There were a lot of broken hearts on election day. But in California, proponents of public education have big reasons to celebrate. California voters passed a constitutional amendment changing the budget process from a 2/3 vote to a simple majority, a bold step forward and a chance to end the yearly budget gridlock. And they elected a Governor and legislators who have pledged to end the cuts and restore funding to California's public education.

But the real story isn't what was accomplished so much as the people who accomplished it. People like Barb Daugherty, a high school Data Systems Specialist in rural Northern California.

Things were headed in the wrong direction. Barb was pretty clear on that. She was on the front lines of every cut to public education. And cuts to education funding in California seemed to be bigger every year.

Budget cuts meant more than crowded classrooms. It meant library service cutbacks, fewer custodians to keep classrooms clean, and busy intersections with no crossing guards. It meant that Barb saw more friends lose their jobs every year, and watched kids struggle to achieve their potential in drowning schools.

There was an impact closer to home, too. With the cuts to public education, public colleges and universities had been forced to cut even core classes, leaving waiting lists that stretched for years, and students unable to graduate. And Barb's son was one of those students.

In March, Barb heard there was a new campaign to prevent more cuts. Her union, the CSEA, was looking for members to step up as volunteer leaders. Barb signed up for a training, a weekend in a hotel. She wasn't sure, but she knew what they'd been doing wasn't working. The union wasn't winning the fights. The legislators were going back on their word. She didn't know whether the new strategy would work, but it was better than doing nothing.

At the training, Barb learned new ways to tell her story, to find commitment, and to build collaborative strategy. But when it came time for action, Barb followed her own instincts. "We were really emphasizing numbers and calling as many people you could," says Hope, one of the core organizing trainers. "Barb went against the grain and called only a few, strategic people. Got their solid commitments. Barb built herself a mini Dream Team up in conservative country that saw it through til the end."

8 months later, Barb has recruited and trained more than 70 volunteers, mostly fellow union members, in leadership skills: learning to tell their story, build relationships, and engage others in meaningful action. Over the summer, she worked with three volunteer teams to build their operation. Deep in opposition territory, Barb's teams identified more than 1,400 Californians who are committed to public education funding. And on election day, her team turned them out to vote for candidates who promise to make California public schools great again.

After the election, they're not just packing it in. Barb and the other CAUSE members are refocusing, reorganizing, and keeping up the pressure to make sure their gains don't fade. They've heard promises before, and they know that the only way to make sure those promises are kept is to keep organizing. So that's exactly what they plan to do.

Barb's story is unique, but it's not alone. There are thousands of organizers who poured their hearts into change, organizers like you. And whether you won or lost, your story is part of the greater narrative. These are the stories we'll hear about, in person, at RootsCamp. Whether you won or lost, YOUR story can teach us all something. Will you bring yours, and share your lessons?

**Update** Barb's work didn't go unnoticed, as you can tell. And just moments ago, Barb was nominated as 2010's Most Valuable Organizer, an award NOI presents at RootsCamp. Do you know someone who worked for change in 2010? It doesn't matter if they're a volunteer, like Barb, a campaign manager, someone working in politics or someone working in advocacy. If you know a great change maker, please nominate him or her for Most Valuable Organizer, and celebrate the hard work of organizers around the country!