Taking Responsibility: Using Public Engagement to Reform Our Public Schools

"Taking Responsibility: Using Public Engagement to Reform Our Public Schools" reflects on the work of communities participating in PEN's policy initiative, which focuses on public engagement as the key element in sustainable school reform and on local education funds (LEFs) as key intermediaries in the engagement process. This document provides a snapshot of what has taken place in these communities and what LEFs have learned in the process of implementing this initiative. The issues, lessons, and challenges highlighted here have been gleaned from notes from strategic discussions and meetings, program reports, LEF profiles, review of local documentation, interviews with team members from the local sites, and site visit reports. These stories and related information will undoubtedly influence future phases of the work. We hope this document proves helpful to the communities involved in this initiative, to other members of Public Education Network, and to anyone interested in organizing or supporting efforts to engage the public in public education.