina already had authority to require or incentivize HQIM—removing that blocker before it could slow the legislative conversation. 

BUILD THE NEXT LEGISLATURE INTO THE WORKING GROUP: NCCOM included General Assembly members in the working group itself. When S1044 was introduced, its sponsors had already participated in the design—the single tactic most responsible for the speed of the legislative win. 

MAP THE IMPLEMENTATION CHAIN BEFORE GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE: NCCOM handed legislators a role-specific framework covering curriculum, professional learning, assessment, staffing, funding, and policy. We arrived with the blueprint, not just a vision.

INTEGRATE EXISTING ASSETS: North Carolina already had Advanced Teaching Roles in 600+ schools. NCCOM designated ATR as the HQIM coaching backbone — grounding the proposal in a proven model and defusing cost objections. 

USE A BUSINESS CONVENER: BEST NCs role gave NCCOM credibility with the General Assembly that traditional education advocacy cannot always achieve — reaching audiences and opening doors that research briefs alone do not.

RESOURCES

• Senate Bill 1044 (Foundational Mathematics Act)
• Senate Bill 257 (2026 NC State Budget)
• NCCOM Final Report
• EdNC coverage: Research | A commitment to improving K-5 mathematics instruction in NC

GeorgiaCAN, ExcelinEd

Non-Network Partners: Georgia Center for Opportunity, Georgia Chamber of Commerce

Network Policy Pillar: High Expectations

SUMMARY

Based on ExcelinEd’s model policy and Math Matters framework, the Math Matters Act is designed to help target numerous streams of instruction due to its comprehensive approach. It supports struggling elementary students requiring 60 minutes of daily math instruction in grades 4-5; it benefits more advanced students with expanded access to rigorous coursework in middle school through 10th grade; and strengthened teacher preparation should improve math instruction for every child.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 917,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

Georgia’s “Math Matters Act” (HB 1030) represents a comprehensive effort to strengthen math instruction and expand access to advanced coursework for students statewide. The law establishes clearer expectations for both teaching and learning, ensuring that more students are prepared for higher-level math and future academic success. The policy advances math education in three key ways: 

1. First, it guarantees greater access to advanced math courses by requiring schools to automatically enroll high-performing students and allow others to opt in with parent support. This helps remove barriers that have historically limited access to rigorous coursework. 
2. Second, it strengthens core math instruction and support by requiring minimum daily instructional time in elementary grades and ensuring students in advanced courses receive additional supports like tutoring, small group instruction, and targeted interventions. 
3. Third, it improves teaching quality and consistency by requiring evidence-based math instruction and aligning teacher preparation and certification with research-backed practices, including conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. Together, these changes help ensure that more students build strong math foundations, access challenging coursework earlier, and receive the support needed to succeed.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

A few different elements made the collaboration between coalition partners, government agencies, and elected officials particularly effective in adopting this policy. This bill built on momentum from the previous year’s work where partners began laying the groundwork to make math a strong policy focus in Georgia and were highly motivated to see it pass successfully. Each partner brought different strengths to this effort, which made it easier for the coalition to divide responsibilities and support one another where needed. In 2025, GeorgiaCAN had drafted and had introduced SB 171, legislation to create an automatic enrollment policy in middle school math courses. Building off of the conversations on that legislation, the partners decided an opportunity existed  to instead pursue  a more expansive bill. We heavily relied on ExcelinEd’s subject matter expertise by providing data, policy analysis, background, and examples from other states where similar approaches had been implemented successfully to support the need for the Math Matters Act. Because partners stayed in close communication throughout the process, ExcelinEd and GeorgiaCAN were able to identify issues, head off trouble and bolster our advocacy by providing materials and policy support to legislators, district leaders and other education groups. Meanwhile coalition partners used their strong relationships to build allies, generate calls and emails to legislators and provide testimony to support the effort. Ultimately this coalition’s success came from the pre-planning, the consistent communication, and the sharing of responsibility based on each partners’ strengths.

