Advocacy Organizations

ACLU of Maryland
http://www.aclu-md.org/issues/education_reform
The ACLU of Maryland’s Education Reform Project works to ensure that all children in Maryland public schools - particularly those most at risk of failure - are accorded a "thorough and efficient" education as guaranteed by the state Constitution. Our aims include securing adequate and equitable public school funding, and the wise use of that funding to support student achievement, ensuring that school buildings are safe and properly equipped, and providing a positive school climate, including fair and effective discipline policies. The ACLU’s education reform work is rooted in the Bradford v. Maryland State Board of Education lawsuit, brought on behalf of Baltimore parents and students in 1994.

Advancement Project
http://www.advancementproject.org/content/home
Advancement Project is a policy, communications and legal action group committed to racial justice founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999. Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras. From Advancement Project's inception, we have worked "on-the-ground," helping organized communities of color dismantle and reform the unjust and inequitable policies that undermine the promise of democracy. Simultaneously, we have aggressively sought and seized opportunities to promote this approach to racial and social justice among our colleagues and allies in the organizing, legal, policy, and philanthropic communities.

Alliance to Save Energy Green Schools Campaign
http://www.ase.org/greenschools/
Green Schools is a comprehensive program designed for K-12 schools that creates energy awareness, enhances experiential learning, and saves schools money on energy costs. The Green Schools program helps schools use energy efficiently through building retrofits, changes in operational and maintenance routines, and changes in the behavior of building users. Students, teachers, custodians, administrators, and community partners all work together toward a common goal - saving energy and money.

American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
http://www.aasa.org/
AASA supports and develops effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. Founded in 1865, AASA if the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders across the United States.

American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities
http://www.acefacilities.org/
The American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities, funded by the United States Department of Education, provides the educational community with a reliable resource when planning facilities projects. ACEF provides information, training, and assistance to public early childhood, K-12, and institutions of higher education on issues related to educational facility planning, design, financing, construction, improvement, operation, and maintenance.

Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO)
http://www.asbointl.org/
The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) is a professional association that provides programs and services to promote the highest standards of school business management practices, professional growth, and the effective use of educational resources.

Building Educational Success Together (BEST)
http://www.bestfacilities.org
The Building Educational Success Together (BEST) collaboration is an initiative led by the 21st Century School Fund which engages local and national. BEST is fueled by the needs and accomplishments of local partners who are working to improve public schools and neighborhoods in their communities. The work of the local partners provides critical “field testing” of model policy and practices - testing the practicability of strategies for constituency building, financing, government reform, public/private partnerships, intergovernmental collaboration, and school facility management. Without the active engagement and collaboration of these “living laboratories” for change, BEST could not and would not exist. In short the models for positive change grow out of real-life problem solving.

Center for Cities and Schools
http://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/
The Center for Cities & Schools works to promote high quality education as an essential component of urban and metropolitan vitality to create equitable, healthy and sustainable cities and schools for all. Established in 2004, CC&S is an interdisciplinary initiative between UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education and the College of Environmental Design. We partner extensively with the Department of City and Regional Planning and are housed at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD). The vision for CC&S was born out of more than twenty years of work related specifically to schools and public housing in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the nation.

Coalition for Community Schools (CCS)
http://www.communityschools.org/
CCS works toward improving education and helping students learn and grow while supporting and strengthening their families and communities. These community schools bring together many partners to offer a range of supports and opportunities to children, youth, families and communities - before, during and after school, seven days a week. CCS brings together local, state and national organizations that represent individuals and groups engaged in creating and sustaining community schools.

Committee for Education Funding (CEF)
http://www.cef.org/
CEF comprises over 95 organizations dedicated to the goal of achieving adequate federal financial support for our nation's schools and students at all levels. CEF is a voluntary, nonprofit, and nonpartisan coalition. The purpose of CEF is to provide members of the general public and government officials with the information enabling them to better assess the need for funding of federal education programs. CEF takes positions on federal education funding issues that represent a consensus of its membership and then communicates those positions to federal government officials and Members of Congress.

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