The Eddies—annual, advocate-nominated and voted awards—feature strategic advocacy that is driving impactful policy change.
Best Kept Secret features replicable and innovative policy and advocacy work led by state and local advocates driving meaningful changes for students and families. We asked the Nomination Committee to pick from Honorable Mentions across all categories to identify finalists for Best Kept Secret.
See a complete list of 2026 nominees in all Eddies categories. Staff at PIE Network members and partner organizations, check your inbox for a link to vote in each category or log in and vote here. Questions? Email [email protected].
Best Kept Secret Finalists
EdTrust-West
Original Category: Most Actionable Tools & Research
Network Policy Pillar: High Expectations
RESOURCE:
Black Student Success Data Tool
SUMMARY
This research or tool helps local advocates and organizers to ground campaigns, conversations, and calls to action in data so they can leverage the insights to mobilize communities and demand change from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its schools. This research tool helps parents, families, and community members to see how well their child’s school is supporting Black students so they can leverage the data to ask informed questions, advocate for stronger student supports and resources for their community.
WHY THIS RESEARCH MATTERS
Black students in LAUSD deserve schools where they feel safe, supported, and academically challenged. Yet statewide and district trends show persistent gaps in achievement, discipline, and access to college and career-ready coursework. When data revealing these gaps is accessible, communities are better equipped to hold systems accountable and push for change. The Black Student Success Data Tool shows how LAUSD schools serve Black students, using publicly available data on school experiences, academic outcomes, and BSAP funding. Designed for advocates, families, and community members, it helps users monitor progress, identify gaps between student groups, and push for accountability. We’ve compiled data from LAUSD and the California Department of Education into interactive dashboards that can help answer questions like:
- How are Black students in LAUSD experiencing school, and how are they performing academically districtwide and at individual schools?
- How do Black students’ experiences and outcomes compare to those of their peers?
- How have the school experiences and academic outcomes of Black students in LAUSD changed over time?
- How are BSAP funds being used, and what are they being spent on?
- What patterns emerge in achievement, school experience, and BSAP spending across schools?
By making this data easier to access and interpret, the tool helps users hold the district and individual schools accountable for using BSAP funds to support Black students’ academic success and positive school experiences.
THREE ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS:
- Our Black Student Success Data Tool shows that Black students continue to experience lower academic outcomes and higher rates of discipline and disengagement across LAUSD.
- In 2023-24, LAUSD spent only 74% of its Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) budget, leaving nearly $80 million in targeted funding for Black students on the table.
- At the school level, the pattern is uneven: while many schools used most of their BSAP budget allocation, several campuses spent none of their BSAP funds, limiting Black students access to the expanded supports and programming the dollars were intended to make possible.
HOW OTHER LEADERS INFORMED OR USED THIS RESEARCH:
While none of our primary collaborating organizations are PIE Members, EdTrust-West did work closely with several community partners who participated in focus groups to help guide the creation and design of the tool, including: Community Coalition, CADRE, InnerCity Struggle, ACLU Southern California, Catalyst California, Reclaim Our Schools LA, and Dr. David C. Turner III at UCLA. In addition, nearly 50 community partners joined a webinar to learn how to use the tool to advance their local advocacy efforts.
UNDERSTANDING REACH & IMPACT
The Black Student Success Tool has had 400 users and 1000 views since release (March 9) on our website and 1880 views directly on Tableau.
Teach Plus New Mexico, NewMexicoKidsCAN, Public Charter Schools of New Mexico
Original Category: Best Collaboration
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 & TACTICS USED TO BUILD & 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
HawaiiKidsCAN
Original Category: Game Changer Campaign of the Year
Network Policy Pillars: High Expectations, Responsive Systems
SUMMARY
With the passage of HB1891 in the 2026 legislative session, Hawaii is helping all Hawaii public school students, especially those with dyslexia, finally get the support they need to learn to read effectively. This policy impacts more than 165,000 students in the Hawaii public school system. In particular, this policy will positively impact the nearly 80,000 students who are not reading proficiently, and the estimated 16,000 to 30,000 who may have dyslexia.
Our policy and advocacy impacts 165,000 students.
WHY THIS WIN MATTERS
As a state not on the typical Education Reform map and geographically isolated, Hawaii is often excluded from discussions of kids’ and families’ needs. A member of the 50CAN network, HawaiiKidsCAN plays an outsized role in translating policy advances in other states to a local context. In the case of literacy, HawaiiKidsCAN has led the charge in elevating the Science of Reading, student outcomes, and educator preparation.
