January 17, 2024, Boston, MA—Keri Rodrigues, President of the National Parents Union, released a statement in celebration of the organization’s 5thanniversary:
Dear Friends,
Five years ago, on January 18, 2020, we dared to dream.
We imagined a world where parents, guardians, and families could rise together—where our voices would be impossible to ignore, and our children’s futures would be brighter because we refused to settle for anything less. Today, as we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the National Parents Union, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for what we’ve built together and for the journey that lies ahead.
Back in 2020, we were a small, scrappy team with big dreams. But what we’ve accomplished since then is extraordinary. We’ve become a household name in K-12 education advocacy, challenging the status quo, reshaping policy debates, and showing the world the strength of modern American families.
Our stories, our data, and our advocacy have reached millions across the nation. Over 4,500 stories in top-tier outlets like The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and CNN have spotlighted the passion, resilience, and fight of parents everywhere. Last year alone, our work reached a significant audience with more than 10.7 billion impressions. That’s the power of parent voices—your voices—leading the conversation in Congress, in schools, and in communities across the country.
But beyond the headlines, it’s people who fuel this movement. And the stories of our 1.7 million members from more than 1800 affiliated parent advocacy organizations finding courage to advocate for our children. Communities uniting to demand change. Families realizing they are no longer alone. Together, we’ve reminded the world that when parents lead, extraordinary things happen.
We’ve gathered thousands of parents and advocates, hit Capitol Hill and the White House with thousands of parent leaders, rallied for the child tax credit and the Right to Read, and even taken our fight to the United Nations. In the states we have united pockets of parent power, marched to state capitols and secured millions in funding for education programs that support struggling learners, fought to protect public school choice and promoted the science of reading and math. And we’ve amplified your voices through more than 40 national polls, putting parent priorities front and center in policy discussions.
This is your movement. You made this possible.
Looking ahead, we know the challenges aren’t over. The issues we face as parents are evolving— the child tax credit, innovation in education, AI and technology and confronting the challenges of climate change — but one thing is clear: when we stand together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve. And as we grow, we are thrilled to welcome legendary policy luminary Charles Barone as the inaugural Director of the NPU Center for Education Innovation. His leadership will be instrumental as we continue pushing boundaries, advancing bold ideas, and driving transformative change in education.
As we celebrate this milestone, I want to thank each of you for being part of this journey. Your passion, your belief in what’s possible, and your unwavering support have turned our dream into a force for change.
Here’s to the next five years of dreaming bigger, fighting harder, and transforming the world for our children.
With deepest gratitude and love,
Keri Rodrigues
President, National Parents Union
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARENTS UNION
With more than 1,800 affiliated parent organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, the National Parents Union is the united, independent voice of modern American families. We channel the power of parents into powerful policies that improve the lives of children, families and communities across the United States. https://nationalparentsunion.org/