Sign up for our newsletter
Contact

Newswire – February 19, 2020

February 19, 2020 By

WASHINGTON TO LINCOLN TO  ?

 

“The best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail.”    - George Washington

“Education is the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”   - Abraham Lincoln

 

The week started with President’s Day, in honor of two of our most distinguished citizens — let alone Presidents. They both had strong opinions on the importance of education to the formation and preservation of our Republic. We’ll be picking their successor later this year,  but let’s honor them year round by keeping their ideals and sacrifices in mind.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GAMBLE ON VEGAS.  The remaining Democrat candidates for President - former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg along with Senators Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren - will gather tonight for the latest debate but not before a vocal crowd of thousands of diverse families and students rally for the freedom to best direct their children’s education. Nevada charter school families and the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools are taking the choice of the next president seriously. They will be gathering at 4 pm just a few miles from the debate stage asking the critical question #WHATABOUTUS.  Join them on Twitter or  follow the action live on Facebook. For your own debate prep — or therapy afterwards — check out CER’s comprehensive Education 2020 website. 

 


Please Download and Share to Show Your Support

WHICH CANDIDATE SAID. “We showed that when charters are granted carefully, and overseen rigorously, results can be incredibly impressive among millions of kids, giving them the opportunity to succeed in life and pursue their dreams." (Read to the end to learn the answer!)

FREEDOM’S RING. After nearly 30 years of experience and data, the research just gets better. Which is why this pathbreaking report by Northwestern University scholar David Figlio documenting the power of choice to improve all schools where competition is fierce would give The Great Emancipator reason to cheer. 

 

WE CANNOT TELL A LIE. GEORGE WOULD LOVE OUR “WHY AMERICA” PROJECT.  Washington &  Lincoln knew that in the arc of history, the time had come for a country like America. CER is bringing these stories to life for DC area charter students through our “Why America?” project. DC students travel to landmarks and little-explored places of history in DC to learn why the Constitution exists, what it does, who manages it, who executes, who ensures its fidelity. Schools across the country can join in, too! Learn more about the details.

 

KENTUCKY IS THE REAL LAND OF LINCOLN. Illinois has the motto, but Honest Abe was born in Hogdenville, KY. But the “rail-splitter” would be disappointed in the lackadaisical attitude his home state’s politicians have toward education. Kentucky enacted the weakest of charter school laws in 2017, resulting in ZERO charter schools. Despite their impact in other states, lawmakers just couldn’t repel the status quo even though a rigorously researched and documented studyfinds that charters opened  just in the city of Louisville would reap “38 million in economic benefits from higher lifetime earnings associated with increases in academic achievement.” 

GEORGE AND ABE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS - THE GREAT DISRUPTERS. Like Washington (ask King George III) and Lincoln (ask Jefferson Davis), charter schools are also disrupting a dysfunctional and unjust status quo. Says a great piece in Reason Magazine, “The growth of choice has helped expose the realities and shortcomings of many traditional public school districts, such as how kids aren’t being funded equally, the financial fragilities of the district model, the lack of quality at some schools, and how different students need different environments to learn.”

JUSTICE IN COLORADO.  It’s hard to believe that Vega Collegiate Academy would have to fight for the right to continue successfully  serving some of the most economically distressed families in Aurora, Colorado.  Vega has proven that the kids attending its school, despite all the difficult challenges they face every day, can learn.  As you will see in this moving video,  parents who chose Vega for their kids continue to support the school, but the local Board of Education chose to ignore them and voted to close it.  Vega fought back and after a successful appeal to the State Board of Education was UNANIMOUSLY permitted to keep the school open. That’s a win to make the Father of Our Country smile, even through his wooden teeth.

 

ANSWER TO QUIZ.  Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.  When he was mayor, minority students who attended charter schools performed better academically than their peers at traditional public schools.  Will he stand by his principles in the face of mob pressure to conform? Time will tell….

If you didn’t get to really celebrate Presidents’ Day this week, we hope you’ll find time to contemplate its meaning and purpose. But now it's back to work for you — and for us! If you’d like to find out more about us or help out, it’s as simple as visiting staging.edreform.com. 

