Months before the election for several Tulsa Public School Board seats, 500 leaders from 14 institutional members of ACTION Tulsa assembled to establish a public relationship with school board candidates and press them to work with the organization on issues surfaced through several hundred conversations among parents, grandparents and students.  

Parent leaders like Dania Gaona, told stories around lack of safety for young students walking to school, mental health, teacher support and campus safety.  

In Gaona's case, because her three daughters live within 1.5 miles of the school, they are not eligible for bus service.  With no crossing guards at busy street intersections, Gaona says her family Ubers to school, but that "we have many children who walk unsupervised to MacArthur across the busy intersection.”

Most candidates publicly committed to collaborate with Tulsa ACTION leaders, who pressed candidates on behalf of their schools, congregation and neighborhoods.  The assembly was part of a large-scale effort to build nonpartisan citizen power with the capacity to improve conditions in the community.

After the meeting Tulsa ACTION leader Claire Tomm declared, 

"I hope [people] leave feeling inspired to get out and vote in April, and to get more involved, and most importantly just to strike up a conversation with neighbors, community members about what matters."

[Photo Credit: Elizabeth Caldwell, Public Radio Tulsa]

Nonpartisan Group Urges School Leaders to Focus on Family Priorities, Tulsa World [pdf]

Candidates for Tulsa Public School Board Meet to Hear Citizen Concerns, Public Radio Tulsa [pdf]

Tulsa Public Schools' Board Candidates Hold Forum at University of Tulsa, Newson6 [pdf]