! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MEDIA CONTACTS: April 27, 2015 Lisa Cohen [email protected] (310) 395-2544 Kacey Bonner [email protected] (310) 402-3013 Common Sense Media Launches Major New Advocacy Effort to Build a Movement of Parents and Teachers to Make Kids and Education America's Top Priority “Common Sense Kids Action” to Be a Powerful Non-Partisan Voice for America’s Kids backed by more than $20 million in initial funding San$Francisco,$CA—Common'Sense'Kids'Action'today'announced'its'launch'and'initial'funding'of' more'than'$20'million'to'support'groundbreaking'advocacy'efforts'to'make'kids'and'education' America’s'top'priority.'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'will'work'with'policymakers,'business'leaders' and'other'advocates'in'California,'Washington,'D.C.'and'across'the'nation'to'advance'legislation'and' advocacy'efforts'to'help'ensure'that'every'child'has'an'equal'opportunity'to'succeed'in'the'21st' Century.'' Common'Sense'Kids'Action'builds'upon'the'existing'work'and'platforms'of'its'parent'organization,' Common'Sense'Media,'a'leading'national'nonproKit'with'exceptional'reach'into'the'parent'and' teacher'community'and'over'a'decade'of'experience'helping'all'kids,'families'and'educators'thrive' in'a'world'of'media'and'technology.'' With'Common'Sense'Kids'Action,'Common'Sense'Media'is'greatly'expanding'its'national'and'multiL state'advocacy'efforts'to'create'an'AARPLstyle'organization'with'millions'of'advocates'across'the' country'building'a'powerful,'nonpartisan'voice'dedicated'to'making'kids'and'education'our'nation’s' top'priority.'' “We'have'a'simple'mission:'to'make'kids'and'education'the'nation’s'top'priority,”'said'James'P.' Steyer,'Founder'and'CEO'of'Common'Sense.'“To'ensure'America'remains'the'world’s'economic' leader,'we'must'invest'in'the'education,'health'and'overall'wellLbeing'kids'need'to'succeed.”'' “This'begins'with'making'sure'that'every'American'child'has'the'right'start'in'life'and'access'to' quality'early'education'opportunities,”'Steyer'said.'“It'means'we'must'wire'every'classroom'and' every'home'for'highLquality'broadband'so'that'all'teachers'and'parents'have'the'technology'tools' they'need'to'improve'learning'and'get'kids'focused'on'college'and'career.'And'it'means'ensuring'all' kids'are'held'to'high'standards'that'reKlect'the'complex'demands'of'the'world'they'are'going'to' inherit.'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'is'working'to'ensure'that'no'decision'is'made'in'this'country' without'thinking'about'children'and'their'education'Kirst.”' With'over'65'million'Common'Sense'Media'users'and'200,000'educators'using'the'Common'Sense' Education' platform,' the' introduction' of' an' expanded' grassroots' advocacy' apparatus' through' Common' Sense' Kids' Action' will' allow' onLtheLground' engagement' of' millions' of' parents' and' teachers'with'the'power'to'drive'advocacy'and'organizing'in'all'50'states'in'an'effort'to'prepare'kids' for'the'21st'Century.' Common'Sense'Kids'Action’s'expanded'advocacy'and'outreach'platform'is'backed'by'contributions' from'some'of'the'nation’s'foremost'leaders'in'education'and'children’s'wellbeing,'including:' • Salesforce$Chairman$and$CEO$Marc$Benioff$and$his$wife$Lynne,'who'have'contributed' signiKicantly'to'early'childhood'efforts'in'California'and'around'the'nation.' • TPG$Capital$Co@Founder$Bill$Price$and$his$wife$Eva,'who'have'contributed'to'critical'KL12' education'advocacy'efforts'in'California'and'across'the'nation.' • Emerson$Collective,$which'works'with'a'range'of'partners'to'improve'our'nation’s'schools,' especially'for'disadvantaged'students.' • 'Advanced$Energy$Advocates$and$Philanthropists$Tom$Steyer$and$Kat$Taylor,$who'have' been'leaders'on'environmental'education,'and'advocates'for'clean'energy'job'creation'in' California'and'across'the'nation.$' • Television$Producer$Emmy$Award$winner$Marcy$Carsey,'who'has'been'a'strong' advocate'of'public'education'in'California.' Common' Sense' Kids' Action' will' promote' access' to' highLquality' digital' learning' experiences' with' wellLtrained' teachers;' ensure' all' kids' are' able' to' harness' the' power' of' technology,' while' also' keeping' their' personal' information' private' and' protected;' advocate' for' access' for' all' children$ to' highLquality'early'education'and'early'childhood'services;'and'Kight'to'reduce'the'highest'rate'of' childhood'poverty'in'40'years.' The'2015'rollout'will'focus'on'legislative'and'political'activities'in'California,'Washington,'D.C.'and' over' a' dozen' states' across' the' country' in' four' key' issue' areas:' early' childhood;' education' and' technology;'child'poverty'and'social'mobility,'and;'online'privacy'and'safety.'Activities'will'include:'' • A$California$First$agenda:$With'policy'adopted'in'California'often'taken'up'federally'and' by' other' states,' the' 