One person can make a difference - and that person is you!

As a parent, you have the right and responsibility to stand up and demand the best education for your child. It is important that you learn all that you can about how schools work, and then turn that knowledge into action for your kids.

CER is here to help. Below are some simple tips to get you started:

Information is power! The first step to school reform is to get informed. You need to ask the right questions and demand the right answers. Begin by "enrolling" in Education 101 to get the skinny on what's happening in education today.

A Bold Agenda: Fixing public education is the single most important domestic policy issue of our time. CER's Mandate for Change outlines in five parts - charter schools, school choice, teacher quality, federal accountability and transparency - what our leaders must do to improve our nation’s schools. For an in-depth understanding of today's education crisis, and what we can do about it, read Mandate today.

There is strength in numbers! Recruit your friends and family to help you stand up for better schools. Turn one letter into ten, one phone call into twenty. Check out CER's Grassroots Toolkit Building Community Support for Education Reform and The School Reform Handbook for more information.

Tell your story! The most effective way to build support is to get the word out. Whether it is on the soccer field or at a town hall meeting, tell your story. And keep telling it until your community listens. Go to CER's Grassroots Action Center to write to your local media outlets about local education issues.

Get your lawmakers involved! Don't be afraid to let your elected officials know your story. Remember they work for you, are elected by you, and should be held accountable by you. You need to let them know how important your schools are, and that you expect them to follow through on education. Read more here about Holding Their Feet to the Fire: How to Make Sure Elected Officials Follow Through on Education. Then go to CER's Grassroots Action Center, and write your legislator today!

And Don't Forget to Vote! One vote - your vote - can make a difference. Visit our election center before you head to the polls.