 


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. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

CER Applauds Charter School Families Taking a Stand at Las Vegas Democratic Presidential Debate

February 18, 2020 By

Parents of minority students – put at risk by anti-charter platforms – to rally TOMORROW, demand answer to #WhatAboutUs?

February 18, 2020 – WASHINGTON — The Center for Education Reform (CER) announced today its full support for tomorrow’s press conference/rally planned by the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools and Nevada charter school families, in Las Vegas, Nevada, close to the location of the next debate among the candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. 

IMPACT: If all but one of the candidates got their way and saw their anti-charter school platforms realized, then 46,000 Nevada students would see their academic futures put at severe risk. Parents and teachers are organizing nationwide against these threats. 

WHAT: Press Conference/Rally

WHEN: Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 4:30 PM PST (7:30 PM EST)

WHERE: Mater Bonanza Academy Public Charter School
4760 E. Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, NV 89110

WHO: The Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools, Nevada charter school families

Since last year, hundreds of impassioned parents, teachers, and students have marched and rallied before major debates and events to increase awareness of the need for education choice and opportunity and to facilitate a productive dialogue with presidential candidates. With the notable exception of newcomer Mike Bloomberg, each of the remaining Democratic candidates have criticized charter schools, threatened them—or, in the case of Bernie Sanders, downright denigrated them. 

You can follow the press conference on Facebook live at https://www.facebook.com/FreedomCoalitionForCharterSchools/

Background on Nevada Charter Schools

The original charter school law was enacted in 1997 with enormous barriers to growth. In 2007 the law was amended to allow for an additional state authorizer and that served to advance additional charter schools. To date, Nevada is home to 45 charter schools serving 46,700 students, of whom 56% are black and Hispanic. 

Charter schools give these children, many who live in districts with low-performing schools, the opportunity to receive a better education. Based on the results from the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress, also known as “the Nation’s Report Card,” giving parents this kind of choice for their kids is necessary and crucial.

According to the Report Card, the percentage of Nevada students who performed at or above proficiency remains below the national average, necessitating the expansion of more quality education options for students:

  • 4th grade math — White: 31% | Black: 12% | Hispanic: 42%
  • 4th grade reading — White: 31% | Black: 12% | Hispanic: 43%
  • 8th grade math — White: 32% | Black: 11% | Hispanic: 44%
  • 8th grade reading — White: 32% | Black: 10% | Hispanic: 43%


In other words, most students in Nevada are currently not proficient in core subjects, making charter school expansion more necessary than ever.

More Useful Links

National Charter School Achievement Data

Nevada Charter School Data

Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools official website

What Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Get About School Reform | Future Ed

Bloomberg education plan to promote charter school expansion | New York Post

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.

Filed Under: Education 2020, Press Releases, Breaking News

Newswire – February 11, 2020

February 11, 2020 By

In honor of St. Valentine, we’re sending hearts for love, but reserving darts for those who disappoint...

A SPECIAL VALENTINE. An Unfinished Journey; Education & The American Dream, by CER’s Founder and CEO Jeanne Allen. Inspired by love of country, her Italian heritage, and this nation’s ongoing quest to raise its children to aspire and achieve their greatest dreams, Unfinished Journey challenges us to think big about the education of our youth. Covering students, parents, politics, and culture, it gives the reader a “you are there” feel for the joys, heartbreaks, wins and losses that we’ve all experienced. As Jeanne writes, “We must not be still or silent when generations are at stake. And education — varied by person, location, needs, skills, and aspirations and not tied to any one approach, system, or agency — is the key.”  Get your copy today. 

400 MILLION LESS VALENTINES… appear in the Trump Education budget for charter schools. A typically choice-friendly Administration gets darts not hearts from us today for collapsing the charter grant program into a proposed “block grant” that would expect state education department bureaucracy to actually support and advance charter schools.  Read CER’s statement to understand the intricacies of this issue.

LOVING BLOOMBERG’S ENTRY TO THE  DEBATE STAGE. Here’s why.