Both prior to the start of session and during session, we met with the sponsor, Representative Sandy Donatucci, as well as other stakeholders and coalition partners, including Chairman Billy Hickman and Chairman Chris Erwin. We also met with the Speaker’s Office to advocate for passage of this legislation and gained support. Our main goal was to show that enacting comprehensive math policy would be a smart investment in Georgia’s future.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

The success of this legislation is rooted in the seamless collaboration between coalition partners and legislator champions. From the very beginning of the process of formulating and constructing the bill that would become the Math Matters Act, ExcelinEd in Action and GACAN along with House Sponsor Rep. Sandy Donatucci were in continuous communication about both the goals this bill sought to accomplish and the strategy for achieving those goals. Because of the early coordination and communication, each organization and the sponsor could contribute their expertise to provide the best possible pathway towards successful passage. By the time the Georgia General Assembly began, there were three key strategic plans established. 

1. The first was to keep the goals simple and easy to understand which GACAN and ExcelinEd in Action accomplished by simplifying the bill down to three key goals of the legislation. 
2. Next, the coalition backing this bill made early outreach efforts and provided resources to lawmakers and governmental agencies who were both in support of the bill and those that may have been skeptical. By addressing concerns early with easy-to-understand resources, the coalition got ahead of potential concerns before they became a hindrance to the final bill while it was navigating through the committee process. Because of the close collaboration between each group and individuals championing this bill, the coalition could better ensure they connected early with the right groups and included the best information in the resources. 
3. Finally, the collaboration among partners allowed the coalition to divide responsibilities and strategically engage the key lawmakers needed to champion the bill.

RESOURCES

• Georgia Enrolled House Bill 1030

EdTrust in Louisiana

Non-Network Partners: Teach For America South Louisiana

Network Policy Pillar:  High Expectations

SUMMARY

This collaboration helps students, educators, families, and community leaders shape literacy solutions together so they can build a more responsive and equitable education system.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 65,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

This win matters because passing strong literacy policy is only the beginning. Lasting change depends on successful implementation, sustained collaboration, and continuous improvement. Louisiana has made significant investments in evidence-based literacy, contributing to measurable gains in student reading achievement. The Capital Area Literacy Coalition was created to help ensure those gains continue by aligning educators, school systems, higher education, philanthropy, community organizations, and state leaders around implementation rather than isolated initiatives. Our coalition translated policy into practice by supporting educator learning, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, elevating community voice, and creating a shared regional strategy for literacy from birth through graduation. Rather than duplicating existing efforts, we connected them, helping partners understand their role in advancing a comprehensive literacy continuum. This work impacts more than 65,000 students across the Capital Area by strengthening the systems that support high-quality literacy instruction. Most importantly, it creates the conditions for sustained improvement, ensuring Louisiana’s literacy gains are not a moment in time but the foundation for long-term student success.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

The Capital Area Literacy Coalition was uniquely powerful because it was built with the community, not for the community. Students, educators, district and state leaders, higher education, philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, business leaders, and community advocates all helped shape the coalition’s priorities from the beginning. By creating shared ownership instead of organizational ownership, the coalition transformed diverse perspectives into coordinated action, sustainable partnerships, and a unified regional vision for literacy.

We intentionally built a coalition that crossed sectors and perspectives, bringing together students, educators, district and state leaders, higher education, philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, and community advocates. Rather than asking partners to support a predetermined agenda, we co-created priorities together, ensuring every voice shaped our advocacy and that literacy solutions reflected the communities they were designed to serve.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

Our greatest lesson was that successful advocacy begins long before legislation is introduced. Rather than asking organizations to endorse a predetermined agenda, we invested first in building relationships, trust, and shared ownership across the region. The Capital Area Literacy Coalition intentionally convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including students, classroom teachers, school and district leaders, higher education institutions, state education leaders, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, business leaders, and community advocates. These partners did more than attend meetings they co-created the coalitions vision, identified priorities, and helped shape strategies from the outset. 

