What is TOC All About?
Our Mission
Teach Our Children’s mission is to ensure that we as parents are truly involved with education policy and decision-making and rightfully acknowledged as critical participants in the success of our school system.
Our Values
* Developing our power as low and moderate income minority parents
- We value reaching out and empowering low income, minority parents and guardians.
- We want to be involved in decision-making.
- We are parent led.
* Direct action organizing
- We believe that there needs to be immediate responses to emergency situations.
- We’ve tried it the other way, but now we know that tension is ok when it has a constructive purpose.
* Collective action and systemic change
- We want solutions for ALL children and parents.
- We don’t believe in handling things personally or individually.
- We know that it’s not about changing one school or helping one child, or about one person changing everything.
- We believe in collectively changing the system and making systemic change.
* Accountability
- Parent leaders are not mediators between the school system and parents. We are representatives of the organization, holding the administration and ourselves accountable.
- TOC’s leadership is accountable to the membership.
* Supporting and including everyone
- We embrace the involvement of everyone who believes in TOC’s mission.
- We develop bonds and connections with each other as parents.
- We have fun and truly love each other.
Our Board of Directors
TOC’s board is elected by the membership and composed of parent leaders, all of whom are low income or moderate income. Nilda Aponte, Beverly Chevalier (Co-Founder), Theresa Ervin, Cynthia Shannon, Qiana Simmons, Natasha Smith (Co-Founder – President )
Our Staff
TOC staff work in partnership with and under the direction of parent leaders and members. Camelle Scott, Organizing Director Megan Fountain, Community Organizer
Our Funders
TOC is grateful for the ongoing support of local, regional, and national foundations, corporations, and individuals. Catholic Campaign for Human Development Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Community Foundation of Greater New Haven Ethel and Abe Lapides Foundation Haymarket People’s Fund United Illuminating Wiliam Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund William Graustein We are a member of National People’s Action. NPA is a Network of metropolitan, regional, and statewide organizations that build grassroots power. NPA works to build the collective political will to advance racial and economic justice. 