HEARTS, FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATES TO OK GOV. The corn may be as high as an elephant's eye, but that hasn’t obscured Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s vision. His newly released budget calls on the state to “raise the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit cap from $5 million to $30 million. We believe the time has come to provide this opportunity, funded by generous Oklahomans, to even more students.” As we sharpen our analysis of Governors for CER’s voter guide this fall, we’ll be looking to see who can follow Stitt’s example of putting education for all his state’s kids #1 on the “to do” list — the “Sooner” the better.

SHOWING SOME LOVE IN CALIFORNIA.   In a state whose politics at the moment currently waver between suspicion and open hostility to school innovation and opportunity – California – parents, students and educators focused on education excellence for all kids got some attention and affection. The Santa Clara County Board of Education voted to approve renewal of the charter for Cornerstone Academy in San Jose. The Board had initially disapproved renewal, even though Cornerstone was the highest performing charter school in San Jose and was named a California Distinguished School.  A hat tip to the board members with the fortitude to do the right thing and reverse their previous decision.  Have a couple of candy hearts on us.

WARM HEARTS. From a parent and member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe comes a report about how Arizona micro-schools and more school choice helps tribal children succeed, with evidence of how much love is reaching many remote communities, Native American and otherwise. “Micro schools” consist of a small number of students, say 10 - 30, who vary in age and grade meeting each day, setting individual goals, and collaborating on activities and creative projects. Students focus on academics but are able to move at their own pace. Learning adapting to the specific needs of specific student populations — the very core of school choice.

DARTS TO THE FL BLOB. Florida’s education mafia used intimidation tactics to force companies to stop contributing critical funds to the state’s highly successful tax credit scholarship program which gives thousands of low income kids the chance to a bright future. While anti-choice unions succeeded in getting Florida’s Fifth Third Bank to stop funding the program, cooler heads and warm, clear facts — from Florida African American Ministers for Parental Choice among others — got Fifth Third to reverse its decision and continue to fund the program.  Another encouraging sign of increased visibility by minority communities in fighting back for education excellence.

LITTLE LOVE IN TENNESSEE. Tennessee’s new education choice program is aimed specifically at helping kids in the state’s two largest counties escape under-performing public schools but that doesn’t keep the status quo from suing to stop the voucher program from helping the kids who need help the most.

CHOCOLATE FOR THE MIND. We’re honored that “Reality Check” with CER Founder & CEO Jeanne Allen and co-host Michael Musante has been named as  one of the best educational podcasts  by San Antonio, TX Charter Moms. As they say, Reality Check “puts issues in their political context and presents a vision of what American schools can become.” Thanks Charter Moms! If you haven’t tuned in lately, take a look at Jeanne and Michael’s recent line-up of impressive guests.

AMORE & INNOVATION IN THE LAND OF VALENTINE. Okay,  admit it, you didn’t know that the original St. Valentine was Italian. Certo, e vero! Learn about the first-ever U.S. Italia Education Innovation Festival April 27 - 29 in Ercolano, Italia.  The conference will have a concentration on innovations and technologies that amplify, engage and educate the world's students in the arts and sciences. You will be treated to exceptional speakers and cutting edge ideas from both countries — not to mention beautiful surroundings and Italian cuisine.  

Love makes the world go round — not in “join hands and sing kumbaya” sense, but in caring for each other, being kind and observing the Golden Rule on a daily basis. We hope that this Valentine’s day is full of this kind of love for you, as well as the requisite supply of sweets.

If you’d like to show us some love,

And please designate The Center for Education Reform as your charity when shopping through  AmazonSmile .

 


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. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

CER Welcomes Bloomberg’s Pro-Charter School Record to Presidential Debate Stage

February 11, 2020 By

Tenure as NYC Mayor saw charter schools grow by over 10 times

February 11, 2020 - WASHINGTON — With former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg expected to join the debate stage next Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, at least one important factor already sets him apart from the rest of the pack: his unabashed support for educational opportunity.

“While nearly every other Democrat running for president has willingly turned their back on charter school students, Mayor Bloomberg deserves credit for holding true to his rock-solid record of supporting charter schools and their transformative success which we have long recognized,” said Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER). “We experienced first-hand the focus he placed on ensuring that great ideas became schools, and great schools grew when he was Mayor.”