We also learned the importance of translating complex policy into a shared community vision. By connecting literacy initiatives across the entire birth-to-graduation continuum, we helped stakeholders understand how individual policies fit into a larger systems strategy. This shifted conversations away from isolated bills and programs toward long-term outcomes for students. 

Finally, we found that sustained collaboration requires tangible value for every partner. Through regular convenings, shared learning opportunities, educator recognition events, and practical implementation resources, the coalition became more than an advocacy table—it became a trusted regional network committed to improving literacy together. 

For fellow PIE Network members, our advice is simple: build the coalition before building the campaign. Invest in authentic relationships, ensure those closest to the work help define the solutions, and create a shared vision that allows diverse partners to see themselves in the work. When advocacy is community-owned rather than organization-led, the result is stronger policy, broader support, and more sustainable systems change.

RESOURCES

myFutureNC, BEST NC, NC Association for Public Charter Schools, ExcelinEd, The Hunt Institute

Network Policy Pillar: Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps North Carolina learners, employers, educators, workforce leaders, and communities align education and workforce systems so they can expand access to high-quality career pathways, increase credential attainment, and strengthen economic opportunity statewide.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 2,000,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

North Carolina faces a growing workforce challenge: by 2031, nearly 72% of jobs will require a high-quality credential or degree, yet too few residents have a clear pathway to earn one. Addressing this challenge requires coordinated action across education, workforce, business, and government systems that have traditionally operated independently. Over the past four years, myFutureNC convened more than 50 organizations representing education, workforce development, business, philanthropy, and government around a shared workforce vision. Together, the coalition aligned four statewide workforce priorities, engaged 57 legislative champions, and built unprecedented cross-sector support for the Workforce Act of 2026. Coalition partners collectively represent organizations serving approximately 2 million North Carolina learners. This collaboration culminated in the Workforce Act of 2026, a landmark effort to align education, workforce, and economic development around a shared vision for talent development. Through a multi-year consensus-building process, the coalition developed a unified policy agenda to strengthen pathways from education to employment, expand access to high-value credentials, improve workforce data systems, and better connect learners with high-demand careers. The significance of this achievement extends beyond legislation. Organizations with different missions, funding structures, and priorities united around common goals while maintaining their individual identities. The coalition fostered lasting relationships, generated bipartisan support, and created a durable framework for future policy action. This work matters because lasting systems change requires trust, shared ownership, and sustained collaboration. By building a statewide coalition, myFutureNC laid the foundation for long-term progress toward North Carolinas attainment goal and expanded opportunities for learners to earn credentials, degrees, and family-sustaining careers. Through an unprecedented collaboration spanning education, workforce, business, philanthropy, and state government, the Workforce Act coalition successfully advanced key priorities into the state budget, securing more than $8 million to expand apprenticeships, strengthen education-to-career pathways, and increase access to workforce credentials for North Carolinians.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

The Workforce Act coalition succeeded because myFutureNC did more than convene partners—it created shared ownership around a common goal. Rather than asking organizations to support a predetermined proposal, myFutureNC invited leaders from K-12 education, community colleges, universities, workforce development, business, philanthropy, economic development, and state government to co-create the policy. This collaborative process transformed diverse perspectives into a unified workforce agenda. 

• Education leaders gained deeper insight into employer needs. 
• Business leaders helped shape talent development strategies. 
• Workforce practitioners grounded recommendations in local implementation realities. 
• Policymakers received consistent recommendations from organizations that do not traditionally advocate together. 

