February 16, 2018
Today, the Center for Education Reform released the first in a series of reports exploring the case for a true transformation in education — and how to make it happen.
The Case for Education Transformation, Part 1: The Disappointing Reality of American Education
February 16, 2018 By
Loving the Work and Those We Serve
February 14, 2018 By
February 14, 2018
Dear Friends,
We began 2018 hopeful that real substantive changes to education policy and practice will again come to our schools and children this year. We renewed our focus on ensuring that America is prepared to deliver on its promise of opportunity so that every child — and learners at all levels, especially the underprivileged and those in greatest need — have access to every innovation and opportunity they need to set them up to become truly global citizens, and to be ready for anything they decide to take on in the future!
To that end, CER is actively building bridges across industries not typically connected in our space — EdReform to EdTech, to Higher Ed, to business, to workforce and apprenticeship advocates, to community development actors to entrepreneurs at every level.
Each of these actors share our commitment to ensuring that advanced solutions in learning — like personalized learning — and breakthrough products and companies are deployed to enrich education and transform classrooms for the future, lifelong learning to help people accomplish their dreams and find meaningful work and careers. To do that, though, it takes significant policy changes, and shifting the focus of how we spend tax dollars, from programs that long have outlived their usefulness to the best innovations that public-private partnerships can bring.
So, while we know that Valentine’s Day is no time for resolutions, we are so full of love for the work and those we serve that we are recommitting today to getting it all done, no matter what it takes, and invite you to help us make it happen. Here are just a few of the sweet pursuits we’ve undertaken:
Charter Laws
End Inequity, Insist on Independent Multiple Authorizers and Ensure a Wide Berth for Innovation
Parent Power!
Increase Availability of Education Data to Families; Institutionalize a Parent’s Right to a Choice in Their Child’s Education Across the Country
Education, Workforce and Apprenticeship Tax-Credit Scholarships
Establish a New Federal Initiative
Infrastructure
Fix the Schools Can Restore the Main Streets of America; Drive Digitally Powered Solutions Through New Spending
Unions and the Ed Establishment
Expose Collective Bargaining Practices; Inform the Teaching Profession
Rural America
Demonstrate How Increased Options From Pre-K Through Higher Ed Can Save These Fragile Communities
It’s a joy to be able to say not only “Happy Valentine’s Day!” but also “Thank you for showing all kids the love they need to be successful.” Donate now so we can translate that love into action.
Voices of Color, Voices for Opportunity: CER Response to NAACP Call for Moratorium on New Charter Schools
February 14, 2018 By
(WASHINGTON, D.C. February 14, 2018) – In 2017, the Center for Education Reform mounted an aggressive response to the deeply troubling debate over the future of charter schools. Even as charter schools continue to flourish and provide real education opportunity for students and families, leaders of the status quo launched a multi-pronged coordinated campaign to discredit charters by charging that the charter school and education reform movements were based on racism and intended to segregate America’s schools.
In July, the NAACP released a report calling for a moratorium on the expansion of new charter schools and organized a state-by-state lobbying strategy to limit charters.
This stand, essentially, backed the teachers’ union charge that charters were not part of a solution to the poor quality of education in many communities of color, but were, in fact a threat to those communities. It also served to reinforce the explosive charge made by American Federation of Teachers president, Randi Weingarten, that education reform parents and advocates were racists akin to the southern segregationists of the past, whose real goal was to re-segregate American education system.
Later, in October, came a “documentary” entitled “Backpack Full of Cash” – a Hollywood production, featuring box-office draw Matt Damon – that purported to show how charter schools in Philadelphia were victimizing families of color in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Center for Education Reform responded is swift and equal measure, launching its “Voices of Color, Voices for Opportunity” initiative which created a platform for African-American leaders to speak up, be heard and provide a counter-balance to the anti-charter campaign; and challenge Weingarten’s slur and the hypocrisy of the Backpack film.
Today CER releases a Voices of Color, Voices for Opportunity Report which documents its multi-channel response through placements, interviews and articles in major media outlets, social media and distribution through CER’s communications networks which reached millions of individuals, garnering millions more impressions.
ABOUT CENTER FOR EDUCATION REFORM
Since 1993, CER has been dedicated to expanding education opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans, particularly our youth, ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
Newswire – February 13, 2018
February 13, 2018 By
Much Ado About Nothing? …
“Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?”