By mobilizing other organizations focused more generally on grassroots family literacy, HawaiiKidsCAN has been able to lead a coalition that is unapologetic about pushing the state to keep up with policy advances made in places like Mississippi and Louisiana, which are seen as political opposites to deep-blue Hawaii. Fueled by conversations with PIE Network members and breakthroughs like the Sold A Story podcast, HB1891 is the culmination of several years of focused work by HawaiiKidsCAN.
In 2024, HawaiiKidsCAN organized a presentation by literacy advocate Kareem Weaver to the Hawaii State Board of Education, which led to the adoption of Literacy Levers at the Hawaii Department of Education. In 2025, HawaiiKidsCAN set out to ensure key components of these goals were protected in statute. To achieve this, the small but mighty team of two set out to expand their coalition of nonprofits, families, students, educators, and experts through a series of documentary screenings, talk story sessions, and community outreach efforts to more than 2,500 individuals.
In the 2026 legislative session, HawaiiKidsCAN generated a record-breaking nearly 300 pages of testimony in support for HB1891, which ultimately passed and became law. They also supported powerful student advocates in sharing their stories of struggling with literacy, giving voice to a segment of Hawaii’s population that is often left out and left behind. This win builds upon decades of effort by dyslexia advocates. Without HawaiiKidsCAN, Hawaii very likely would have remained the last state without such a policy for years to come.
WORKING ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE & COALITIONS
Partnership and collaboration are at the core of successful efforts in a place as tightly bound together as Hawaii, and HawaiiKidsCAN has always focused on building strong coalitions. To support HB1891 and in the years leading up to the bill, HKC worked with a wide range of partners, including the Hawaii State Literacy Coalition, Hawaii Department of Education, Hawaii State Library System, Hawaii State Board of Education, Teach For America Hawaii, International Dyslexia Association Hawaii branch, Reading League Hawaii, the American Academy of Pediatrics Hawaii branch, ExcelinEd, Lexia, Fulcrum, Chaminade University, NAACP Hawaii Chapter, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and many individual advocates.
Hawaii has a strong local network of stakeholders dedicated to empowering people with the skills and resources to strengthen their literacy, particularly for those who struggled to learn using non-evidence-based approaches. But HawaiiKidsCAN saw a need to unite these dispersed grassroots efforts in the service of pursuing systemic change so that every student can access high-quality learning, no matter their zip code. The breadth of voices and decades of collective experience gathered under a single cause created a groundswell that elevated HB1891 to the top of a long list of policy priorities at the legislature.
As one of over 3,000 measures introduced in the 2026 session, HB1891 also relied on HawaiiKidsCAN’s strong partnerships with the leaders of the House and Senate education committees to advance. The bill maintained strong bipartisan support throughout the session, ultimately passing the House and Senate by 75-1. Strong relationships with local media partners also ensured that the story of the movement behind HB1891 was shared broadly within the community across the islands. All main media outlets in the state, including Hawaii Public Radio, Honolulu Civil Beat, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Hawaii News Now, picked up the feature.
ADVOCACY STRATEGIES & TACTICS USED TO BUILD & EXECUTE A WINNING CAMPAIGN
While national momentum on literacy made elevating literacy a timely priority, the HawaiiKidsCAN team kept partnerships and messaging hyper-local to ensure that the purpose and responsibility for HB1891 were only ever focused on local needs and outcomes. While the Literacy Levers that inspired HB1891 can trace their roots to policy successes in states like Mississippi, HawaiiKidsCAN framed the fight for literacy in Hawaii as a demand that the islands reclaim their place at the forefront of literacy, just as it held in the 19th century when the Hawaiian Kingdom led the world in literacy rates.
By highlighting a narrative that people could take pride in, showing a politically viable path forward, and mobilizing a deeply embedded community of supporters, HawaiiKidsCAN ensured the why, how, and when of HB1891 were clear to all stakeholders.
At the same time, in a diverse, politically Democratic state like Hawaii, HawaiiKidsCAN navigated a wide range of potential challenges. In particular, we appealed to the fundamental human right of literacy as opposed to a top-down “English first” approach that minimizes the vibrant multilingual cultures in our community. We also engaged directly with leaders from the Hawaiian Immersion space to identify exceptions that would not conflict with the needs of Hawaiian Language Immersion schools.
We also avoided calling out educators or the state teachers’ union, which privately supported the bill throughout the legislative session. HawaiiKidsCAN worked to expand the number of informed policymakers in the legislature through Capitol policy events to raise awareness of key priorities such as literacy, math, and workforce development. We are proud that our approach to effective advocacy straddles national partnership and best practices with an unapologetically hyper-local focus. At a time of great national political division, we believe we are charting a course of pragmatic action on behalf of our kids.