Said Bloomberg in 2012: “Parents and students both deserve [options] … and school choice is an important way to hold schools accountable for success because when people vote with their feet, you know that it’s real and it’s pretty obvious which direction they are going.” 

While CER does not endorse candidates for any public office, we will never hesitate to commend leaders who use their power and platforms to defend the right of every parent to determine their child’s education, or conversely criticize them when they do not.

Historically, education opportunity is not a partisan issue. Mayor Bloomberg’s pledge to expand charter schools throughout the nation, coupled with his pro-student record as Mayor of New York, is cause for all who value the right of parents to direct their children’s education to cheer. 

“Rather than jump through hoops to pander to powerful union interests like his rivals are sadly doing, Mayor Bloomberg has designed his education platform to serve students first and foremost,” added Allen. “Even as current Democrat frontrunner Bernie Sanders openly vows to shut down opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students nationwide, it’ll be a relief to see at least one candidate on stage having these children’s backs.”

While the leading Democrats have largely thrown charter school families under the bus, Mayor Bloomberg took time to meet with moms and dads in the Powerful Parent Network last year in Atlanta—and took their voices seriously.

Facts worth celebrating about Mayor Bloomberg’s education record:

  • Over the course of Bloomberg’s 12-year administration, the number of charter schools expanded from 18 schools with 4,442 students to more than 180 schools serving 71,422 kids
  • New York City’s charter schools were made so effective and popular that there are currently more than 50,000 students on a waiting list for charter school seats as parents seek alternatives to low-performing neighborhood public schools
  • Minority students who attended charter schools under Bloomberg’s mayoralty performed better academicallythan their peers at traditional public schools
  • By the time Bloomberg left office, New York City’s high school graduation rate soared by more than 40% to an all-time high of 66%
  • Thanks to his pro-reform policies, the New York City school district received an impressive “A-“ rating in the Brooking Institution’s “Education Choice and Competitive Index”

Mayor Bloomberg is also to be commended for the following remarks he made last summer to the 2019 NAACP National Convention:

Some of the top-performing schools in New York City are public charter schools. Charters around the country often receive less money than traditional public schools, but in New York, at least, they often performed at the very highest levels. And that’s why we created 173 of them, to go along with the hundreds of non-charter public schools we created.

…

In New York, we showed that when charters are granted carefully, and overseen rigorously, the results can be incredibly impressive among millions of kids, giving them the opportunity to succeed in life and pursue their dreams. And that model can work nationally.

Unfortunately, however, the political discussion in America around education has shifted from when President Obama was leading it. Today, most Democrats running for President are avoiding talking about President Obama, and they are also avoiding talking about charter schools, or actually opposing them.

They want to take options away from our kids, and I don’t think we should do that. You can’t let them do that.

So when you hear a candidate talk about education as a civil rights issue, ask yourself: are they speaking hard truths, like President Obama did? Or just politically-convenient truths, like increasing spending?

What others have said:

“Mr. Bloomberg should take pride in his record—and take Mr. de Blasio to task for choosing teachers unions over children by trying to stifle charters. This is the right policy on grounds of opportunity and equity, and it is also good politics. Celebrating charters would distinguish him from Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who are promising to limit charter growth, and would likely help boost his standing with minority voters.” – Wall Street Journal Editorial Board

“Whoever replaces Bloomberg [in 2013] will soon realize that his legacy of data driven decision making and accountability for student achievement is now embedded in the fabric of every school around the city. And that the national discussion around school reform has been elevated thanks to a leader who has not only introduced but implemented rigorous reforms.” – Nina Rees, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

“The results produced by new small high schools and charters reflect the effects of signature education initiatives under Bloomberg. … Taken together these changes are evidence of real progress. The public schools are now like New York: in a hurry, driven, determined to do better.” – Paul T. Hill, Founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education

“Graduation rates climbed by more than 40 percent to historic highs, and dropout rates cratered. Later research would peg some of the increases to Bloomberg’s policy of closing large high schools and opening smaller ones in their place. The charter schools that opened in New York City drove larger learning gains than their district-run counterparts. And in a city that was growing safer and wealthier, families that might have chosen to leave or opt for private schools chose public education instead.” – Chalkbeat

"There are WAY more good choices for families today [2013] than when he first took office." – Joe Williams, Executive Director of Democrats for Education Reform

Further reading:

Bloomberg’s Education Opening | Wall Street Journal Editorial Board

Seven Years of Mayoral Control | Gotham Gazette

Bloomberg education plan to promote charter school expansion | New York Post

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.