Much of the education world has Shakespeare’s February Face today as a result of the proposed federal budget released yesterday by the Trump Administration. Nary a constituency was spared, netting scorn and fury from most, save for the educational choice community, buoyed by news of a potential pilot project that would allow up to 50 school districts to consolidate federal, state and local education funding into one pot that would be allocated based on students’ needs. Says American Federation for Children leadership of the proposal, “The President’s second budget proposal once again shows a commitment to expanding school choice in America and putting more decision-making power into the hands of families.” Funds for teacher development, early childhood and career and technical education lose, while support for new charter schools and promoting innovation win. But the frost, storm and cloudiness is misplaced. First, it’s a proposal, just like last year’s and there is still much to be done. Second, even if the budget was enacted as it is, would it really have an impact on great education?
STATES ARE GROUND ZERO. As the nation’s governors prepare to convene in Washington together and then separately by partisan groups, we remind our colleagues who are wringing their hands that opportunity and innovation is most likely to occur in states, with or without federal stimulus funds or support. Personalized learning started in reformist districts and schools without DC’s intervention; Capitol Hill is inconsequential to great boot camps and training programs like General Assembly; federal vocational education programs subsidize the very same system that has failed the traditional public ed track students; and states with early childhood education are more innovative because they aren’t heavily dependent on federal funds.
CONSIDER, INSTEAD… of crying wolf to Congress on what you may or may not lose this time around (yes, and that includes you, charter start-up fund fans), why not demonstrate that no matter what fate befalls Washington, you can handle the challenges and opportunities of learners at all levels. Innovators should show up and share their unique approaches and why (or why not) federal action can help. As Ed Week offers, “If history’s any guide, it won’t go anywhere in Congress, where lawmakers are not in the habit of just rubber-stamping presidents’ spending plans.”
WHO WE’D LIKE TO SEE ON CAPITOL HILL. Rather than the same old faces, and in akin to the “here’s who we’d like to see in the president’s box at the state of the union” Here’s a handy dandy list of those we’d most like to see sharing their stories on Capitol Hill:
- Stig Legsley, CEO of The Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education, Inc. and The Match Foundation, Inc. With the skyrocketing costs of college, uneven quality, and 50 percent completion rates, Match Charter Schools opened its own college and jobs program entitled, Match Beyond in 2013.
- Kelly Young is the Executive Director of Education Reimagined, a community dedicated to accelerating the growth and impact of the learner-centered education movement in the United States.
- Deborah Kenny is CEO of Harlem Village Academies, a network of charter schools in Harlem, New York. The network created a graduate school of education, the Progressive Education Institute, in which students learn though immersion in effective progressive classrooms embedded within the K-12 schools.
- Michael Sorrell is the President of Paul Quinn College, the country’s only urban Work College, the first work college in Texas, and the first Minority Serving Institution in the Work College Consortium.
- Jake Schwartz is the Co-Founder and CEO of General Assembly, a global computer programing boot camp organization. With 20 campuses, 10,000+ hiring partners, and 40,000+ full- and part-time course grads, General Assembly helps students and professionals learn today’s most sought-after skills.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Roughly 22 percent of Americans – more than 191 adults – can’t read at a basic level.
- On average, higher-income students in the U.S. achieve the equivalent of six years of learning more than their lower-income peers on standardized tests of reading achievement.
Data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics as part of a new CER paper, The Case For Education Transformation, Part I: The Disappointing Reality of American Education.
IN THE NEWS
- As part of a plan to transform Puerto Rico’s education system, Governor Ricard Rossello recently announced that he will push to create charter schools and vouchers, and give all public school teachers their first raise in a decade.
TELL US YOUR STORY!
Families all over the country have school choice stories to tell. Send us yours!
Newswire – February 6, 2018
February 6, 2018 By
SPOTLIGHT ON… EdTech in 2018
The Future of Education. If you haven’t read EDTECH Digest’s “State of EdTech 2017-2018: The Minds Behind What’s Now & What’s Next” you owe it to yourself to set aside some time to do so. The editor’s letter that begins the report, “A message from the future” sets the stage quite nicely:
“The future ain’t what it used to be! Goodbye 2017, hello 2018! The learning landscape is shifting. The seismic activity isn’t a mystery. There are obvious recent forces at work—sure, technology, but people are making it happen…and we’re excited to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate the innovators, leaders and trendsetters who are shaking things up, making things move, and creating a future worth living in. To care deeply about others—that human element to edtech — is just a hint of things to come. There’s much more to learn as the year unfolds!”
