Public Schools Week is a time for celebration, appreciation, & action–and it’s never been more important to take time to do all three! We challenge you to commit to taking action during Public Schools Week, February 23-27. Learn more below!

This toolkit contains ideas for taking action each day of Public Schools Week 2026, but you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to get started! Plan your week around the themed actions we have scheduled for each day below, or create your own local agenda and let us know what you have planned!

‍Here are a few evergreen ways to celebrate and support public schools—find even more ideas at the end of this page!

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• Contact your lawmakers. Tell them why you support public education and tell them to fully fund your local public schools.
• Write a letter to the editor or op-ed for your local paper sharing why you love your schools.
• School board resolution: this really shows that your district is on board with your plans.
  • Sample resolution (2018)
  • Sun Prairie Area School District’s Proclamation (2022)
  • Eau Claire Area School District’s Proclamation (2022)
  • See Governor Evers’s Proclamation of Public Schools Week 2024 here.
• Join us at the Wisconsin State Capitol for our Public Schools Week Day of Action on Feb. 27 in Madison. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
• Find shareable graphics for social media and other communications in a shared folder here!

Monday, Feb. 23: Spread the love for public schools and celebrate our amazing educators!

• Celebrate #PublicSchoolsWeek by sharing the reasons YOU support your local public schools. Shout out educators. Share a story of something amazing happening in your district. Tell others why you think public schools are worth fighting for. Let people know why you support local action for strong public schools with a post on social media or better yet a short video and #MakeItLocal and tag your friends/teachers/district and us @WisconsinNetwork (Facebook) @WiscEdNetwork so we can amplify your impact!
• UPDATE YOUR PROFILE PIC using our template to spread the love for our public schools!  
  1. Click this link to our Canva template
  2. Upload or drag your favorite picture of yourself (centered and smiling and not too close-up is best). When you drag and hover your photo over the round “frame,” it should drop right in – if it lands as a rectangle just click delete and try again)
  3. Click “share” to download the file and save as a jpg file
  4. Upload to your socials as your profile pic Feb. 23-27 and share!
     Too much work? Don’t have Canva?  Send us your photo and we’ll whip one up for you.

(Transparency) Tuesday, Feb. 24: Spotlight on public accountability

• Transparency Tuesday is all about holding ourselves, our schools and our leaders accountable for the conditions kids need to thrive! Public schools are the cornerstone of democracy! Celebrate the ways public schools center student safety and belonging and are held accountable to all of us. Public Schools Week is a great reminder that all schools that receive public funds should be subject to the same high standards of accountability and transparency as public schools. Check out our GO PUBLIC! Voucher and Independent Charter Transparency Hub to learn more.

Wednesday, Feb. 25: Support public school champions

• Centering local action in the heart of public schools week. Take time today to show local advocates you support their relentless advocacy for Wisconsin students and their public schools!
• Spread the love: donate now to ensure that we can grow our support for the advocates who support students year-round. Your support makes our work possible!

Thursday, Feb. 26: Celebrate student success

• Share stories about the amazing things local kids in your public schools are doing!
• Calling all students! Register for THE POWER OF STUDENT ACTION, a special event intended for (and organized by) high school students and adults who directly support their organizing efforts, and learn more about how to get organized to join the fight for thriving public schools for all students!

Friday, Feb. 27: Statewide day of action

Let lawmakers know you’re counting on them to support our students & thriving public schools! Local kids need YOU to come to Madison to help close out Public Schools Week with a clear message: we love our public schools and our kids are counting on us to demand and deliver the resources they need to thrive!

Meet in the Rotunda of the State Capitol at 11:30 for an event that begins at 12:00 sharp. Bring your referendum yard signs!!! (no sticks)

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!

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More evergreen ways to celebrate and support public schools:

• Contact your lawmakers. Tell them why you support public education and tell them to fully fund your local public schools.
• Thank-you cards, Valentines, and other tokens of appreciation: Send cards, notes, and cookies to the educators and staff in your school. Don’t forget administrators and your district office! Make it a party by holding card-making events with parent groups, student orgs, and other local teams. BONUS: DELIVER THOSE CARDS TO LAWMAKERS ON OUR DAY OF ACTION!
• Guest lessons: Invite a retired teacher, a parent, or a student to conduct a lesson in the classroom.
• Showcase student work: Decorate a public space with kids’ drawings and artwork. Make sure to post a picture on social media with the hashtag #PublicSchoolsWeek and #PSW26.
• Host a dinner: Share in a community meal with current and retired educators and staff from your school.
• Community slideshow: Have members of the community submit photos showing why they love their public schools — and combine them into a slideshow.
• Attend a school board meeting during the week to express your appreciation.
• Bookmark the Learning First Alliance’s Public School Proud website for ideas and opportunities to register your events (no matter how small).
• Create a local hashtag and try to get it trending in your community. Example: #WeLoveMiltonSchools
• Write a letter to the editor or op-ed for your local paper sharing why you love your schools.
• Contact your local paper and news stations to inform them of your events and invite them to cover the week!
• Schedule interviews or call into local radio stations to express your public school pride.
• School board resolution: this really shows that your district is on board with your plans
  • Sample resolution (2018)
  • Sun Prairie Area School District’s Proclamation (2022)
  • Eau Claire Area School District’s Proclamation (2022)
  • See Governor Evers’s Proclamation of Public Schools Week 2024 here.
• Join us at the Wisconsin State Capitol for our Public Schools Week Day of Action on Feb. 27 in Madison. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
• Find shareable graphics for social media and other communications in a shared folder here!

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