The coalition represented more than 50 organizations whose work collectively impacts approximately 2 million North Carolina learners. Participants spanned rural and urban communities, public and private institutions, employers of all sizes, and leaders from across the political spectrum. Despite differing missions and priorities, they remained focused on a shared outcome: strengthening North Carolinas education-to-employment pipeline. What made this collaboration especially powerful was the trust built over four years. By emphasizing shared outcomes over organizational interests, myFutureNC fostered lasting relationships, bipartisan support, and a durable framework for future policy action. The result was more than a legislative proposal—it was a statewide coalition prepared to advance workforce attainment together long after a single legislative session.

myFutureNC convened education, workforce, business, philanthropy, economic development, and government leaders around shared learner outcomes rather than organizational priorities. The coalition intentionally engaged diverse political perspectives, sectors, and regions, using data and consensus-building to develop a unified workforce agenda. This collaborative approach built trust, bipartisan support, and lasting partnerships that extend beyond a single legislative session.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

The Workforce Act coalition demonstrates that durable policy change begins long before legislation is introduced. Investing time in relationships, trust, and shared ownership creates stronger policy and broader support. Several lessons emerged from this work:

• Start with shared outcomes rather than predetermined solutions. A common vision for learner success helped diverse stakeholders find common ground.
• Position your organization as a trusted convener, not just an advocate. Stakeholders were more willing to engage because they helped shape the policy from the beginning.
• Use data as a common language. Workforce projections and attainment data kept conversations focused on evidence instead of organizational interests.
• Engage policymakers early. Legislative champions participated throughout the process, building bipartisan support before legislation was introduced.
• Measure success by the strength of the coalition as well as the policy. Relationships, trust, and shared ownership create lasting capacity for future policy wins. 
• Perhaps the greatest lesson is that stakeholders are more committed when they see themselves as co-creators rather than supporters recruited at the end of a campaign. 

By creating space for authentic collaboration across sectors, political perspectives, and regions, myFutureNC built a coalition capable of advancing long-term systems change—not just a single piece of legislation.

RESOURCES

• Workforce Act 2026 campaign hub (policy briefs, fact sheets, bill tracking, and advocacy resources)
• What Leaders Across NC Are Saying (coalition endorsements)
• Workforce Act overview video
• myFutureNC Data Dashboard

ExcelinEd, Teach Plus Pennsylvania

Network Policy Pillar: Great Educators, High Expectations, Responsive Systems

SUMMARY

This policy helps Pennsylvania’s K–3 students and educators to access evidence-based reading instruction and timely intervention so they can become proficient readers and succeed in school and life.

Our policy and advocacy impacts 470,000 students.

WHY THIS WIN MATTERS

In January 2025, Pennsylvania’s literacy advocacy was fragmented — only one-third of fourth graders read proficiently per the NAEP, yet the Commonwealth lacked a coordinated movement to address the crisis. The Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition (PLC) was created to change that. In under a year, it grew from two founding organizations —Teach Plus Pennsylvania and ExcelinEd—to 56 members spanning educators, parents, school districts, intermediate units, universities, civil rights groups, dyslexia advocates, libraries, foundations, and business leaders. Together, they transformed literacy from a niche education issue into a bipartisan educational, economic, and civil rights priority. These efforts culminated in the passage of Act 47 of 2025, Pennsylvania’s most significant literacy policy victory to date. The law establishes a comprehensive statewide literacy framework requiring evidence-based reading curricula, universal K–3 screening, timely intervention and family notification, science of reading aligned professional development, and public reporting on implementation and student outcomes. Act 47 impacts roughly 470,000 K–3 students and strengthens literacy training and oversight for more than 76,000 educators and education leaders. 

The wins significance extends beyond the legislation itself. For the first time, Pennsylvania’s literacy advocates spoke with one voice — organizations that had historically worked in separate regions, sectors, and silos united around a shared vision for student success. The coalition’s inaugural summit drew more than 200 educators, advocates, policymakers, business leaders, and national literacy experts, proof that what began as a coalition had become a statewide movement. By aligning educators, parents, business leaders, civil rights orgs, higher education, and policymakers around a common goal, PLC established literacy as a long-term statewide priority, laying the foundation for sustained implementation and future policy progress.

WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS

The coalition succeeded by uniting organizations that don’t typically work side-by-side around one goal: every child deserves to learn to read, and every educator deserves the tools to teach them. Few issues unite dyslexia advocates, chambers of commerce, school districts, civil rights organizations, universities, libraries, educators, parent leaders, and business executives. Literacy did. By letting organizations contribute unique expertise while aligning around common goals, the coalition transformed literacy into a bipartisan educational, economic, and civil rights priority. The coalition also chose to remain nonpartisan and credible across the political spectrum, declining to accept vendor members and keeping the focus on student outcomes and evidence-based policy. This let members build relationships with policymakers from both parties across PA’s urban, suburban, and rural communities. The coalition’s first-ever Capitol Day showed the movement’s breadth: advocates held more than 60 legislative meetings with lawmakers from nearly 40 counties. The press conference featured a parent, an educator, a student, a civil rights leader, a business leader, and legislators from both parties. Members brought distinct strengths: the PA Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, the Reading League PA, and Decoding Dyslexia PA provided literacy expertise; Parent Power and The EARTHS elevated parent voices; Teach Plus PAs policy fellows brought the teacher perspective; Read by 4th expanded communications capacity; the PA NAACP engaged the Legislative Black Caucus; and the PA Chamber and local chambers connected literacy to workforce development No single organization could have done this alone. Together, these partners built a coalition larger, more credible, and more effective than any one organization alone, growing from two organizations to 56 in under a year, engaging nearly 900 advocates, generating more than 2,000 messages to policymakers, and helping secure Act 47’s passage.

For the first time, PA literacy advocates spoke with one voice. The coalition was built to bridge differences in geography, sector, ideology, and lived experience — uniting urban, suburban, and rural communities, educators, parents, business leaders, civil rights advocates, and dyslexia organizations. By focusing on evidence and shared values over partisanship, the coalition earned bipartisan support for Act 47 and elevated educators and parents as messengers, turning fragmented advocacy into a coordinated statewide movement.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS USED TO BUILD AND EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN

The PLCs’ experience offers several lessons for fellow Network members pursuing ambitious policy change. 

First, build the coalition before the campaign. PA’s literacy advocates had worked toward similar goals for years, often in isolation. Investing early in relationships and trust-building gave us the foundation to move fast when opportunities emerged. 

Second, create multiple entry points. The coalition offered monthly calls, statewide convenings, legislative briefings, advocacy days, sign-on letters, op-eds, and action alerts — letting organizations with different capacities contribute meaningfully. 

Third, pair compelling data with compelling messengers. Research mattered, but policymakers were most moved by the people closest to the issue. We elevated educators, parents, business leaders, and civil rights advocates through testimony, media, and events. Literacy was championed by voices from across sectors and communities. 

Fourth, build bipartisan support. Literacy transcends party lines. We intentionally cultivated relationships across the aisle through informative, action-oriented engagement. 

Fifth, national examples open doors, but local data closes the deal. Mississippi and Alabama’s reforms helped establish proof of concept, but legislators told us, Were not those states — were Pennsylvania. So we built county-level fact sheets and district-specific data that connected the issue directly to constituents. National stories built credibility; PA data built urgency. 

Finally, make yourself impossible to ignore. We showed up consistently — legislative meetings, Capitol events, testimony, media, relationship-building — staying visible, responsive, and persistent. In under a year, this strategy grew the coalition from two organizations to 56, secured a 50-organization sign-on letter, engaged nearly 900 advocates, generated more than 2,000 messages to policymakers, held more than 170 legislative meetings, and helped secure passage of Act 47 of 2025.

RESOURCES

• Act 47 final legislative language: FAQs 
• Economic Impact of Low Literacy County-Level Fact Sheet Sample – Lackawanna County 
• PA Literacy Coalition_Sign-On Letter to PA Legislative Leaders_Oct 2025
• 2025 Event Recaps