Below Is The Membership Form For Individuals
Expectations and Agreements
Who We Are & What We Do
The National Parents Union (NPU) develops a new narrative that is inclusive of families from a wide variety of perspectives that unites parents of color, low-income parents, special needs parents, single mothers, and fathers, grandparents, formerly incarcerated parents and parents in recovery with traditionally represented parent voices to join a vibrant coalition that disrupts the traditional role of parent voice in policy spaces that directly impact our children.
Like all organizations, we strive to partner with the best. Our network of parents is the foundation of our success. You are joining a national organization that provides you with an established network of organizations that will help strengthen, elevate, and support your work.
NPU Beliefs
- We believe our children should always be at the core of our agenda in every decision.
- We believe there should be liberation, justice, and equity in education for all children. We believe education systems must be transformed to eradicate generational institutions of oppression.
- We believe families have a powerful voice that should influence educational and political policies and practices at the local, state, and national levels.
- We believe, in order to effect change and strengthen families, we must provide them with the resources and opportunities to develop their talents and share best practices.
NPU Agreements
- Respect opinions even if you disagree.
- Listen with an open heart and mind.
- Respect each person’s right to be silent while being culturally supportive.
- Assume good intent before you judge.
- Ask for clarification when possible. Use “I” statements and don’t generalize.
- Establish common ground based on shared experience.
- Commit to keeping the voices of families and communities at the center of our work.
- Clearly define communication channels to support and inform each other.
Expectations
We have put together these guidelines for our members to clarify what you can expect from us and what we expect from you.
What you can expect from NPU:
- We offer you the opportunity to partner with our amazing team and network of organizations and members who share values and are driven by our core beliefs.
- We offer you the opportunity to engage in training based on your organization’s and/or individual needs.
- We offer you regional and national resources that can support your work and support you in providing for your community.
- We offer you support for your regional initiatives.
- We offer an avenue to have your work shared and your perspective highlighted by multiple media platforms.
- We offer you an annual convening to gather, learn with, and celebrate the hard work of NPU members and member organizations.
What NPU Expects from You:
- We expect that your messaging and interactions will NOT reflect or promote racism, intolerance, meanness, and/or white supremacy.
- We expect that you and/or your organization do not have policies that promote racism, intolerance, prejudice, or discrimination.
- We expect members to value the diversity of thought and be open to multiple paths to successful work.
- We expect members to engage with all NPU staff respectfully and as requested.
- We expect that you will meet and respond to mutually agreed-upon timelines and deadlines.
- We expect you to attend and actively participate in the annual NPU convening.
- We expect you to attend NPU training, webinars, and workshops.
What We Encourage:
- We encourage members to actively connect and engage with NPU staff and members of our community on social media and other platforms.
- We encourage you to learn and grow from people with different perspectives.
- We encourage you to support other members.
- We encourage you to use your resources for the furtherance of our shared cause.
When beginning application please click the “I Agree” box to continue with the application process.