The report contains a ton of data and provides some incredible analysis and insight into the where we are and where we’re going. The numbers themselves are fascinating: The education market is undergoing a massive digital revolution that is impacting 1.5 billion learners worldwide. The value of the global education market is estimated at nearly $7 trillion (with global adoption of edtech still on the rise). And in 2017 alone, $3.48 billion in venture capital was invested in edtech. At more than 80 million-plus, Millennials (the generation born between 1980-1999 and today, age 19-38) are the largest, and likely the most studied, cohort in history. A wired, connected world is all Millennials have ever known.
Leading the EdTech Pack. The annual Top Influencers in edtech is out. CER’s founder and CEO Jeanne Allen was named in this year’s top 100! We congratulate all the leaders, innovators, catalysts and change agents who are making a difference for learners at all levels today. “By their example, by their actions, by what they write, communicate and the products they create—they are more than a social media follower count, they are interacting with those around them, making the world a better place through their work in education technology, and this year, they are all edtech’s top influencers.”
Loving LearnLaunch. “If it’s making waves in edtech, it’s going to be on the agenda at Across Boundaries … the meeting of more than 1,500 educators, education administrators, entrepreneurs, investors, education companies, and technology innovators interested in driving innovation to transform learning and increase achievement using digital technologies.” And innovation central it was! From the incredible insights of Social Impact Investors from New Markets, Lumina and Reach Capital, to the inspiring words of Lindsay Unified’s Tom Rooney and Alt School’s Devin Vodicka about the importance of transforming public education from factory model to personalized (which they have accomplished), the dynamic event was one of the nation’s big highlights in education innovation. Kudos to LearnLaunch Chair Mark Miller of Good Harbor Partners and Co-Founders Jean Hammond for helping for accelerating education innovation.
DID YOU KNOW?
✔ Virtual reality is not just fun and games? 85% of teachers believe virtual reality will have a positive impact on their students.
✔ Speaking of games – 66% of teachers use games and simulations to help with learning.
✔ 37% of teachers include student-produced video content to create a more interactive learning experience.
IN THE NEWS
✔ Check out a boot camp like none other: Learn from the best in the business on Selling into the US Education Marketplace – Monday February 26.
✔ American Federation for Children’s new School Choice Yearbook is now available. Order your copy today or get the data you need fast with a new interactive map on their site.
✔ Don’t miss the latest Reality Check with @Jeanne Allen available Monday. This week’s podcast features entrepreneur, investor, scholar, economist @CarlSchramm, discussing his new book Burn the Business Plan.
TELL US YOUR STORY!
Families all over the country have school choice stories to tell. Send us yours!
Newswire – January 30, 2018
January 30, 2018 By
SPOTLIGHT ON… THE STATE OF THE UNION
What We Can Expect. Will the State of the Union address include the state of the union’s education? We should hope so! And we urge the president to use his office and his bully pulpit to make the inextricable link between the most important precondition for success for all Americans — individually and as a nation — education. All indications point toward an emphasis on immigration, the economy, tax reform, infrastructure and national security, using the theme, as one administration official put it, “Building a safe, strong and proud America.”
That strength, as we all know, requires a strong, unequivocal commitment to education opportunity and innovation. “There is only one issue that unites all the rest – education,” said Jeanne Allen, CER’s founder and CEO. “Helping all our people accumulate the broad knowledge and foundation for educational advancement in myriad ways is a precondition for our economic success.”
What We Need to Hear. Making America’s education great again must be a priority! And voters agree. According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, most voters – 75% — want to hear the president talk about improving the education system.
For Your Reference. Thirty-five years ago, the seminal report, A Nation at Risk, demonstrated the integral connection between strong education and a strong nation:
“If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves … We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament.”
A year ago, the president celebrated the accomplishments and school choice success story of Denisha Merriweather (recipient of Florida’s tax-credit scholarship), who’s now an official with the Department of Education. Fantastic! There are more success stories to tell and more work to do. So, watch tonight and hold the president accountable! Engage and share your comments and ours. Jeanne Allen will be live-tweeting; follow her @JeanneAllen.
