This week members of  The Children’s Movement of Fresno helped to rally citizens throughout the city of Fresno in a push for the chance to compete for $37.3 million in the DOE’s Race for the Top grant for schools.  In a video petition urging the Fresno Unified School District and the Fresno Teachers Association to put children first, members spoke out on the need to set aside differences, come back to the table to find agreement and submit the application. “The deadline had come and gone and they couldn’t agree.  Then a miracle, thanks to the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy and suddenly we had another week.  We needed to do everything we could with the extra time to show how much this meant to the community of Fresno” said Linda Gleason.

“We knew we needed a creative way to show the range of our members and their passion for making children the priority” says Brandon Wright, Executive Director of Youth Empowerment Studios.  Wright’s organization under Gleason’s direction, was responsible for the production of the video petition which was designed and executed in under 36 hours.

The Children’s Movement of Fresno is committed to informing the political, business, civic leaders, parents and people of Fresno county, about the issues effecting  children — and encourage them to make the well-being and education of their children their highest priority, including in the way they invest their public resources.  In less than one year, their membership is just under 3,000 and growing daily.  To join, visit their website here.

The Children’s Movement Urges FUSD and the FTA to Put Children First