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Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS)

Website:

reclaimourschools.org/
Project of:

The Schott Foundation for Public Education
Parent Group EIN:

04-3457065
Formation:

2013
National Coalition Director:

Moira Kaleida

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The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) is a left-of-center group that advocates for critical race theory (CRT) and LGBT-related initiatives in schools and supports policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the public school systems. 1 AROS is a fiscally sponsored project of the Schott Foundation for Public Education. 2

AROS has helped organize a number of political demonstrations, including walk-ins and walkouts in opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions to reduce the size and budget of the Department of Education. 3  4  5 AROS has also expressed its support for several pieces of Democratic-endorsed national legislation concerning public education. 6  7

Background

The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) was founded in 2013 and acts as a centralizing group across a broader coalition of left-of-center education groups that promote race-based policies and pro-LGBT initiatives in American public schools. 1

Founded as a project of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, AROS has also received coalition-building support and funding from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Ford Foundation. Its partner organizations include the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the National Education Association (NEA). 8  9  10

Activities

The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) maintains chapters across 25 states where it advocates for left-of-center policies through supporting local school board initiatives, organizing protests and rallies, and promoting state and federal level educational policies. 11 AROS’s central demands include increasing funding for public schools, reducing standardized testing in public education, an ending zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, reducing student disciplinary actions, guaranteeing free public education for all students including illegal immigrants, and prioritizing race-focused learning initiatives for racial minorities. 12

In 2016, AROS organized a national walk-in protest to advocate higher tax rates to fund public schools, race-focused learning initiatives, and increased teacher salaries. The protesters expressed opposition to charter schools, in-school discipline, and grading and testing. AROS claimed that 35,000 people participated in the walk-in across 800 schools in 31 cities. 13

In 2016, a Washington Post article argued against school “takeovers,” a tactic used in Little Rock Arkansas where the state governor dissolved the local school board and appointed an Education Commissioner to oversee the Little Rock public school district. The article called this takeover tactic racist, citing an AROS study that claimed most public school district takeover efforts have resulted in “increased racial segregation and loss of public institutions in communities of color.” 14

In 2017, AROS launched a national campaign with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, 482 Froward, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and other groups against the first Trump administration to “Build Schools, Not Walls.” The campaign included a variety of virtual educational sessions and in-person demonstrations to protest the administration’s proposed cuts to the Department of Education’s budget. 4

In 2023, AROS and its partner organizations launched the Campaign Lab, a grantmaking fund to help local educational organizations advance left-of-center initiatives related to race, class size reduction, affordable housing, and increasing the minimum wage. 15

In 2023, AROS joined dozens of advocacy groups in supporting the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, legislation that would reduce disciplinary action in schools and end what the legislation considers over-policing in public K-12 schools. The bill was introduced and supported by several left-wing United States representatives, including U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), as well as several U.S. Senators. 6

In 2025, AROS joined several dozens of advocacy groups in supporting the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act, legislation that would mandate Congress to fully fund Title I, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representative Susie Lee (D-NV) introduced the Senate and House versions of the bill, and received substantial backing by Democratic Members of Congress.  7

AROS also endorsed and helped organize May Day demonstrations against the Trump administration, a network of national walk-outs staged in opposition to the administration’s budget cuts to the Department of Education under Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. 5

Schott Foundation for Public Education

The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) is a fiscally sponsored project of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, a Massachusetts-based grantmaking organization that promotes critical race theory-aligned educational policies. 2  16 The Schott Foundation manages the Loving Communities Response Fund for Racial Justice, a grantmaking fund to provide race-based grants to lower socioeconomic minority areas. 17

In 2021, the Schott Foundation advocated for Congress to pass a “Racial Equity Stimulus” to pay a form of reparations to racial minorities, whom the group claimed were victims of “America’s historic vehicles of racism and oppression.” 18

Leadership

Moira Kaleida is the National Coalition Director for the Alliance to Reclaim our Schools. Previously, she worked as a chief of staff for a Pittsburgh City Council member and a state representative in Pennsylvania. She has also worked in a variety of organizing roles in the political, electoral, and education sectors. She was also an organizer for Pittsburgh’s 412 Justice. In 2022, Kaleida joined the board of Keystone Equality, a LGBT advocacy group in Pennsylvania. In 2015, she was elected to serve on the Pittsburgh Public School Board, leading the policy and government relations committees. As a school board member, Kaleida helped pass pro-LGBT policies, a “Sanctuary Schools” policy, a pre-K to 2nd grade suspension ban, and the Community Schools Policy which opened the first three community schools in the city. She has a degree in education from Pennsylvania State University. 19  11

Finances

The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS) is a fiscally sponsored project of the Schott Foundation for Public Education. 2 In 2024, the Schott Foundation reported $7,430,831 in total revenue, $8,002,521 in total expenses, and $20,248,223 in total assets. 20

In 2022, several left-of-center organizations made grants to the Schott Foundation for Public Education to fund the AROS project, including a $70,000 grant from 482 Forward, a $20,000 grant from the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), a $20,000 grant from Clinton Hill Community Action, a $20,000 grant from the Lugenia Burns Hope Center, a $20,000 grant from the Parkside Business and Community in Partnership, a $20,000 grant from the Progressive Maryland Education Fund, and a $20,000 grant from the Public Justice Center. 21

In 2015, AROS was one of two recipients of a $350,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. 22 In 2014, the Ford Foundation also issued a $20,674 grant to AROS to fund a rally in Washington, D.C. commemorating the 60th anniversary of United States Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. 23

References

  1. “About The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools.” The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://reclaimourschools.org/about-aros
  2. “The Schott Foundation for Public Education – Donate to AROS.” Stripe. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://donate.stripe.com/eVa6qe1Cl5Q3gcEfZ2
  3. “Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS): new employee outreach materials.” AFT. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://allin.rtp.aft.org/alliance-reclaim-our-schools-aros-new-employee-outreach-materials
  4. “Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools Launches National Campaign to Build Schools, Not Walls.” AFT. April 18, 2017. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.aft.org/press-release/alliance-reclaim-our-schools-launches-national-campaign-build-schools-not
  5. Weiner, Lois. “Educators Are Preparing for May Day Actions Against Trump’s Attacks on Schools.” Truthout. April 17, 2025. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://truthout.org/articles/to-combat-trumps-attacks-on-public-education-we-need-democracy-in-our-unions/
  6. “Pressley, Murphy Unveil Bill to End Criminalization of Students, Invest in Counselors and Safer Environment for Kids.” Congresswoman Ayana Pressley, Massachusetts 7th District. November 2, 2023. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://pressley.house.gov/2023/11/02/pressley-murphy-unveil-bill-to-end-criminalization-of-students-invest-in-counselors-and-safer-environment-for-kids/
  7. “Van Hollen, Lee Introduce Bill to Fully Fund Title I, Special Education.” Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator for Maryland. January 31, 2025. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/01/31/2025/van-hollen-lee-introduce-bill-to-fully-fund-title-i-special-education
  8. “Organizing for Educational Justice: Parents, Students and Labor Join Forces to Reclaim Public Education.” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Accessed December 15, 2025. https://ncrp.org/resources/organizing-for-educational-justice-parents-students-and-labor-join-forces-to-reclaim-public-education/
  9. “AROS News!” Baltimore Teachers Union. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://baltimoreteachers.org/aros/
  10. “Our Coalition.” The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://reclaimourschools.org/our-coalition
  11. “Interview: Moira Kaleida on the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools at Ten Years.” The Schott Foundation for Public Education. November 8, 2023. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://schottfoundation.org/the-latest/interview-moira-kaleida-on-the-alliance-to-reclaim-our-schools-at-ten-years/
  12. “Our Demands.” The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://reclaimourschools.org/our-demands
  13. “Alliance to Reclaim our Schools (AROS): new employee outreach materials.” ATF. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://allin.rtp.aft.org/alliance-reclaim-our-schools-aros-new-employee-outreach-materials
  14. Strauss, Valerie. “Little Rock schools desegregated 59 years old. Now ‘we are retreating to 1957.’” Washington Post. July 28, 2016. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/07/28/little-rock-schools-desegregated-59-years-old-now-we-are-retreating-to-1957/
  15. “The Campaign Lab.” NEA. May 1, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/campaign-lab
  16. “About – Our History.” The Schott Foundation for Public Education.” Accessed December 15, 2025. https://schottfoundation.org/about/history/
  17. “Loving Communities Response Fund for Racial Justice.” Schott Foundation for Public Education. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://schottfoundation.org/our-work/loving-cities/
  18. “A Call for a Racial Equity Stimulus.” Schott Foundation for Public Education. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://schottfoundation.org/resource/a-call-for-a-racial-equity-stimulus/
  19. “Our Team.” The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://reclaimourschools.org/our-team
  20. “The Schott Foundation For Public Education – 2024 Federal Form 990.” Accessed December 15, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43457065/202511359349301936/full
  21. “The Schott Foundation For Public Education – 2022 Federal Form 990, Schedule I.” Accessed December 15, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43457065/202341359349310864/IRS990ScheduleI
  22. “Core support for the Education Justice Program and core support for the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools to promote a broader vision for excellent and equitable public education.” Ford Foundation.June 2015. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/center-for-popular-democracy-125112/
  23. “Ford Foundation – 2014 Federal Form 990 PF.” ProPublica. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/201523179349100347/IRS990PF
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