Guest commentary: Families for Strong Public Schools launches Lee chapter
Families for Strong Public Schools Lee is proud to announce its official launch as a local chapter of Families for Strong Public Schools, bringing together parents, educators and community members committed to protecting and strengthening public education in Lee County.
Families for Strong Public Schools is a nonpartisan organization built around a simple belief: our children are best served when families, educators, students and communities work together and when education decisions remain focused on student success rather than political division.
Families for Strong Public Schools Lee will bring that mission directly to our community.
Lee County families deserve public schools that are adequately funded, classrooms that have the teachers and support staff students need, educators who are respected and supported, schools that are safe and welcoming for every child, and leaders who listen to the families and communities they serve.
Our local chapter plans to advocate at the school district, local and state levels while helping Lee County families better understand the decisions being made about their public schools — and how they can make their voices heard.
Our focus will include:
– Advocating for adequate and responsible funding for traditional public schools and the resources necessary for students to succeed.
– Supporting teachers, paraprofessionals and other school employees who work directly with students.
– Promoting meaningful family engagement, transparency and accountability in education decision-making.
– Advocating for safe, welcoming and high-quality schools for every student, regardless of ZIP code, background or identity.
– Educating families about local and state education policy and providing opportunities for them to advocate directly to elected officials and school leaders.
– Keeping political agendas and manufactured division from distracting our community from the issues that directly affect student achievement.
– Building a coalition of parents, educators, students and community members who believe strong public schools are essential to strong communities.
Public education affects every person in Lee County — whether they currently have a child in a public school or not.
Our schools educate our future workforce, prepare young people for college and careers, strengthen our economy and help prepare the next generation to participate thoughtfully in their communities.
That is why the conversation about public education cannot belong only to politicians, lobbyists or the loudest voices in the room. Families deserve a seat at the table.
Families for Strong Public Schools Lee believes parents can advocate for their children while also respecting educators as professionals. We believe families can ask difficult questions without turning public education into a partisan battlefield. And we believe accountability, transparency and strong academics should unite our community rather than divide it.
Most importantly, we believe the success of Lee County’s children should be at the center of every decision.
At a time when public education is increasingly pulled into political fights, Families for Strong Public Schools Lee intends to keep the focus where it belongs: on our kids.
The chapter will work throughout Lee County to educate and engage families, encourage participation in school board and legislative advocacy, share information about policies affecting public education, elevate the experiences of local families and educators, and organize community members around efforts to strengthen our public schools.
We invite parents, grandparents, educators, students, public-school graduates, business leaders and community members from across Lee County to join us.
You don’t have to agree on everything to agree that every child deserves a strong public school.
Strong students need strong schools. Strong schools need strong communities. And strong communities need people willing to stand up for public education.
Gwyn Gittens is director for Families for Strong Public Schools Lee. She can be reached at lee@strongflschools.com. For more information, visit strongflschools.org.