Filed Under: Education 2020, Press Releases

Statement on the Trump Administration’s FY21 Budget Proposal

February 11, 2020 By

February 11, 2020 - WASHINGTON — The Center for Education Reform (CER) released the following statement today by founder and CEO Jeanne Allen regarding the proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 released yesterday by the Trump Administration.

“The proposed Education Department budget reflects a misconception of the ‘power’ of local control and the actual manner in which the public charter school grant program operates. It argues that through its move to ‘block grant’ charter school funds alongside many unrelated, supplemental programs that it is returning local control to states.

“There is no question that governors should have control over how education funds are spent in their respective states. But it is state education departments -- often without accountability even under the most progressive of governors -- that control those funds and tend to disseminate them to vested interests over student interests. Giving those institutions block grants for a concept that is designed to bypass layers of bureaucracy just increases their power. Conversely, charter schools value the most local of interest groups -- parents, students, and the educators who sign up to lead them, on contract, and with accountability for results.  

“The charter school program has enjoyed since its inception broad, bipartisan support nationally and in the states. That’s because the program’s funding incentivizes states to apply and create the programs that best meet their needs, but within specific guidelines that require those funds to be spent in the service of expanded charter opportunities for students. Changing that will remove the incentive and thus slow charter expansion.

“Ironically, this same budget proposal creates a new education freedom scholarship which we have applauded, and which is very similar in purpose to the charter grant program, intended to stimulate and foster educational options in states. We urge the Administration to retain the charter school program, which has helped millions of traditionally underserved students achieve great success at the most local of levels.”

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.

Filed Under: Press Releases, Breaking News, Uncategorized

Newswire – February 4, 2020

February 4, 2020 By

STATE OF THE UNION’s BIPARTISAN THEME. Tonight’s State of the Union address by President Donald J. Trump will very likely include more than a passing reference to education reform, as Jeanne shared with the Washington Post the other day, and specifically, the Administration’s effort to enact education freedom scholarships to help low-income students choose the schools they’d prefer to attend outside of their attendance zone. Tonight will not be the first time, nor the last, that a president makes a national pitch for giving parents like Stephanie Davis, one of the president’s guests tonight, more power to direct the education of their children, a right that the U.S. Supreme Court has validated time and time again. From Reagan, to Clinton to Bush to Obama, edreform has always had a bi-partisan appeal. Read CER’s statement here.

CUOMO STEPS UP FOR CHARTERS. Showing once again that support for innovation and opportunity in education is a bi-partisan issue, New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new budget calls for opening 15 more charter schools and that charters would get a boost in funding.  What a breath of fresh air compared to NY City Mayor Bill deBlasio’s “hating” of charters and their supporters. And what great news for the thousands of New York kids trapped in underperforming schools. Mille Grazie Governatore!  Okay — that’s Italian — our way of sneaking in mention of the U.S. Italia Education Innovation Festival.  CER is co-sponsoring this first ever Italian global EdTech event on April 27 - 29. You will be treated to exceptional speakers from both countries — not to mention beautiful surroundings and Italian cuisine.

 
 

SPEAKING OF BIPARTISANSHIP. And we just were — a new survey from the American Federation For Children shows results that may seem shocking to some but are not the least bit surprising to anyone who has followed public opinion on the school choice issue. The survey asked Democrat voters if they would be more likely or less likely to vote for a Presidential candidate in favor of eliminating all federal public charter school funding. 65% of Latino voters, 62% of African American voters and 56% of all Democrat primary voters said "less likely".    56% of all Democrat primary voters said “less likely”. Only 11% of Democrat voters said “more likely”. This and many other surveys with similar results show that Democrat candidates who mindlessly toe the unions’ anti-charter line are tone-deaf to their constituencies and self-destructive to their candidacies.