DID YOU KNOW?
✔ There’s a shocking gap between our Global Competitiveness ranking overall and where we rank in education?
✔ The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index for 2017-2018 ranks the United States as the 2nd out of 137 countries. Yet compared with other top-ranked countries, the US performs poorly in health and primary education, coming in 29th.
✔ It’s clear that the US can’t spend its way out of inequity. The US spends more per pupil (28% more) than most OECD countries: $11,800 per pupil, on average, compared to $9,200 in other OECD countries. Countries where students consistently outperform their peers on math and reading tests, such as Finland and Japan, spend less than $10,000 per pupil.
✔ Find out more in an upcoming CER report: “The Case for an Education Revolution.”
IN THE NEWS
✔ In less than a month, the Supreme Court will hear final oral arguments in Janus v. AFSCME. This case could have a huge impact on public workers, and that means teachers. And by “huge impact,” we mean a positive impact. A verdict in favor of Janus would overturn a 1977 ruling that extracting compulsory union “agency fees” from public employees does not violate their First Amendment rights if the fees don’t finance political activities. Newswire is your source for updates on this case and its impact on education.
✔ More voices speak out for our students and empowering individuals and communities. As part of our continuing “Voices of Color, Voices for Opportunity” series, an op-ed by Senator Anthony Williams, David Hardy and Sharif El-Mekki appeared in today’s RealClearEducation.
✔ And, as we say farewell to National School Choice Week 2018, remember that every week is school choice week. Choice is just the beginning, and being the loudest parent for all kids is a good thing. Read more by parent Reggie Barbour.
TELL US YOUR STORY!
Families all over the country have school choice stories to tell. Send us yours!
CER Urges: State of the Union Address Must Build a Bridge Between Education, National Security and Economic Prosperity
January 29, 2018 By
Center for Education Reform CEO and its Directors Available for Comment on the SOTU
The Center for Education Reform is urging the 45th president of the US to use his office and his bully pulpit to make the inextricable link between the most important pre-condition for success for all Americans – individually and as a nation; Education.
“There is only one issue that unites all the rest – education. Helping all of our people accumulate the broad knowledge and foundation for educational advancement in myriad ways is a pre-condition for our economic success,” said Jeanne Allen, CER Founder and CEO.
Allen, one of the nation’s most trusted thought leaders, along with CER’s Board of Directors, are available to provide objective commentary on the State of the Union Address, where President Trump is expected to emphasize immigration, the economy and foreign affairs, all issues where education plays a vital role in the nation’s improvement and advances. The latest Morning Consult/POLITICO poll finds most voters – 75% – want to hear POTUS talk about improving the education system.
As the seminal Nation at Risk report declared 35 years ago this April, demonstrating the integral connection between strong education and a strong nation:
“If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. … We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament.”
Since 1993, CER has been the leading voice for opportunity and innovation in US education. Its mission is to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
Allen will be live-tweeting the president’s speech. Follow her @JeanneAllen
Newswire – January 23, 2018
January 23, 2018 By
SPOTLIGHT ON…National School Choice Week
WHAT IS IT? A national happening with events being held everywhere from the White House to your house… It’s a cultural shift… The concept of school choice (better and more effectively known aseducation opportunity )has moved from being simply an idea (dismissed by the establishment) to a cause (derided by the status quo) to a growing reality (decried by unions and bureaucrats), to a dominating philosophy that is reshaping education in America ( much to the on-going anger and indignation of the power elite)… The obstacles and objections range from annoying to outrageous. Annoying in the paternalistic eye-rolling and rejection of parental demands by the we-know-best establishment . Outrageous in the billions of dollars spent propping up failed systems at the expense of expanding opportunities and options, and in the hundreds-of-millions spent on lobbying and political action to stifle reform and preserve the status quo—with a thousand battles, large and small, waged –and still being fought– in between.
CHOICE IS WINNING. Parents and children are claiming rights that should have been theirs from the beginning. Another point: NSCW is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and independent (now how many things can you say that about?!) … Having started small in 2011 with 150 events, National School Choice Week is now a huge occasion, with an estimated 6.7 million people expected to celebrate the week at 32,000 events around the country to raise public awareness of all the different K-12 education options available to children and families and why.
