Parents Form a National Union in New Orleans…Finally

19Jan
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

I’m not sure why this had not happened before, but I am so happy to announce that it’s happening now!  As I sit here today, in a ballroom at the NOPSI Hotel in New Orleans, I am surrounded by parents/delegates from all over the country who have convened this weekend to ratify the National Parents Union (NPU).  

The inaugural convening is dubbed Parent Power 2020! There is participation from every corner of the country, including Puerto Rico!  Delegates have showed up to vote for the platform, elect leadership, ratify the bylaws and complete the first direct action which was to march through the streets of New Orleans in support of challenging the status quo on the criminal way that systems leave our kids behind.  

Although it may have been attempted by others in the past, to wit, no one has been able to successfully bring parents from the entire United States together for a collective and deliberate convening of a Parent Union for member voting and ratification of an Executive Board. 
The brainchild of two of education’s most fierce warriors, the coast to coast Comadres, Keri Rodrigues of Boston, Massachusetts and Alma Marquez of Los Angeles, California have been planning this for the last two years.  Today, January 18, 2020, the NPU was born and Keri Rodridgues became President of the Union with Alma Marquez being voted in as Secretary/Treasurer.  I could not be prouder. Now the work begins!

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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