How can parents and educators publicly make the case for a racially and economically just approach to education? Respond to race-baiting attacks on public education?
The Freedom To Learn shows how to break through the noise and make a compelling case for the well-resourced, equitable public schools that every child deserves. We Make The Future, ASO Communications and Lake Research Partners prepared the messaging guide. This blog summarizes the guide along with:
- One minute videos showing how to advocate for inclusive education in both English and Spanish
- Free teleprompter app with English and Spanish scripts to practice speaking up publicly for a quality education
An accurate and honest education for every child regardless of zip code
"Americans support fully and equitably funding our public schools so that every child gets an accurate and honest education, providing them with critical thinking skills and the freedom to pursue their dreams. The majority of voters believe that funding for public schools should be increased in their state, and that this funding should be distributed not according to the wealth of each community but rather to ensure that “each child, regardless of zip code, has an equal right to a quality education.” With respect to curriculum, Americans overwhelmingly say that we should teach “both our best achievements and our worst mistakes,” rejecting the competing claim that we should “focus on what makes this country exceptional and great.” - We Make The Future
Freedom to Learn (English)
Libertad para aprender (Spanish)
Messaging structure
Lead with shared values, not problems.
- Effective values language includes: children’s freedom to learn, be themselves and pursue their dreams.
- Honesty, integrity and learning are also effective anchoring values.
- Explicitly name or signal that we share these values across differences in race and class, “no matter what we look like or where we are from.”
Introduce the problem second.
- Use active language to make it clear that certain people created the problem — and, therefore, people have the power to fix it.
- Describe the reasons bad actors attempt to distract, fuel fear and divide us across race, gender and origin.
Close with a positive vision for the future and how working together gets us there.
- Provide specific, tangible actions people can take, such as attending school board meetings, voting in elections, and contacting officials.
- Reference coming or joining together as part of the action.
- Include previous examples of successfully joining together and achieving a goal.
Practice speaking up for 'Freedom to learn'
Resources
We Make The Future - was founded in 2021 and is built on the work of Race Class Narrative Action with ASO Communications and Faith in Minnesota and rooted in the research behind the Race Class Narrative. WMTF serves as the new implementation home for the Race Class Narrative (RCN). We combine strategic communications and coalition building to develop a shared narrative that motivates our base and persuades the middle. Working in partnership with researchers, content creators, labor and community based organizations, we aid in the implementation of messaging research by building the capacity of communicators, organizers and spokespeople.
ASO Communications - Host of the Words to Win By podcast and Principal of ASO Communications, Anat Shenker-Osorio examines why certain messages falter where others deliver. She has led research for new messaging on issues ranging from freedom to join together in union to clean energy and from immigrant rights to reforming criminal justice.
Lake Research Partners - Lake Research Partners is a national public opinion and political strategy research firm founded by Celinda Lake in 1995, and the most consistently accurate—and consistently progressive—Democratic research firm in the country. For three consecutive cycles, fivethirtyeight.com rated Lake Research at the top of all Democratic polling firms in terms of accuracy.
TakeAway: FREEDOM TO LEARN. Speak up for accurate, honest and fully funded public education.
Deepak
DemLabs
Image: Photo by CDC from Pexels