 

THE TYRANNY OF ZIP CODE. Kids who are stuck in underperforming schools because of their zip codes — often being just a block away from a different zip code with far superior schools — is a recurring theme of ours. A real-life case study from Chicago meticulously documents the absurdity of such situations and how it hurts kids. Spoiler alert:  “We’ve identified many similar school pairs in cities across the U.S.—one elite public school and one failing public school, separated by nothing more than an arbitrary line drawn by a school district bureaucrat.”  In 2020, arbitrary lines drawn by any kind of bureaucrat must not be allowed to keep students from the ability to pursue their education and career path that is best for them. A long read, but a fine explanation of how unfair the tyranny of the zip code really is.

 


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. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

Education Reform a Bipartisan Theme in Past Five President’s State of the Union Addresses

February 4, 2020 By

Tonight’s State of the Union address by President Donald J. Trump will very likely include more than a passing reference to education reform, and specifically, the Administration’s effort to enact education freedom scholarships to help low-income students choose the schools they’d prefer to attend outside of their attendance zone.

Tonight will not be the first time, nor the last, that a president makes a national pitch for giving parents like Stephanie Davis, one of the president’s guests tonight, more power to direct the education of their children, a right that the U.S. Supreme Court has validated time and time again.

It’s not just Republicans, like Ronald Reagan who in 1986 used his address to advocate Congress to support “vouchers that give parents freedom of choice.”

Democratic President Bill Clinton in 2000 asked Congress to for his support to “help us meet our goal of 3,000 charter schools by next year."

In his first address to Congress in 2001, President George W. Bush addressed what to do when schools continue to fail students: "Yet if they don’t, if they continue to fail, we must give parents and students different options: a better public school, a private school, tutoring, or a charter school. In the end, every child in a bad situation must be given a better choice, because when it comes to our children, failure is simply not an option."

In 2007, President Bush suggested, "We can lift student achievement even higher by giving local leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools, and by giving families with children stuck in failing schools the right to choose someplace better." In 2008, he praised the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, a bipartisan program then and now.

In 2009, President Barack Obama proclaimed, "[W]e will expand our commitment to charter schools." Three years later, he embraced the bipartisan nature of education reform by stating: “I'm a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more. That's why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and states.”

Courtesy of the White House

Throughout the country, charter school and education choice laws have always enjoyed bipartisan support. So tonight when President Trump calls on Congress to enact a program to give parents more options and highlights the needs of those like his special guests Stephanie and Janiyah Davis from Philadelphia, remember that this isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last time a president recognizes the depth of need and support for ensuring every child has access to the best education that meets his or her need. The same choice valued in higher education and funded by states and the federal government should finally become the law of the land for every student in America, no matter what their age, and regardless of who calls for it.

 

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.

Filed Under: Press Releases, Uncategorized

Jeanne’s New Book: An Unfinished Journey; Education & The American Dream

January 29, 2020 By

THE PERFECT READ FOR SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK 

Hot off the presses – and we do mean hot as it was published only days ago – comes an important and seminal read, An Unfinished Journey; Education & The American Dream, by CER’s Founder and CEO Jeanne Allen. 

Inspired by love of country, her Italian heritage, and this nation’s ongoing quest to raise its children to aspire and achieve their greatest dreams, Jeanne Allen wrote Unfinished Journey, which uniquely challenges us to think big about the education of our youth. Part-memoir, part-history book, part-character study of education’s major players over the past 25 years, Unfinished Journey will take you from the fragile beginnings of an education movement through its growing pains.
 
The book, which covers students, parents, politics, and culture gives the reader a “you are there” feel for the joys, heartbreaks, wins and losses that fighters for quality education options have experienced.
 
Jeanne’s lifetime of remarkable experience shines through on every page. Readily admitting that her most important work is her family and four children, Jeanne somehow found time in the midst of all this to earn a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Education Entrepreneurship program.
 