RESOURCES
- HB 1891: DOE; Dyslexia Screening; Universal Screening; Evidence-Based Interventions; Teacher Professional Development | Digital Democracy
- https://bit.ly/4gCZkyw
- https://bit.ly/4eGh7lO
- Beth Fukumoto: Legislature Is Doing The Right Thing On Dyslexia – Honolulu Civil Beat
- Column: Hawaii can lead the world in literacy, again | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- ‘Every kid is different’: State eyes universal dyslexia-sensitive screenings across Hawaiʻi public schools
Tennesseans for Student Success
Original Category: Most Actionable Tools & Research
Network Policy Pillars: High Expectations, Great Educators, Innovative Options, Responsive Systems
RESOURCES
- Tennessee Firefly
- 2026 Tennessee Governor’s Race Tracker
- Firefly story putting candidates on the record: Sen. Blackburn Expresses Support for Public Charter Schools and Open Enrollment | Tennessee Firefly
- Firefly story holding leaders accountable: Charter Approval May Take Music City Miracle | Tennessee Firefly
SUMMARY
This tool helps lawmakers better understand the impact of policy so that they can vote for legislation that helps students succeed and vote against harmful bills. This tool helps parents better understand education policy and options, like charter schools, so that they can make the best decisions for their children and in the voting booth.
WHY THIS RESEARCH MATTERS
Polling has shown that parents in Tennessee aren’t always aware of how well their child is doing in school or what options like charter schools are. This challenge is exacerbated by a declining staff in traditional newsrooms and journalists who rarely cover education and, when they do, frequently exhibit bias against charter schools and testing. The Firefly addressed this knowledge deficiency over the last year by filing nearly 100 stories on charter school issues, along with frequent coverage of proposed changes to testing requirements and teacher evaluations, and key decisions by elected leaders that would otherwise be missed. The Firefly has also held elected leaders accountable for misrepresenting charter school achievement in their district and for voting against education reforms that would have given parents more options for their children. This year, the Firefly has played an important role in putting 2026 gubernatorial candidates on the record on key issues like charter school facilities funding, open enrollment, and proposed testing and teacher evaluation changes. These are not issues that traditional media will usually touch. The work the Firefly does helps change public opinion and serves the overall communications strategy of Tennesseans for Student Success by promoting lawmakers who champion student-centered education policies and putting candidates on the record on whether they support or oppose the interests of children.
THREE ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS
- The Firefly has grown to average roughly 30,000 unique visitors a month. This proves that there is a genuine interest from the public in reading school reform content if you provide them with a place to access it.
- Lawmakers and candidates frequently share Firefly content on social media, including multiple stories that saw 12+ shares each in 2026. This confirms that lawmakers can be helpful in messaging strategies if you provide them with the type of content (news stories) that they are accustomed to sharing.
- All 3 major gubernatorial candidates took on the record positions on open enrollment, testing, and accountability, and charter school facilities funding through Firefly content. These are not issues that anyone would have likely taken a position on otherwise, and it’s an example of how a tool like this can help set the agenda.
HOW OTHER LEADERS INFORMED OR USED THIS RESEARCH
The work of the Firefly has been a useful tool to elevate the research and polling of multiple Tennessee-based PIE Network Members. SCORE and the Tennessee Charter Center have released multiple research projects on charter schools, higher education funding, and other issues that the Tennessee Firefly has elevated to a larger audience in 2025/26. Similarly, Tennessee CAN has produced polling on school choice topics that we have elevated to a larger audience during this time period.
UNDERSTANDING REACH & IMPACT
We have quantified the reach through our web page numbers. We ended June 2026 with 30,000 unique visitors. Since August 2025, the Firefly website has received just under 165,000 page visits.
Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE), Education Forward DC
Original Category: Best Implementation
Network Policy Pillars: Innovative Options, Responsive Systems
SUMMARY
This policy helps children in DC by creating THE FIRST parent-selected public charter school on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. LEARN DC is on the base, but ~25% of students are non-military and live in the neighboring community outside of the gates. LEARN DC provides a high-quality education of choice that meets the unique needs of children of military and Ward 8 families, both of whom are often transient due to challenges like military orders and generational poverty.
Our policy and advocacy impacts 318 students.
HISTORY & WHY THIS WIN MATTERS
- March 2016: Military Installation Public Charter School Amendment Act of 2016 passed, allowing for the establishment of a school in Ward 8 where 50% of seats would be reserved for military families.
