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CVPE MISSION:

Community Voices for Public Education (CVPE) is a multiracial organization formed in late 2011 that unites Houston parents, educators, students, and community members to advocate for policies that strengthen Houston’s public school system so that all children have access to a high quality public education.

CVPE VISION:

Public education, like other public services, is a gateway to opportunity, social and economic justice, and the democratic promise of our country. We believe that all children deserve great public schools in which:

• Student needs are met. Per capita funding should be greatest for high needs children and targeted to counteract the conditions of poverty that so negatively impact learning. Class size should be small enough that students can get the attention they need. Schools should become community schools, hubs for social and health support, both for students in the school as well as for their families and the surrounding community. 

• Students are guided by trusted, valued, experienced teachers and school leaders. Teachers should be supported, fairly compensated, and given autonomy in their own classrooms and a voice in decisions that affect them and their students. Recruiting and retaining good teachers and administrators should be a top priority.

• Standardized testing is limited and used only for diagnostic purposes. Student progress should be assessed primarily by assessments written by classroom teachers. The vast majority of instructional time should be spent on well-rounded curricula, assessments, and experiences that prepare students for college, career, and civic engagement. Standardized testing should be used only as an infrequent, low stakes progress check.

• Strong open-enrollment comprehensive neighborhood schools are the cornerstones of thriving communities because they are open to all students in the neighborhood, regardless of academic, social, and emotional needs. All neighborhood schools should be adequately supported and funded.

CVPE VALUES:

• Equity — high quality education for all, improving the conditions in which teachers work and students learn
• Access — neighborhood schools open to all students, regardless of educational needs
• Improvement — development and implementation of effective instructional practices and systemic change
• Service — to equip all students with the knowledge and skills needed for college, careers, and citizenship
• Democracy — Public, local, democratic, and collaborative management of our schools
• Respect for schools’ communities — parents, students, educators and community members