Vehicle of Change: The PS 2013 Campaign

Overview & Synopsis

A change in political leadership typically signals a growth in organizing campaigns to find and endorse the candidate with ideas most similar to their own. However, what if instead of focusing on finding the best candidate, organizing groups decided to focus on the conversation? How would you then use an election to engage the members of the largest city in the United States in changing the course of education reform? For a group of education organizing coalitions in New York City, this question led them to create the PS (Public Schools) 2013 campaign. This innovative community engagement process led to an education platform that reflected both the priorities of the community and research on best practices.