- Fall 2016: POST formed to identify the school, and after a rigorous 6-month process and site visits with finalists from DC, California, and Chicago, selects LEARN.
- 2019: PCSB approves LEARN DC’s charter application and attributes approval to the leadership of parents.
- Fall 2021: LEARN DC opens on JBAB
In 2016, the DC Council passed the Military Installation Public Charter School Amendment Act, opening the door for a public charter school in Ward 8 with 50% of seats for military-connected students on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Ward 8 students experience housing instability, homelessness, and violence. Educational inequities contribute to proficiency rates that are significantly behind city averages. Military families also face challenges, including frequent relocations that require children to change schools every few years. This disrupts learning and contributes to lower academic outcomes.
In Fall 2016, The Ward 8 Parent Operator Selection Team (POST) was established by PAVE and former PIE Network member FOCUS, bringing together eight parents representing both Ward 8 and military communities. The POST created an RFP for LEAs. Academic rigor remained essential, and families emphasized positive school culture, strong social-emotional supports, individualized learning, safety, meaningful family engagement, and relationships between students, families, and educators. POST members chose 4 finalists from the operators that applied and did site visits in DC, California, and Chicago. They selected LEARN Network, an experienced operator with a school on a military installation that served both military and non-military students.
When LEARN DC’s application came before the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) in 2019, years of advocacy by POST parents made approval possible. In granting the charter, PCSB acknowledged that LEARN DC represented a departure from the traditional school approval process and recognized the central role that parents and community members played in shaping and selecting the school. LEARN DC’s approval is a testament to the power of family leadership and community-driven school design. Today, LEARN DC serves 318 children, 25% of whom are non-military, and has been recognized for double-digit growth on our statewide assessment.
IMPLEMENTATION & EVOLUTION
PAVE and FOCUS adapted the POST based on parent feedback, participation, and lessons learned throughout implementation. Parents prioritized school culture, student supports, and family engagement. They consistently emphasized nurturing environments, individualized supports, culturally responsive leadership, and social-emotional learning, especially given the unique needs of children from Ward 8 and the military.
Organizers knew the complexity of school finance, governance, academic evaluation, and other evaluation criteria, as well as how difficult they could be for people without prior experience in those areas to understand. Experts provided targeted training in the above topics, while maintaining parent authority over decisions. This decision ensured that parents had the information and knowledge necessary to make informed choices without shifting decision-making power away from the community.
After 6 months of biweekly four-hour Saturday meetings full of brainstorming and creating their own vision for what would work for both the Ward 8 and military communities, parents created an RFP and reviewed each applicant’s academic approaches, financial statements, and school culture plans, conducted a series of site visits to identify finalists, and selected LEARN, a charter network based in Chicago.
At the start of the process, the members of the POST (4 military, 4 Ward 8) saw themselves as different, but by the end, they said, “we want the same things for our children!” In 2019, PAVE’s ED became Board Chair of LEARN, and PCSB voted to approve LEARN’s application. Tara Brown, a member of the POST, joined the ED search committee and later LEARN DC’s Board of Directors, now serving as the chair of the academics committee. In early 2021, the PCSB fully approved LEARN’s charter, clearing the way for the school to officially open and fulfill the vision that Ward 8 and military-connected families had worked for years to bring to fruition.
The Ward 8 POST process demonstrated the power of putting parents in charge, showing what’s possible when they are given the information they need and the space to come together to ideate, create, and lead. The Ward 8 POST has since become a widely recognized model for community-centered school creation. Organizations locally and nationally have looked to PAVE’s work as an example of how to build educational systems with parents as leaders.
LEARN DC transformed educational opportunity for military families and Ward 8 students, two populations that have historically faced challenges. In the 2024-2025 school year, LEARN was recognized by the DC Public Charter School Board for double-digit gains on DC CAPE, growing from 13% to 38% proficiency in ELA. LEARN also saw growth in math proficiency in the 2024-2025 school year. They were also recipients of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) Exemplary Student Participation Award in the Spring of 2025.
LEARN goes well beyond academics in supporting its students. One of the priorities of the Ward 8 POST parents was a school culture that supported the whole child. LEARN is committed to providing a well-rounded education, especially since it works with students who often experience challenges and losses that their non-military or Ward 8 peers do not. LEARN prioritizes helping students, especially the younger students, foster resilience and emotional well-being while managing stress and maintaining focus in a calm learning environment. Lastly, thanks to increased demand for the school and a proven track record of academic success, LEARN has expanded grades to serve more families and enable students to remain in the same school throughout their education. Today, LEARN serves PK3 through 5th grade and will be adding 6th-grade students in the 2026-2027 school year.