At a major EdReform.com event, former U.S. Education Secretary, once CER board member and now radio personality William J. Bennett asked the big question that’s at the heart of what we do every day:
“WHO GETS TO TEACH THE CHILDREN AND WHAT DO WE TEACH THEM?”(Plato)
The answer might seem complicated to many but for us it’s fairly straightforward – The “who” is those schools and educators to whom the parents entrust their children. As for what we teach them, we share the philosophy of most reformers that the content should be deep, rich and rigorous.
For twenty-two years, The Center for Education Reform has championed policies that allow for parents to direct the education of their children, and for content and standards that represent the bedrock principles of our democracy. How we get them, who tests them, who holds them to account and many more related issues are often controversial. We believe it’s okay to have controversial debates when we are dealing with education. And we know that when we empower parents, communities and educators with the freedom to innovate and the choice to engage together, substantive educational outcomes occur.
As the Founder and President-Emeritus of the Center, I’m enormously proud of the education reform movement and its success all these years in ensuring that collectively we keep our eyes on the most promising and important work we can do to ensure great education for children. Organizations such as Students First, American Federation for Children, FOCUS, Building Hope, Getting Smart, and literally hundreds of others have kept the nation’s attention focused on the most essential issues.
As we enter another New Year full of promise and hope, we invite you to engage with us in ensuring that the most fundamental questions facing our nation – Who gets to teach the children and what do they teach them? – are answered clearly and forcefully in state halls and communities nationwide.
All the best for a Happy, Healthy and Impactful New Year!