When the Center for
Education Reform opened its doors in 1993, we recognized that parents all over
America wanted the best education possible for their children. But we also knew
that parents often lacked the information they needed to transform schools
caught in the one-size fits all trap. They wanted information and change, and
they wanted choices.
Throughout the country, parents by the thousands were coming up with new ideas challenging conventional wisdom. But sharing that valuable information from one community to the next was a hit-or-miss proposition. What was needed was a place where people could come to learn from one another -- to give each other encouragement and support.
The Center for Education Reform stepped in to fill that void, and today more children than ever before have a choice. Parents are discovering that they can have an impact. Teachers and schools have better programs to choose from. Stronger standards, more accountability and bigger rewards for success are becoming the norm, rather than the exception.
Throughout the country, the Center is an active broker for these successes, and a leader among countless people who are foremost in the charge to bring about better schools from coast to coast.
As the nerve center for the reform movement, the Center for Education Reform is the first stop for people, groups and policymakers working in education. Our leadership, products and services are widely credited and respected, and we reach out beyond our own borders to people that represent every class, creed and color to galvanize support for our shared reform efforts.
The Center builds the bridge between policy and practice, and shortens the learning curve for anyone interested in bettering the future for their children and their schools.
If you haven't already, we hope you'll join us in this important crusade as we work together with community and state partners nationwide.
Our Children Are Counting on Us.
The quality of education in this country has been slowly eroding for over two decades.
Today, the United States, the most prosperous country in the world, lags significantly behind many developed nations in providing children with the skills and knowledge necessary to prosper in the new century.
All across the country, parents, educators, and community activists are leading the fight to improve the education of our children -- and winning! The Center for Education Reform is playing a crucial role in these victories. We provide reform-minded citizens and legislators with the tools necessary to implement change. And we are the most highly respected and vocal advocate for reform in the fast-growing national dialogue that is reshaping the landscape of American education. From Charter Schools to School Choice, from curriculum reform to increased accountability, CER is at the forefront of education reform in our country. We must all work together to improve our schools. Our children are counting on it.
Link to Education Reform Overview and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about School Reform.
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Building a National Network for Charter Schools.
From the
grassroots to the halls of Congress, CER is a guiding force behind the charter
school movement in America. CER's National Charter School Assistance Center has
become a
primary resource for organizations seeking to establish charter schools in their
communities.
Its activities include:
Link to more on Charter Schools.
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When Schools Fail to Deliver a Quality Education, Parents Should Have the Right to Choose Another -- All Parents!
In communities throughout America, CER's Project School Choice is leading the charge to level the educational playing field. It's an effort that is already making an enormous difference in the lives of thousands of children who otherwise would be mired in the failing public schools. Project School Choice is in the forefront of efforts to shape and implement choice legislation in all 50 states.
Our activities include:
Link to more on School Choice.
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It's the Most Powerful Force in Education Reform.
As individuals, parents wield little power when confronting the education system, but when they stand together, as parents and taxpayers, they become formidable. CER's Parent Power Initiative is about providing parents with the tools and resources they need to come together as a group to create better schools for all children.
Parent Power Initiative activities include:
Link to Parent Power!.
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Creating a Strong Framework of Standards, Curriculum and Accountability.
In order to realize real education reform, we must demand more from our teachers, our administrators and our students. CER provides invaluable reference and research materials on proven educational practices and approaches (many of which were once widely used, but have since been abandoned). The Center also critiques current-day fads in education and provides useful information documenting their shortcomings and failures.
CER also provides:
Link to more on Standards and Curriculum.
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When CER Speaks, People Listen.
Fueling the fire of reform by fostering a national dialogue is an important aspect of CER's work. A respected and vocal advocate for reform in the national, state and local media, CER is in constant communication with activists in all 50 states, a tremendous challenge met in a variety of ways:
Links to:
