Charlottesville United for Public Education Welcomes Community Organizer as First Hire

Sandra Aviles Poe to lead local nonprofit advocating for stronger public schools

October 23, 2022 — Charlottesville, VA – Charlottesville United for Public Education (CUPE) is pleased to welcome Sandra Aviles Poe as Community Organizer, the organization’s first staff hire. Sandra will lead the new nonprofit’s community outreach and engagement efforts as well as serving as an advocate for strengthening and fully resourcing our public schools.

Born in Mexico, Sandra moved to Charlottesville with her family when she was five and graduated from Monticello High School. She has most recently worked in banking and as mother to three children.

“I look forward to serving the communities that welcomed my family and became our home. Having gone through public schools and as mother of young children, I bring a lived experience and strong passion for public education as a critical tool for success,” said Sandra. “I’m grateful to be able to work at an organization that embodies everything I believe in. I have full faith that through community engagement and open ears and minds we will be able to create a movement that positively impacts Charlottesville youth and future generations.”

CUPE officially launched in January of this year and was focused primarily on getting City Council to fund the renovation of Buford Middle School as the first step in the decades-long push for the reconfiguration of Buford and Walker Upper Elementary. After the success of that initial effort, the organization has been focused on attending community events in the summer and securing funding for an organizer. This next phase will include a much more active and public role reaching out to local elected officials, school board members and CCS staff, partner organizations and – most importantly – community members and current and future CCS families.

“Sandra is the right person to take Charlottesville United for Education to the next level, from a committed group of volunteer parents and community leaders to a forceful, respected voice fighting for better, more equitable education opportunities for Charlottesville kids from preschool through graduation,” said Mary Coleman, Executive Director of City of Promise and founding member of the CUPE Advisory Committee. “We’ve shown that when families and community stakeholders come together to support our schools, we can get results, and we look forward to Sandra building on the energy and momentum that we’ve generated so far.”

CUPE recently hosted a webinar to update the community on transportation issues and the Buford renovation. A partial recording of the webinar is available online.

CUPE is served by an Advisory Committee of volunteers, and is a joint plan of work partner with Virginia Organizing. If you are interested in getting more involved, email charlottesvilleunited@gmail.com.