2025 Parent Power Agenda

Every child deserves to be prepared for the future.

Parents know that the future our children face is one that will require our kids to be critical thinkers, adaptive innovators and able to participate in a highly-skilled workforce.

The future ahead presents challenges and opportunities; our children will need to adapt and respond to climate change, artificial intelligence and shifts in the economy.

At the National Parents Union, families from across the country have joined forces to call leaders to take action.

The future of our country depends on how we support the children of today.

Ensuring Economic Stability

Ensuring economic stability and opportunity.

Economic instability is a persistent issue affecting many American families. High costs of living, wage stagnation, and a lack of affordable childcare and healthcare are creating significant financial stress. This instability can lead to food insecurity, housing instability, and limited educational opportunities for children. Additionally, inflation further erodes purchasing power, making it even harder for families to make ends meet.

Expanding Access to Affordable Childcare and Early Education:

• Advocate for increased funding for early childhood education programs, including the proposed expansion of Headstart.

Addressing Food and Housing Insecurity:

• Support policies that increase access to affordable housing.
• Advocate for expanded food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, school meal programs and Summer EBT.
• Support community-based initiatives that address local food deserts and housing shortages.

Encouraging Policies to Combat Inflation and price stabilization:

• Advocate for fiscal policies that continue to cool inflation and stabilize the economy.
• Support measures that protect consumers from excessive price increases in essential goods and services including the cost of basic utilities.
• Promote the development of economic and tax policies that encourage sustainable growth and equitable wealth distribution.

Expanding and Enhancing the Child Tax Credit:

• Advocate for the permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit to provide direct financial support to families.
• Support policies that make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable, ensuring that the lowest-income families benefit fully.
• Promote awareness and access to the Child Tax Credit among eligible families to maximize its impact on economic stability.

INNOVATING IN EDUCATION

Ensuring our public education system is preparing kids for bright futures.

America’s public schools continue to struggle with student outcomes, outdated curricula, and an inability to keep pace with technological advancements. This limits students’ preparedness for the modern workforce and stifles creativity and critical thinking.

Enhancing access to opportunities through public school choice and innovative options: 

• Advocate for increased access to high quality public school options for every child.
• Advocate for the continued development of community designed schools that are empowered to be innovative.

Advocating for the Right to Read for Every Child:

• Advocate for a federal response to our nation’s literacy crisis.
• Advocate for state level policy changes to adopt evidence based approaches to our nation’s literacy crisis.

Advocating for kids to be adequately prepared for the future: 

• Continuing to advocate for assessment, accountability and transparency in student outcomes.

Pathways to economic mobility:

• Promote the integration of career and technical education (CTE) programs that provide students with practical skills and certifications.
• Support equitable access to dual-enrollment programs that allow high school students to earn college credits and reduce the time and cost of postsecondary education.
• Advocate for partnerships between schools, businesses, and community organizations to create internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students.
• Continue to work with the Department of Education and partners on ways to improve college affordability, financial aid, and pathways.

DEVELOPING A CONNECTED GENERATION

Preparing for our evolving digital society.

The rapid pace of digital transformation presents both opportunities and challenges. While digital tools can enhance education and communication, they also pose risks related to privacy, digital literacy, equitable access, the influence of artificial intelligence (AI), and the pervasive impact of social media. NPU plans to weigh in on policies that bridge the digital divide, enhance digital literacy and prepare students for 21st century jobs.

Enhancing Digital Literacy, Citizenship and Safety:

• Advocate for the integration of digital literacy education in school curricula. (note: We are defining digital literacy as “Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.”
• Support programs that teach children and families about responsible and ethical use of digital tools.
• Promote initiatives that educate parents and communities about digital safety and privacy.
• Support policies that monitor the equity in access to technology in schools and the implementation of A.I. This includes monitoring equitable opportunity in student scheduling, enrollment in rigorous coursework and college and career counseling.

Bridging the Digital Divide:

• Campaign for policies that ensure all American families have access to reliable internet and digital devices.
• Support initiatives that provide digital skills training to multi generational communities for the jobs of tomorrow.
• Advocate for the expansion of affordable broadband services to rural and low-income areas.

AI in Education:

• Promote the ethical use of AI in educational tools and platforms, ensuring transparency and fairness.
• Support teacher training programs that help educators understand and effectively integrate AI tools.
• Advocate for policies that protect students’ data privacy in AI applications.

Social Media Literacy:

• Encourage the incorporation of social media literacy into school curricula to teach students about its impact on mental health and well-being.
• Support initiatives that educate students and parents about recognizing misinformation and cyberbullying.
• Advocate for the creation of school policies that address the responsible use of social media and its effects on students’ mental health.

Digital Wellness Programs:

• Promote programs that help American families balance screen time with offline activities.
• Support mental health resources in schools to address issues related to social media use.
• Advocate for research into the long-term impacts of AI and social media on child development.

CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE

Supporting policies and strategies that meet the challenges of our changing environment.

Climate change poses significant risks to communities, including extreme weather events, health impacts, and disruptions to daily life. Schools and families need to be prepared to adapt to these changes and mitigate their effects. Poor air quality, extreme heat, and cold conditions impact student health and learning, making it imperative to upgrade and retrofit school infrastructure and prepare communities for increased weather related disasters. NPU will continue to support policies that stabilize our electrical grid and reduce carbon emissions.

Supporting Climate Resilience and Preparedness:

• Push for the inclusion of climate resilience planning in home, school and community emergency preparedness plans.
• Support initiatives that provide resources and training for families, communities and schools to respond effectively to climate-related emergencies.
• Support the creation of new grant programs federally to plan for environmental resilience.

Promoting Environmental Education and Awareness:

• Advocate for the integration of climate science and environmental education in school curricula.
• Support programs that engage students in sustainability projects and outdoor learning experiences.

Upgrading and Retrofitting Public School Infrastructure:

• Advocate for policies that fund the upgrading and retrofitting of school buildings to withstand extreme heat and cold, ensuring a comfortable learning environment and reducing disruptions to instruction.
• Support the installation of advanced HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality and provide adequate ventilation.
• Promote the use of energy-efficient windows, insulation, and renewable energy sources to make schools more resilient and sustainable.

• Encourage schools to conduct regular assessments of their infrastructure and update their facilities to meet current climate challenges and reduce disruptions to instruction.

Advocating for Sustainable Community Development:

• Campaign for policies that promote sustainable land use and development practices.
• Support initiatives that enhance public transportation, reduce emissions, and increase green spaces.
• Encourage partnerships between schools, communities, and environmental organizations to create sustainable and resilient communities.