Episode 24: Building Partnerships Across the Community. A Conversation with LEJA's Darcie Boyer
Public School - and public education - is probably the institution that reaches the most people. This is an area we should all care about.
-Darcie Boyer, LEJA
As a result of the successful “No on 2” Campaign here in Massachusetts, parents, students, educators and community members came to the realization that through collaboration and partnership among community members, important educational issues could be brought to public attention. While stakeholders from each of these groups view education through different lenses, the grassroots coalition that grew from No on 2 saw that through working together, we were stronger and more effective agents of change and protection for our public schools.
Darcie Boyer, a parent of an elementary-age student here in Lowell, has been a catalyst for forming partnerships and is one of the founding members of Lowell Education Justice Alliance, or LEJA, here in Lowell, Massachusetts. LEJA members meet regularly to continue their advocacy for students, families, and educators across the Lowell Public Schools. LEJA also is aligned with the state-wide coalition, Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance or MEJA. In the coming months, this partnership will continue to focus on local issues impacting our public schools and will collaborate on a new statewide effort to reform the foundation budget.
For More Information
To read more of what Lowell Education Justice Alliance (LEJA) is doing, visit the group’s Facebook page by searching for Lowell Education Justice Alliance.
To be included on the LEJA mailing list, send an email message to lowelleducationjusticealliance@gmail.com.
This group meets monthly and is open to interested community members - parents, educators and community allies. There is a student LEJA group as well. Send an email message to LEJA at lowelleducationjusticealliance@gmail.com for details.
Thanks again to Darcie for speaking with us today and for her powerful advocacy for Lowell public education. We encourage listeners to contact Lowell Education Justice Alliance and join other like-minded community members in advocacy of our public schools.
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