With 2020 shaping up to be a year of momentous importance for our nation and its youth, Unfinished Journey couldn’t have come at a better time. As Jeanne writes, “We must not be still or silent when generations are at stake. And education—varied by person, location, needs, skills, and aspirations and not tied to any one approach, system, or agency—is the key.”
 
If you agree, you can’t afford to miss this timely, engaging and important book.
 

Order your copy today on Amazon

 

(and please designate The Center for Education Reform as your charity when shopping through  AmazonSmile)

Filed Under: Commentary, Opinions, Press, News & Analysis, Writings and Musings

Newswire – January 28, 2020

January 28, 2020 By

What’s Inside: Parents - and their power — are front and center as of late, from the august chambers of the Supreme Court to the streets of the Big Easy, and throughout the country this week, with over 50,000 local events for National School Choice Weekbeing held. Catch up on nationwide Parent Power efforts here!

FREE AT LAST?  Just days after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the most important education related court case in 50 years, Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue, was heard in the Supreme Court on January 22nd. Not since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education has a case been so clearly focused on ending discrimination in education. At issue is the rights of parents to direct the education of their children. Learn about it in CER’s "Amicus Brief," or for shorter summaries, check out this edition of "Fox and Friends,"  Time and the Washington Post’s excellent explanation. Or listen to lead plaintiff Kendra Espinoza discuss the stakes and the long journey that brought her to the Supreme Court on Reality Check. There’s just too many sources of information out there for you and everyone you know not to be well schooled about this important case.  Be sure to visit the CER "Blaine on Trial" webpage for all you need to know, leading up to the Justices’ likely decision in June.

PARENTS UNION?  Move over AFT, you just got first your real competitor. The National Parents Union (NPU) (@NationalParents) launched in New Orleans, LA in 2012, a result of “two Latina mothers from opposite sides of the country [who] joined forces to form their own union to disrupt an education agenda they say is pushing out parents like them and, more importantly, leaving behind poor students and students of color.”  We salute these courageous women, Keri Rodrigues and Alma Marquez, who self-funded NPU  for two years before getting their first grant. It will be hard for the unions to make their usual "anti-union" smear stick with NPU, as Rodrigues worked for the Service Employees International Union SEIU, and has the support of its leadership.

JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.  Much of the rest of the education opportunity and choice sectors are making noise this School Choice Week, January 26 to February 1. This year’s celebration will see 25,000 schools involved and an astounding 51,000 independently organized events before the week is over.  For those of you interested in dusting off your dancing shoes, here’s the official school choice week dance tutorial. Hint – you’ll want to limber up first! Visit the Choice Week website above to find events in your area and make a point of attending. You’ll learn — and be inspired — by the energy our movement continues to generate.

DON’T DANCE? LISTEN AND LEARN!  If your twinkle-toes days are past, we have a less stressful exercise. Listen to School Choice Week president and foundation Andrew Campanella, (@andrewrcamp)  (another CER alum!) in Jeanne’s interview with him on Reality Check. Campanella talks about his journey to the choice movement, and why he is optimistic about the future of education in America. He also previews his just published book The School Choice Roadmap - 7 Steps To Finding The Right School For Your Child.

NEW JEWEL IN QUEEN CITY.   From Cincinnati, the Queen City, comes an exciting grace note for School Choice Week.  Seton Education Partners, which seeks to revitalize urban Catholic education, focusing on underserved, largely African-American and Hispanic children, is launching Romero Academy at Resurrection in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood this August.  Best of luck to Seton as they provide more choices- and more quality education-for kids.

CANDIDATES ECHO SOUNDS OF SILENCE...AGAIN.   Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is all over the news for failing to acknowledge an innovative charter school in South Bend, IN, the city Pete lead until just recently.  We suppose his silence is not surprising, given the fear of Pete and most of his fellow candidates of even the slightest deviation from the NEA’s anti-charter song book. South Bend’s parents know the truth however, which is why fully one-third of the city’s students opt out of the city’s public schools, attending either public schools outside South Bend or private schools or charters. Buttigeig knows the advantages that choice provides — he attended a private high school himself. As the Wall Street Journal comments; “Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear a Democratic candidate make the case for a charter school in his hometown that aims to bring similar educational opportunities to the Black and Latino children who don’t enjoy the advantages that he had?” (We’d add, particularly when one of his biggest supporters, Netflix Founder & CEO Reed Hastings, is a dedicated charter school supporter.)

