Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is putting public schools between a rock and hard place: By cutting state education funding and influencing the interpretation of laws like the now-infamous anti-union Act 10, he is forcing districts to pay experienced teachers less than they deserve, making it less likely that districts can retain the high-quality teachers their students need to succeed. 

New Study: It costs almost $11,000 more per year to live near high-quality schools than low-quality schools. This "housing cost gap," which is the result of exclusionary zoning policies, means that low-income students are less likely to attend good schools, thereby denying them access to the educational opportunities they need to succeed and escape poverty. 

According to a new report, Pre-K enrollment has doubled in the U.S. over the past ten years. But because of budget cuts, state per-child spending for Pre-K programs has decreased dramatically. 

For far too long the problems of fewer resources and a dysfunctional funding system have plagued our children. Politicians have nibbled at the edges and made excuses. What is now clear is that it isn’t a case of not being able to do what is right for children. It is a case of not wanting to─whether because of a lack of courage, not enough knowledge, or an abundance of politics.

The stakes are high in education reform, what with needing to adequately prepare our children to maintain our nation's economic vitality, international competitiveness and democratic vibrancy. But the policymakers that are pushing for more privatization in our public schools are gambling our children's education - and our nation's future - on a lousy hand of reform policies. 

How is it that education policymakers can profess to respect teachers while at the same time ignoring national teacher opinion polls and instead supporting policies like merit pay based on test scores, competitive grants, and the expansion of online learning and charter schools?

If you ever doubt the ability of community organizing to influence debates on public education reform, check out some of these recent success stories. From Pennsylvania to Florida, parent, students and educators across the country are influencing public will and making their voices heard in their local governments.