BUILDING BRIDGES 2017 ANNUAL REPORT For more than a decade, advocates working together through the PIE Network have proven they can build the political will that’s needed to improve educational opportunities for students across the country. A founding belief of the Network is that the work of improving schools is too important to be compromised by political gamesmanship: finding solutions to improve schools requires leaders to reach across ideology and partisan divides. Every year, at every Network opportunity, we prove that spirit of cross-partisan problem solving is still alive in this country, even in what is the perhaps the most polarized political landscape in recent memory. FOCUS 2 0 Through the Network, leading policy thinkers from across the ideological spectrum work regularly with advocacy 17 leaders from the reddest to the bluest states—and everything in between—all striving to find the right solutions for their states. Network leaders stay connected through regular working meetings like the annual Summit and Executives’ Meeting, and in between these and other Network events, advocates stay “in the know” through a steady flow of resources. In 2017, advocacy leaders—working in partnerships with policymakers, educators, and communities—made historic strides. Your partnership and support make that work possible. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to connecting and strengthening the work of over 70 advocacy organizations working in 33 states to improve outcomes for millions of students. Tim Taylor Suzanne Kubach PIE Network Board Chair PIE Network Executive Director 1 - 2017 PIE Network Annual Report NETWORK GROWTH A NETWORK OF 2016 2017 72 orgs 72 orgs Following the growth of the 34 states 33 states sector and of leading CHANGE-MAKERS education advocacy 2015 2014 organizations. 49 orgs Bringing an urgent voice to the political process so 49 orgs 2013 31 states 31 states that state policy supports great schools and reinforces 2012 45 orgs excellence in the classroom. A network makes impact 2011 39 orgs 28 states 34 orgs 24 states 2010 23 states exponential. 2009 25 orgs 2008 18 orgs 18 states 2007 15 orgs 15 states 12 orgs 13 states 10 states 72 Advocacy Organizations 33 States & D.C. 15 National Partners 2 - 2017 PIE Network Annual Report 2017 NETWORK 72 advocacy organizations MEMBERS 33 states and D.C. 15 national partner organizations STATE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS A for Arizona League of Education Voters PERSPECTIVES & RESOURCES FROM NATIONAL A+ Colorado Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education PARTNERS A+ Education Partnership Mississippi First Center for American Progress Advance Illinois NorthCarolinaCAN Center on Reinventing Public Education AlignED NYCAN Data Quality Campaign Arkansas Learns Oklahoma Achieves Education Resource Strategies BEST-NC One Chance Illinois Foundation for Excellence in Education Campaign for School Equity Parent Revolution National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Chalkboard Project Parents Amplifying Voices in Education National Council on Teacher Quality Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri Partnership for Learning The Education Trust Colorado Succeeds PennCAN Thomas B. Fordham Institute ConnCAN Prichard Committee Connecticut Council for Education Reform Ready Colorado NATIONAL OFFICES SUPPORTING STATE-BASED MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS DC School Reform Now RI-CAN 50CAN DelawareCAN Rodel Foundation of Delaware America Succeeds Democrats for Education Reform Colorado SouthCarolinaCAN Democrats for Education Reform Democrats for Education Reform District of Columbia Stand for Children Arizona Educators for Excellence Democrats for Education Reform Louisiana Stand for Children Colorado Students for Education Reform Democrats for Education Reform Washington Stand for Children Illinois Stand for Children EdAllies Stand for Children Indiana Educate Nebraska Stand for Children Louisiana Educate Texas Stand for Children Massachusetts Educators for Excellence-Chicago Stand for Children Oklahoma Educators for Excellence-Connecticut Stand for Children Oregon Educators for Excellence-Los Angeles Stand for Children Tennessee Educators for Excellence-Minnesota Stand for Children Texas Educators for Excellence-New York Stand for Children Washington EdVoice StudentsFirstNY Expect More Arizona Teach Plus - Massachusetts Foundation for Florida’s Future Tennessee SCORE Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education TennesseeCAN GeorgiaCAN Texas Aspires GO Public Schools The Education Trust-Midwest Idaho Business for Education The Education Trust-New York Innovate Public Schools The Education Trust-West Institute for Quality Education Thomas B. Fordham Institute - Ohio JerseyCAN 3 - 2017 PIE Network Annual Report ADVOCACY ADVANCES POLICY State policy (and politics) is the primary driver of education in this country. Advocacy organizations led by credible local leaders NETWORKS are the best infl uencers of state lawmakers. FUEL POLICY INNOVATION Networks accelerate the movement for school improvement and create effi ciencies that make other investments in education reform more effective. CHAMPIONS NEED A NETWORK The PIE Network super- charges the education reform THEORY OF sector to maximize impact. Throughout the Network, ACTION champions fi nd connections, tools, and resources to work better, stronger, faster. 