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I’m a rising senior at Catholic University (CUA) right here in Washington, D.C. Coming into my internship at the Center for Education Reform (CER), I did not know what to expect. I came to CUA as a psychology major with the intention of going to school for speech language pathology and embarking on a career working with children, something I’ve always had a passion for.

During my time at CUA, I have served as a tutor for D.C. Reads, an initiative that engages college students in tutoring D.C.’s schoolchildren to improve literacy, as well as interned for Urban Promise, a Camden, New Jersey based nonprofit that creates opportunities for low-income students. I began asking myself some very tough questions – why do some children in America have access to an excellent education, and others don’t? Is education truly the great equalizer?

I began to see myself working as a policymaker rather than working hands-on with children, and became especially passionate about higher education and college access for all students regardless of their socioeconomic status. This desire to really make a difference led me to apply to the CER Internship, and now, here I am!

My first day has led me to getting to know the CER staff and the background of the education reform movement. A lunch with CER President Kara Kerwin on my first day allowed all the summer interns to sit down and get perspective and insight on CER’s work. CER is the perfect place for me to spend the summer and I can’t wait to see where my summer at CER takes me.

Emma Dodson, CER Intern

My motivations for becoming an English Major were simple: I could read and discuss literature daily and it was as far away from math and science, specifically numbers, as I could get. Numbers are not my strength; my math skills are severely limited to simple addition and subtraction. Much to my chagrin, I was enlightened about the influence of numbers by an event regarding college-ready policies in the classroom hosted by the New America Foundation.

The keynote speaker, Jack Markell, the Governor of Delaware, as well as the panelists, Joel Vargas and Elisabeth Barnett, discussed the importance of bringing college into the high school classroom and changing curricula and school policy to ensure that students are best prepared for the rigor of the college classroom. All three individuals agreed on the importance of standardized testing and GPA to measure college readiness, but included the importance of implementing a diversified array of tests.

Although these different tests have different means of presentation and indicate different metrics, each test measures success through statistics and scores – marking the high influence of numbers in America’s education systems. Although the test might change, the means of measuring success does not. Each individual was in agreement that no single test can determine success, but GPA is the best measure implemented at the moment to determine a student’s potential success rate in college.

The universality of numbers plays into the high level of numbers in school; it’s easy to group large students together and have students fall under subsets of measures of success, but students shouldn’t fall under categories. This only reduces students to a number, rather than allowing their unique characteristics to predict their future success as college students. Instead, students should be individuals, not part of a group.

I agree that test scores and GPA are indicators of success, but I disagree that they are the only adequate ways to measure success. I think that success is more than a GPA; student motivation, determination, and will to succeed are also measures of success. Combining qualitative and quantitative measures to predict success rates would allow individuals to have a unique identity in schools rather than be labeled by a number and generic category.

Rethinking education is gaining traction in the 21^st century on the basis that classrooms haven’t changed in several decades. Why aren’t measures of success being rethought as well? Tests scores and numbers have continually defined students in the past, isn’t it time for a shift in schools to make students individuals rather than numbers?

Elizabeth Kennard, CER Intern

Every year, seniors at Chávez schools present and defend their theses, which focus on current public policy issues, during the César Chávez Public Charter Schools Public Policy Symposium. Students include a background of the issue, analysis of the policy, and their recommendations on how to improve/change the policy in their thesis presentations. This year’s topics ranged from the militarization of the police to the conflicts in Israel/Palestine. The three seniors who presented their theses rivaled that of a college student well into their studies. Each presentation was a thoughtful piece that brought me into their minds and helped me understand the basis of their thesis.

Before the student presentations, keynote speaker Jamal Simmons, who plays an active role in politics and helped both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama win elections, spoke about his idea of “Generation One”. Generation One includes the millennials who he described as having a greater scope of things that they can become in life compared to earlier generations. He recounted a popular saying from when he was younger about minority parents telling their kids that they can be anything they want in life, and parents knowing they were not telling the truth. Children then suffered from the generational suppression that lasted decades before them. This is unlike today, when there are people who look just like them who are owners of television networks or even President of the United States. Today, Generation One believes they can indeed be anything they want in life.