DON’T BELIEVE IT? LOOK HERE. No matter who …or where… from urban to rural America, across political, racial and socioeconomic lines – support for new opportunities and new schools of choice for children and families nationwide, is irrefutable. Listen to the voices of visionary students, parents, school leaders and lawmakers on thisspecial edition of Reality Check with Jeanne Allen, and follow the campaign featuring interviews, event coverage and school presentations , available now at www.staging.edreform.com , onFacebook , and via Twitter @edreform . Watch charter school teacher and student-produced content from classrooms around the country. Featured schools, to name just a few, include Inlet Grove Community Academy, Purpose Preparatory Academy, Southland College Prep and STRIVE Prep SMART Academy.
READ VOICES OF COLOR, Voices for Opportunity. Published in newspapers nationwide, the testimony of national, state and local leaders is concrete evidence of the widespread and diverse perspectives for educational choice that exist all over the country.
Did You Know?
Schools are not working for most students, and that to succeed in life they need expanded educational opportunities – driven by innovation, freedom and flexibility – that will lead to improved economic outcomes and bring the American Dream within the reach of all. That’s why polls like this one from the AFC show dramatic support for educational choice.
In the News… and what’s coming up in education innovation and opportunity
- EduCon 2018 January 26 – 28, 2018 – Philadelphia
- EduCon is both a conversation and a conference. It is an innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.
- LearnLaunch Institute’s 2018 Conference February 1-2, 2018 – Boston
- Across Boundaries conference brings together a community that wants to transform learning and increase achievement through the use of digital technologies.
Tell Us Your Story! Families all over the country have school choice stories to tell. Send us yours!
Here’s what families told the Foundation in Excellence in Education. These come to us courtesy the 74 and ExcelinEd CEO Patricia Levesque.
BREAKING: Special National School Choice Week Podcast features Schools, Members of Congress and Ed Secretary
January 22, 2018 By
REALITY CHECK shows growing impact of and support for education choice
Washington, DC January 22, 2018 – In honor of National School Choice Week, the nation’s most trusted leader in advancing education opportunity and innovation will salute the tens of thousands of parents, schools and advocates making a difference in education outcomes for all learners with special audio and video releases detailing the breadth and depth of support for ending inequitable education by zip code.
CER highlights voices of visionary students, parents, school leaders and lawmakers who have helped carry their demands to national prominence and some of today’s most powerful ambassadors for education opportunity and innovation – students, parents and teachers. This multiplatform campaign is available on CER’s website www.staging.edreform.com, Facebook and Twitter @edreform – featuring interviews, event coverage and school presentations.
- One-Hour Special Edition Podcast Reality Check with Jeanne Allen – CER Founder and CEO Jeanne Allen speaks with African-American leaders Johnny C. Taylor (Thurgood Marshall College Fund Board) and Sylvia P. Simms (former Philadelphia SRC member). The podcast also features Sen. Ted Cruz, Cong. Virginia Foxx, Luke Messer and Paul Mitchell, and graduates of choice programs Denisha Merriweather and Walter Banks. Also hear an exclusive interview with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and many others.
- Social Media Video Campaign highlights charter schools in action with teacher/student produced content from schools in Florida, Tennessee and around the country. Just a few of the schools featured are Inlet Grove, Purpose Preparatory Academy, Southland College Prep and STRIVE Prep SMART Academy.
- In their own words – Prominent leaders of color speak out on behalf of children of color through CER’s Voices for Opportunity media campaign. Published in newspapers nationwide, the testimony of these national, state and local leaders is concrete evidence of the widespread and diverse perspectives for educational choice that exist all over the country, support borne out by polls like this one from the AFC
“No matter who you talk to, and where you go, from urban to rural America, across typical political, racial and socioeconomic lines, support for new opportunities, new schools of choice to support children and families nationwide, is irrefutable,” said Jeanne Allen, CER’s Founder and CEO. “America knows schools are not working for most students, and that revolutionary change is needed now.”
This special multimedia campaign reflects CER’s mission to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans, particularly our youth, ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
BREAKING: Education Community in Unison: Expand Opportunity
January 22, 2018 By
School Choice Week exclusive demonstrates widespread + growing support for education opportunity expanded to all in need.
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