4 - 2017 PIE Network Annual Report 2017 NETWORK PROGRAM ACTION AND IMPACT “Such a terrifi c gathering of folks. Excellent Summit Executives 294 leaders 43 leaders dialogue with actionable 42 orgs. opportunities. Perhaps 137 orgs. the most benefi cial opportunity was to meet STRENGTHENING folks in key places. Can’t Webinars ADVOCACY & say enough positive 239 leaders things about it.” 80 orgs. CONNECTING POLICY CHAMPIONS STRATEGY -M. Karega Rausch ON POLICY PRIORITIES VP of Research & Member Evaluation at NACSA Advocacy & Policy Survey AMPLIFYING 250+ campaign BUILDING details ADVOCACY & Comms CAPACITY POLICY Bootcamp & STRATEGY APPROACHES 29 leaders FOR ADVOCACY 21 orgs. Website 90,000+ Educator page views Game Changers Coalitions Blog “I found early on the Leadership Institute Voice Playbook Leadership 45 issues gave me better tools to engage my staff 33 leaders 650+ 27 orgs. Institute page views 32.3% open rate and better prepare myself to lead. The value of 17.3% above 23 leaders industry average every word is emphasized across many of the 23 orgs. lessons, and those lessons paid immediate dividends by improving my ability to negotiate with people and confl icts.” - Alex Kelly, Vice President of Advocacy, Foundation for Excellence in Education 20175 - 2017PIE Network PIE Network Annual Annual Report Report “I have a stack of ESSA reports on my desk that’s 18 inches high. I don’t need another report. What PIE Network does is tell me which three reports are actually worth reading for my context.” “At the Educator Voice convening, I had the - Linda Noonan, Executive Director, MBAE opportunity to learn about the similarities and differences 49 orgs. EXPANDING 27 orgs. among the educator voice 28 states 19 states PROTECTING CHARTERS & CHOICE organizations, and I was worked on worked on able to then make new STANDARDS & Bolstered efforts this issue this issue relationships in order to ACCOUNTABILITY to advance and better understand the Maximized defend charters and choice landscape, make connections, opportunities and amplify all our efforts. and averted crisis around ESSA -Survey response INCREASING EDUCATOR VOICE Furthered 36 orgs. effectiveness of 23 states educator-focused worked on strategies this issue ADVANCING ADVOCACY & POLICY RESPONDING SUPPORTING PRIORITIES TO EMERGING ISSUES 47 orgs. STATE-LEVEL Helped advocates 27 states make their worked on POLICY AND ADVOCACY case these issues PRIORITIES IN 2017 62017 - 2017 PIE PIENetwork Network Annual Annual Report Report GAME-CHANGING NETWORK RESULTS AS EXPLAINED BY NETWORK LEADERS RISING TO THE CHALLENGE TO WINNING MAJOR BATTLES FOR ENSURE RIGOROUS ACCOUNTABILITY EQUITABLE CHARTER FUNDING When Congress, in an unprecedented move, rescinded Colorado advocates won a major battle for equitable ESSA regulations, advocates rose to the challenge of funding, making theirs the first state to provide charter ensuring states designed rigorous accountability systems. schools access to locally-raised tax revenue. Advocates More than 75 percent of PIE Network organizations credit a diverse, cross-ideological coalition for the engaged on accountability in 2018, making it the success. Colorado Succeeds, Democrats for Education Network’s top policy issue. Reform-Colorado, and READY Colorado led the fight, bringing a bipartisan approach to the issue. Consulting with Network Executive Directors on coalition plans Reinforcing trust among local advocacy organizations “Ultimately, our diverse coalition was able to move the state away from a school grading “There is a really solid amount of trust that we’ve system that operated on a ‘curve’ so we can begin been building over a decade. We can get mad at to provide parents with honest and transparent each other, disagree on policy, but at the end of information about their child’s school for the day we get it done for kids. It could have fallen purpose of improving equity and informing quality apart a thousand times, but trust is one of the big school choice.” reasons it didn’t. Being PIE Network members helps reinforce that trust.” - Carrie Griffin Monica, Executive Director, Stand for Children Louisiana - Scott Laband, President, Colorado Succeeds 7 - 2017 PIE Network Annual Report OVERHAULING A BROKEN TEACHER