A SWIFT IDEA.  You’d think that after being Governor of Massachusetts you’d want to take some time off and enjoy the remarkable charms of the state’s coast and beaches — true confession, as we do. Not if you’re Jane Swift. Governor Swift sat down with Jeanne Allen in our latest "Reality Check" podcast. Swift is President and Executive Director of LearnLaunch, an edtech innovation hub that connects innovators to emerging trends, and drives the development of high-quality educational opportunities for learners of all ages. The LearnLaunch Across Boundaries Conference, New England’s premier education event, will convene for its 8th annual gathering in Boston on Jan. 30-31. With more than 1,500 in attendance, the program will highlight innovations across the education sector.

ITALY & EdTECH? ANDIAMO! CER is proud to present with Stoà, the most important and historic management school in the South of Italy, The U.S.–Italia Education Innovation Festival, April 27–29, 2020, in Ercolano, Italy, steps from Pompeii and overlooking the Bay of Naples. This will be the first global Ed Tech event in Italy, with a concentration on innovations and technologies that amplify, engage and educate the world’s students in the arts and sciences.  Our focus will be on exploring, uncovering and connecting with technologies and innovative practices already being increasingly applied across the globe to learning, teaching, and in the workforce, bringing us each day more quickly than the last into the 21st Century. Together, we will move from early education, through K–12 and Higher Ed and across the Workforce, breaking up the silos to build continuum of education models that cut through all levels of education, preparing us for work, life and explosive change–across the globe.  Visit our website to learn more and register to attend and gather with the experts, investors, entrepreneurs and start-ups from one of the world’s most beautiful, culturally rich, scientifically pioneering countries in the world.

 
 
 
 


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. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

Today at Scotus

January 22, 2020 By

TODAY'S COVERAGE OF ESPINOZA V. MONTANA DEPT OF REVENUE 

Blaine Amendment on Trial

Special CER News Alert
Dear Friends: As the attorneys for Kendra Espinoza and the other moms were preparing to argue their case before the U.S. Supreme Court today in this landmark case, we and our colleagues around the country were making the case to the American people through media at all levels. We’ve been doing so for months, as without public understanding of the issues at stake-including the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children—even the best outcome for this case will not move the needle of public opinion for the long term. Today we were proud to sit  in the High Court and witness the admirable case made by Institute for Justice attorney Richard Komer on behalf of the plaintiffs.  But Mr. Komer was barely able to finish his opening 10 minutes when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg began what would become a barrage of questions from  her and the like minded justices about whether the case even had standing, and unbelievably questioning whether there was any harm whatsoever when the Montana scholarship program ceased operating. This defense of religious discrimination  was met with equal resistance by Justices Alito and Kavanaugh who questioned why the attorney for the state would argue that there was no discrimination when the whole reason for throwing out the program was  because some parents were choosing religious schools. Frankly, the State of Montana had no good answer to that. The arguments were a reflection of the same debates we have daily—why does the education  system exist? If the answer is to serve parents and their kids there must be opportunities for them to make decisions about how and where they are educated, with monies following the students. We’ll know later this year what the Court believes. We make no predictions—but left the hearing cautiously optimistic.
  Follow our statement on today’s hearing, along with coverage from today’s Fox & Friends where Jeanne Allen argued the interest of the parent should be paramount — always.
  Please read more about the arguments in the Scotus Blog. And don’t  forget to check out staging.edreform.com/Blaine to learn more about what this is all about, and see the latest reactions from today’s hearing from folks on both sides of the issue.
We’ll be back next week with regularly scheduled programming!

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.

Filed Under: Commentary, Opinions, CER in the News, News Clips, News & Analysis, Breaking News
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »