In January 2009, five education reform advocates came together to present Mandate for Change, a five-part recommendation to fix what they believe is the biggest problem in the US today – public education. The education issues highlighted in this book — federal accountability, transparency, charter schools, choice and teacher quality — are as relevant now as they were when President Obama first took office, and are still relevant as new leaders prepare to enter the White House.
We asked five nationally respected authorities to draw on their own personal expertise after working for decades in education, and offer recommendations on what needs to be done to fundamentally improve education in this country. The writings and advice presented in these essays are evergreen for any government leader or policy maker, now and in the future. Mandate is a call to action – and we must begin to act now.
Richard Whitmire, a veteran newspaper reporter and former editorial writer at USA Today, is the author of the just-published The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst School District. He is also the author of Why Boys Fail, which explores why boys are falling behind in K-12 schools. He writes the Why Boys Fail blog for Education Week and comments on urban school reform issues atthebeeeater.com.
Jeanne Allen is the founder and president of CER, the leading voice and advocate for lasting, substantive and structural education reform in the US. She is recognized as one of the country’s leading education experts and appears frequently on national television and radio programs.
Kevin P. Chavous is a partner at law firm SNR Denton LLP. He is a former member of the DC Council and continues his efforts to bring quality school choice to students by speaking across the country. Kevin is Chairman of Black Alliance for Educational Options. He is co-founder and chair of Democrats for Education Reform.
John M. Engler is president of the Business Roundtable and a former three-term Michigan Governor. As governor, Engler was committed to improving education, focusing on high standards, more accountability and strengthening local control.
Juan Williams serves as a Fox News political analyst, a regular panelist on Fox News Sunday, and as a regular substitute host for The O’Reilly Factor. In addition to prize-winning columns and editorial writing for The Washington Post, he has also authored six books.
Edited by Samuel Casey Carter
Samuel Casey Carter has been a leader in educational change and culture for more than twenty years, having managed some of the world’s leading education companies. As Senior Fellow with the Center for Education Reform, he advised the President on organizational matters and was commissioned to write On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character. Carter also penned the book, No Excuses: Lessons from 21 High-Performing, High-PovertySchools.