This led us into the student presentations, and it was clear that these students are a part of Generation One (in fact, they might be the next leaders of Generation One!). The first presenter spoke about student loan debt, and provided his very own solution to help with the debt crisis, including rethinking grants and lowering interest rates. Another presenter compelled the audience to action to bring peace between Israel and Palestine, and may even be a prospect for Secretary of Defense one day. Last but not least, one student tackled the issue of the militarization of police and, in light of the “battles” in Ferguson and Baltimore, presented a proposal that would enforce police body cameras and a cop-watch database.

The symposium was a fantastic opportunity to engage with students and get their take on real world problems and solutions. Overall, the symposium showed that the program the Chávez schools are offering to their students will more than prepare them for a successful journey as college students and beyond. As an advocate for parent choice, I can honestly say if this symposium is an indicator of the things being done at César Chávez Public Charter Schools, then these parents made a great choice.

Rahdaysha Cummings, CER Intern

Last week, CER Interns attended a First Fridays Tour at D.C. International Public Charter School (DCI). Mary Shaffner, the Executive Director, founded the school in 2014 with “the mission of training students to become multilingual, culturally competent and capable of taking their learning to the next level.” Each student engages in partial language immersion in content-based instruction classes in Spanish, French, or Mandarin Chinese.

During the tour, one aspect of DCI that struck us the most was the considerable amount of racial, intellectual, and economic diversity. Forty percent of students are African American, 27 percent are Latino/a, 26 percent are Caucasian, and 7 percent are Asian. A majority of students take part in the free and reduced meals program, and 20 percent of students receive special education. The tour showcased this variety by bringing us to different classes, and focused on the school’s distinctive elements, like its concentration on language and effective implementation of technology in the classroom.

DCI heavily relies on intensive language immersion. Students take language classes every day, and take other classes in in the student’s target language. Roughly 50 percent of a student’s day involves using their target language to, for example, discuss controversial topics, write reports, or read articles about current events.

Technology is also highly used in the classroom. Each student has their own Chromebook that can be used for independent projects, homework, assessments, and research. Technology gives students access to a wealth of information and resources. In addition, it instills a sense of responsibility in each of the students.

“We believe that a student who embraces culture is best prepared for future success. While our world grows more interconnected, the job market of the future has yet to be defined. But we know that it will require greater understanding of people and economies outside our borders,” said Mary Shaffner. The school is planning on expanding over the next five years to bring that vision of education to even more students and more families.

The D.C. International Public Charter School has truly mastered the way to propel students to their greatest potential, and it is amazing to see the future that lies ahead of DCI students.

Emily Kelleher and Hayley Nicholas, CER Interns

Education is an essential part of life. It can create an opportunity of a lifetime that many aren’t fortunate enough to obtain. Education is the key to success that opens the door to knowledge, opportunities, and personal development.

My mother strongly valued education when I was younger. It was unacceptable to bring home any grade less than a B, even though she wanted me to strive for all A’s. She knew from the start that we had full potential. I started in a public school. The classes weren’t very difficult. I easily excelled in math, reading, social studies, and science. Elementary school was a breeze. But then …middle school happened. I made a transition from a public school to a charter school. The classes became more rigorous. In the 7^th grade I got my first C ever. I knew this was unacceptable. I had to try harder. What I failed to realize was that it would become more difficult. In 10^th grade I got my first F, but it wasn’t long until that F went away. More rigorous courses allow me to unlock my full potential.

I noticed that during the transition of schools there were many differences: different school hours, different classes, different grading policy, but most importantly, a different feel towards education. I wasn’t sure how it would impact my learning experience in the future but so far so good.

Just like my mom pushed me to get good grades, made me take more rigorous courses, made me strive for what’s best, I strongly believe that students everywhere should have the opportunity to these challenging diverse schools. The internship at The Center of Education Reform would be the perfect place to start. I’m going to look forward to these few weeks.

Tre’Von York, CER Intern