Becoming an Orleans Public Education Network member is the best way to get involved in the public education conversation and support our work. We offer a wide variety of ways to get involved with the movement, so pick one or more of your favorite approaches and get on board today!

EXPAND: Get the Facts

• Join OPEN and receive the latest information in education policy.
When you join OPEN, you get access to all of our resources, including a treasure trove of seminal data from reports like Public Education in New Orleans Eight Years After Katrina: The Intersection of Race, Equity, and Excellence and free or discounted access to events like Public Education Day at the Capitol or the OPEN Public Education Awards. We’ll make sure you’re kept informed of the most up-to-date happenings in local education news, and make sure that your voice is heard at every member meeting as we decide on strategic priorities and direct action opportunities for 2014.

To become a member, just download this form and email it to [email protected]. If you’d like to pay via PayPal, visit our page and select a recurring $10 monthly donation.

• Receive professional development training to become a working group leader.
Working group leaders receive all the benefits of being an OPEN member, plus a wide array of leadership training and even the opportunity to attend national conferences. You’ll also get to lead your own cadre of passionate and involved citizens to create change right in your community.

ENGAGE: Build a BASE

• Join a Citywide Thematic Affinity Group.
OPEN supports thematic affinity groups across New Orleans as citizens come together and work to make positive impact in their local schools, neighborhoods and communities. Want to get involved? Contact our Community Organizer with your questions and insights!

• Join OPEN Young Professionals. (Website coming soon!)
OPEN’s Young Professionals Society offers an unparalleled opportunity to network and engage with our city’s best and brightest. We’re planning a whole slew of events in 2014, so sign up for our mailing list to find out more.

• Start a Parents as First Educators Working Group in your neighborhood.
Parent engagement is the single most important factor in determining a young child’s school readiness. Start or join a First Educators group to come together with fellow parents in your community and discuss ways to make sure your little one enters kindergarten ready to excel. For more information or to learn about current groups, contact EDI Coordinator Saundra Reed.

• Become a PLTI Parent Leader.
PLTI is a 20-week curriculum that teaches parents to become capable leaders in their communities and advocates for their children. Registration for the upcoming 2014 session is rolling, so visit the page to submit yours.

AMPLIFY: Be a VOICE

• Join the School Board Watch Team. (Website coming soon!)
OPEN’s upcoming School Boards Watch team is a cadre of informed citizen journalists who will report the goings-on of school board meetings to the community, promoting transparency and equity in an area that can be complex. Training begins in early 2014, so contact us today to put your name in for a spot.

• Write for OPEN’s blog or newsletter or join the OPEN Learning Book Club.
Want to make your voice heard on our website or promote an issue on our 3000+-strong mailing list? Get in touch with us today to pitch your story! We’re also launching a book club starting in 2014 where NOLA citizens just like you can discuss the issues presented in books like The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.