1. Having a professional-looking e-mail provided by a service, like Constant Contact, which adds credibility and increases the chance that people will click on your links.

2. Mentioning different social media channels (the podcast, the website, etc.) in the e-mail.

3. Having the podcast, blog and events calendar on the first page of their website.

This is a great model for any group that is looking to raise awareness of their cause.

It’s also worth pointing out that the community organizing examples they reference for this report are not just angry, confrontational protesters; rather they are progressive connectors, building collaborations between parents, teachers, and the larger community to make sustainable change.

The report also reminds us that the challenges of education reform, while overwhelming, is not impossible. A quote from the executive summary:

“Desegregation was ordered by the court; but building
public will to challenge racist practices and accept huge
changes in the structure of public schools was the result
of decades of careful research, planning, and community
organizing.”

It’s refreshing to see deliberate, careful research being applied to the field of community organizing. It will serve to legitimize the field going forward, and hopefully open the eyes of funders who often see community organizing as at best a low-cost social service model and at worst, a drain on resources. More research is needed in other fields, but this is a step in the right direction.