As a Research Assistant working with PULSE NJ, I have had the opportunity to witness how research can become more than a method of collecting information. It can become a tool for community voice, parent leadership, and education equity.
PULSE NJ is a grassroots organization that advocates for equity in public schools. Its work centers parents, students, educators, and community organizations in conversations about school decision-making, governance, and education reform. Rather than treating families as passive recipients of policy decisions, PULSE NJ creates space for them to participate directly in shaping the future of public education.
What makes this work especially meaningful is that PULSE is not simply a research unit. It is a place where the mission of Project Citizen Participatory Action Research comes alive. At its core, this is research done by parents, for parents. The project focuses on Newark public schools, particularly in the South and West Ward communities, and involves 20 parents who are actively participating in the research process.
Through the partnership between PULSE NJ and the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, each research session becomes a space for shared learning. Parents are not just asked to provide feedback; they are engaged as co-researchers. They identify concerns, reflect on lived experiences, ask critical questions, and help shape the direction of the research itself. This approach challenges the traditional idea that research should only be led by institutions or experts. Instead, it recognizes that parents hold deep expertise about their schools, neighborhoods, and children’s educational journeys.
From my perspective as a Research Assistant, these sessions have shown me the power of participatory research in practice. I have seen how parents connect personal experiences to larger questions of school equity, governance, student support, safety, and access to resources. Their insights reveal the everyday realities that data alone may not fully capture. Each conversation adds depth, urgency, and accountability to the work.
PULSE NJ’s approach reminds us that education reform must begin with the people most affected by school policies. When parents are invited to lead, question, and analyze, research becomes more democratic and more responsive to community needs.
Being part of this initiative has helped me understand that meaningful education equity is not only about studying schools. It is about building relationships, listening carefully, and supporting families as active partners in creating change.
Author, Vageesha Sharma, is a second-year PhD Student in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University, Newark, and serves as a Cornwall Research Assistant for the PULSE Parent Organizer Project.