2015' California' agenda' will' include' the' launch' of' a' stateLbased' ConnectED' program' and' advocacy' for' legislation' including:' a' geolocation' bill' to' protect' student' privacy;' efforts' to' improve' early' childhood' services;' children’s' health' issues' (including' nutrition' and' access' to' affordable' health' care),' and' improving' California’s' curriculum' to' focus' on' career' technical' education,' workforce' development' and' teacher' training.' • Multi@state$Advocacy$for$Kids$and$Education@$LILY:'The'policies'that'succeed'in'the' California'legislature'and'other'states'where'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'works'will'be'fastL tracked'through'other'states'through'the'creation'of'LILY$–$Let’s$Invest$Large$in$Youth,$a$ policy$franchising$apparatus'focused'on'furthering'policies'affecting'kids'and'education.' LILY'has'already'inKluenced'groundbreaking'student'privacy'legislation'in'twelve'states,'and' Common'Sense'Kids'Action'is'working'on'a'bill'in'Congress'as'well,'modeled'on'California’s' Student'Online'Personal'Information'Protection'Act'(SOPIPA)'that'Common'Sense'Media' helped'to'pass'last'year.' • Early$Childhood$–$The$Right$Start$Commission:'The'launch'of'the'Right$Start$ Commission$to'improve'early'childhood'services'in'California'will'bring'together'leaders'in' education,'business,'and'public'policy'to'craft'a'viable'path'forward.'The'commission'will' create'an'early'childhood'blueprint'for'California'and'serve'as'a'model'framework'for'states' around'the'country.'The'full'announcement'of'the'Commission'and'its'members'will'be' made'in'May'2015.' • Career$Technical$Education/Workforce$Development:'To'ensure'more'students' graduate'with'the'skills'they'will'need'to'succeed'in'careers'and'college,'Common'Sense' Kids'Action'will'advocate'for'an'expansion'of'career'pathway'programs'tied'to'the' workforce'development'needs'of'the'school’s'local'region.'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'will' pioneer'a'handsLon'curriculum'that’s'relevant'to'career'interests'so'that'students'become' more'engaged'and'less'likely'to'drop'out'of'school.'' • Environmental$Education:'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'believes'the'environment'should' be'a'key'element'of'a'successful'21st'Century'curriculum'–'it'is'where'the'jobs'are.'We'will' build'upon'pioneering'efforts'in'states'like'California'and'New'York'to'enhance'students’' access'to'learning'opportunities'about'science,'which'explains'humanity’s'impact'on'the' environment'and'our'ability'to'sustain'the'planet.'We'will'advocate'for'more'states'to'adopt' the'Next'Generation'Science'Standards'and'for'the'development'of'online,'bilingual' resources'that'are'focused'on'climate'change'and'environmental'justice.' Common' Sense' Kids' Action' will' be' led' by' James' P.' Steyer,' a' nationally' renowned' expert' and' entrepreneur' on' issues' related' to' children’s' media' and' education' in' the' United' States.' He' is' Founder'and'Chief'Executive'OfKicer'of'Common'Sense'Media'and'the'CoLFounder'and'Chairman'of' Next'Generation.'He'was'founder'and'CEO'of'Children'Now'in'the'1980s'and'1990s.'And'Mr.'Steyer' is'also'a'nationally'known'author'and'awardLwinning'professor'at'Stanford'University.'' Common' Sense' Kids' Action' will' be' managed' by' a' staff' of' policy,' political' and' communications' experts'in'education'that'come'to'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'from'key'and'powerful'positions'in' state'and'national'government,'and'an'advisory'board'of'thought'leaders'from'across'the'country.' The' Common' Sense' Kids' Action' Advisory' Board' will' draw' upon' the' knowledge' and' expertise' of' political' and' communications' experts' on' both' sides' of' the' political' aisle' including' Nadine' Burke' Harris,'Mark'McKinnon,'Mike'McCurry,'Angela'Glover'Blackwell,'Steve'Schmidt,'and'Joel'Benenson.'''' For'more'information'on'Common'Sense'Kids'Action,'visit'our'website.' ###' About$Common$Sense$Kids$Action$ Common'Sense'Kids'Action'is'an'independent,'nonLpartisan'and'powerful'voice'whose'mission'is'to' make'kids'and'education'America’s'top'priority.'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'works'with'national' and'state'leaders'to'advance'policies'that'help'ensure'every'child'has'the'opportunity'to'succeed'in' the'21st'century.'Common'Sense'Kids'Action'has'committed'to'advancing'a'21st'Century'Kids'and' Education'agenda—an'agenda'that'includes'ensuring'that'all'children'0L5'have'access'to'vital'health' and'education'resources,'advancing'21st'century'learning,'alleviating'the'damaging'effects'of' poverty,'and'protecting'children’s'online'privacy.'Learn'more'at'the'Common'Sense'Kids'Action' website.' CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT: NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Updated: March 17, 2015 Common Sense Kids Action Common Sense Kids Action has a simple mission: to make kids and education our nation’s top priority. Whether in school