Education is the Best Antidote for Ignorance
“While it cannot cure everything, education is the best antidote for ignorance.”
Dear Friends,
I hope you’ve had time to enjoy the company of family and friends this holiday season. My heart goes out to those who are suffering in numerous ways from the tragedies that seem to beset us at every turn. I remain convinced that while it cannot cure everything, education is the best antidote for ignorance.
Here is just a brief summary of what we are resolved to do to ensure light is shed on the critical importance of education opportunity in each and every community this year:
Coalesce and build up the efforts of individual citizens, teachers, and parents who are trying to create their own schools and education programs to serve more students. There’s nothing like the American spirit to turn upside down the status quo (think Tocqueville).
At CER, we’ve never been big fans of working through pre-existing organizations that have their own challenges, goals and constituents to worry about. We’d rather bolster the efforts of real people doing the work daily — with advice, counsel, connections and the strategic public relations influence that CER has to connect the individual to the agency that he or she needs to get their idea recognized, expanded or pushed through state halls.
Engage the tens of thousands of education entrepreneurs who are at the heart of the technological advances that make learning accessible to people everywhere!
With a special connection to the edtech universe globally, and our connections with the best of schools and school pioneers in the charter movement and larger education choice arena, we can move mountains to ensure that new schools and proven practices are expanding and growing. What we’ve seen accomplished in just under 30 years with the entrepreneurial innovations borne in the edreform movement could, if expanded, provide millions more students with what they need and deserve.
Inspire the movement that we helped launch 26 years ago to put parents front and center in leading policy, advocacy and their own efforts to educate their children.
We need PARENT POWER like never before. I’m gratified the term we once helped coin for education is actually making ripples in politics today, thanks to the inspiration of Dr. Howard Fuller and his new army of advocates who are challenging any one who stands in front of the proverbial schoolhouse door to prevent parents from making the decisions most critical to their own children’s lives.
We will accomplish these things in many ways — from engaging in legal efforts, advocacy, public relations, research, information sharing and good old fashioned public awareness. Regardless of tactic, however, we must ensure the opportunity for learners at all levels to find the best education — rich in content and in character formation — and tailored to their needs.
As we begin the last hours until the New Year and a New Decade, let us resolve to hold leaders to account for what we know to be consistent with the values this country holds dear — freedom, equality and prosperity for all! And to those who stand in the way of applying all those things to education, we say, look out! You haven’t seen anything yet!
Please consider giving to CER this calendar year before the clock strikes midnight! There are many ways to engage — donations (click below!), memberships, sponsorships of our programs and podcasts, or consider engaging our new CER Advisory team to help you advance your idea, your school or your product! Whichever way you decide, just remember that if you want something to get done, you always go to the busiest people… and those who’ve shown their impact consistently year after year.
And please designate The Center for Education Reform as your charity when shopping through AmazonSmile.
That’s CER! Please join us.
And from all of us, Cheers to a Healthy, Prosperous and Opportunity-filled New Year! Happy 2020!!
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
