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Coming into the month of October only reminds me that I have made it to the halfway point of my almost four month stay here in Washington, DC. That being said, I can already say that this has been an experience that I surely won’t forget, in part to recent events. This stay will always signify my presence during two noteworthy occurrences and I feel privileged to be living in the nation’s capitol during them, these events of course being the government shutdown and CER’s 20th Anniversary.

To steer away from the contentious former I want to talk about how amazing it was to be a part of CER’s team during such a momentous time for the organization. Being able to witness so many people come out to recognize a person they found to be a model for their movement and reflect on how far CER has come in twenty years was an inspirational time that I will always remember.

It was an honor to be among so many “edreformies” who have helped set the standards in the education reform movement. Some honorees that especially caught my attention were William J. Bennet and Barbara Dreyer who spoke highly of CER president Jeanne Allen. Of course, it was also nice to see just how many people came out dressed to the 1960s Rat Pack theme.

For me, the night was one of deserved recognition and I was grateful to have been in the room to experience it. I am very thankful to be with CER for the next couple of months and continue to learn and see how the organization grows, especially with the transition of presidents, when Kara Kerwin takes the reins.