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HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Here’s one of several “spooky” spoof videos to help you celebrate the day in EdReform Style! These and others from CER’s “Lucky 13th” Anniversary in 2006. Everything old is new again!

CONGRATULATIONS AND APPLAUSE. Good friend and CER Board Member Kevin Chavous is the new president of the Virginia-based ed-tech and on-line learning company K-12 Inc. CER and Kevin go way back – working together in DC to shape a robust charter schools program, and to win funding of the District’s Opportunity Scholarship Program (efforts which, by the way, were also supported by BAEO). A highly respected voice of reform and a strong advocate of growing a learning culture in America so all can participate in the future, he’ll be an exceptional asset to K-12. Read our statement on Kevin here. While you’re at it, pick up a copy of one of Kevin’s many books, including his latest, a novel, called The Plan.

FONDNESS AND FAREWELL.  It is with great fondess but sorrow that we note the dissolution of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, an organization well ahead of its time. BAEO’s primary founder – the great Howard Fuller  – whose book No Struggle, No Progress chronicles why and how we must fight for children – told us in 1998 at CER’s 5th Anniversary why we must change the complexion of the room if we were to succeed in our endeavor to truly make educational opportunity work for children of color. And change the complexion of the proverbial edreform room he did, along with a host of other fellow warriors, like Deborah McGriff, then-Pennsylvania State Representative and now Congressman Dwight Evans, Virginia Walden Ford, among others. A dozen became more than a thousand and their impact has been felt in just about every major reform battle. BAEO’s clear, unwavering, powerful voice in the reform movement will be missed and it is incumbent upon those who continue the fight, to embrace BAEO’s principles and help to carry their work forward. (We’d also call on funders to recognize that sometimes the hardest work that the eye cannot actually see is the most important. But that’s another story, for another day).

CONDOLENCES AND PRAISE  We are also extremely sad to report on the passing of Greg Miller, recently president of the Arizona State Board of Education and founder, along with his wife Pam of Challenge Charter School in Glendale in 1996 (a CER Charter School of the Year award winner!). An edreform pioneer, Greg was a member of the group that pushed for and won the passage of the Arizona law authorizing charter schools in 1994. Today, more than 180,000 children are enrolled in more than 550 charters in the state – a fantastic accomplishment and legacy for a fantastic guy. (Challenge Charter also continues to thrive with 500 children enrolled in grades K-6.) Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Pam, daughter Wendy Miller (who serves as CEO and principal at Challenge) and all the family & friends of the Millers. He will be missed.