Archive for the ‘DFER’ category

DFER Fundraiser for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

June 5th, 2009

Democrats for Education Reform is hosting a low-dollar fundraiser ($25/person) for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) this Tuesday, June 9th, from 6 to 8 pm at the Capitol City Brewery in Washington, DC. You can register by clicking here.

Senator Bennet came to his new position from the Superintendency of Denver Public Schools, where his record was extraordinary. He instituted one of the most innovative merit pay systems in the country (with the teachers union members’ support) which pays high-performing teachers and those who teach in high-need schools more. He hit the pavement to bring students back into the system, while closing failing schools so that those students would return to a renewed system. During his tenure at DPS, he advised then-candidate Obama on education issues and was a short-list candidate for Secretary of Education.

He is already a crucial part of the discussion in the Senate and within the Democratic Party about what meaningful education reform will look like. Here’s what the Denver Post had to say: “U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet staked out his claim to help shape national education reform … announcing in his maiden speech on the Senate floor that he would draw up comprehensive legislation by year end. The bill could include some of the most critical elements of a national reform agenda supported by the Obama administration and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: merit pay for teachers, voluntary national standards, and evaluations of students’ performance as they advance from grade to grade, known as longitudinal tracking.”

We’d like every stripe of education reform advocate to meet this rising star in the Democratic Party, so I hope you’ll join us on Tuesday at the Capitol City Brewery!

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Posted in DFER, Edreform, Education, senate

Happy Hour with Michelle Rhee in DC

May 6th, 2009

By Camilo Acosta

I’d like to invite everyone in the DC area to join Democrats for Education Reform in a happy hour fundraiser THIS Friday to honor Michelle Rhee and her staff. Rhee will be there with her staff to meet and greet everyone who supports her efforts to overhaul the status quo of the DC public school system. As many of you know, the DC public school system trails the nation in just about every measurable standard, yet has some of the highest per pupil spending in the country (~$13K/student). We are excited to finally have someone like Rhee who is standing up to the entrenched special interests that have resisted reform for so long. Here are the event details:

May 8th, from 6 to 8 PM
Local 16 (corner of U and 16 Streets, NW)
$15 per person

Space is running out but you can guarantee entry by buying your ticket here: http://www.dfer.org/events/RheeinDC

We’re also planning an event in June with Senator Bennett, Colorado’s freshman Senator who is leading the charge for education reform in the Senate, so check back soon for more information about that.

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Posted in Achievement Gap, Camilo Acosta, DC, DFER, Michelle Rhee

Meet Camilo Acosta

May 6th, 2009

Read all posts by Camilo

Camilo Acosta is a proud DC native and Internet technology entrepreneur. He has been interested in education reform since first learning about it in college and currently helps Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) with fundraising. The rare times he is not working on his Internet startup he is sleeping, laughing with friends, or traveling somewhere in the world. He has lived in Russia, Japan, France, and South Africa, and visited many others, though the African continent takes the cake as his favorite. He also maintains a second home base in Colombia, where his family is originally from.

Camilo is a big fan of non-political-correct-ness, attempts to change the world, country music, and his yellow lab Bentley. Prior to starting his own business, Camilo did stints at his family’s government communications company (http://www.themedianetwork.com/), the Corporate Executive Board, and New Vantage Group (venture capital). He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Sidwell Friends School Alumni Association as well as the Steering Committee of The Washington Ballet’s Jete Society.

Camilo was a Politics major at Princeton University, where his studies focused on education policy, and is a graduate of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Posted in DFER, Princeton, Sidwell

Dems For Ed Reform Board Member To Be Named Obama’s ‘Border Czar’

April 15th, 2009

From the DFER Press Release:

Alan Bersin, a member of the DFER’s Board of Directors, today will be named to direct the Obama administration’s policy on illegal immigration and drug-related violence along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Bersin, the former superintendent of the San Diego City Schools and former California Secretary of Education, served in a similar “border czar” capacity in the U.S. Justice Department under President Clinton. The role today falls under the Department of Homeland Security.

“Alan is a lifelong Democrat whose family didn’t even consider crossing Al Shanker’s picket lines back when he was growing up in Brooklyn. He nonetheless led the way as one of the nation’s first ‘non-traditional’ big city school leaders in illustrating the significant rift within the Democratic Party on the issue of education reform,” said Joe Williams, DFER executive director. “He took a lot of hits for pointing out what should have been obvious, but he helped lead the way for the kind of thoughtful, progressive work that many Democrats are doing in education today.”

Bersin has served on DFER’s board since its formal launch in 2007.

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates on all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.

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Posted in Alan Bersin, Barack Obama, California, Chad Ratliff, DFER

A Quick Peek at Virginia Governor Hopefuls on School Policy

March 15th, 2009

Following President Obama’s recent speech on education reform, Republicans are scrambling to join-hands-and-sing-praises of peace and bipartisanship while an expanding splinter movement among Democrats has shaken party unity. Popular Senator Mark Warner was one of only two Dems voting keep the DC School Choice program alive. His protégé, current Virginia Governor and next DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, was once on Obama’s short list for Secretary of Education. Toss in a heating Democratic primary race between Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran, and Creigh Deeds, and—given the next Governor’s potential influence on federal level education policy—you have an exciting race that will have edupolicy wonks across the country tuning in.

Let’s get the party started by reading what each campaign’s website has to say about education. Simply click on the link to go find your way to Edutopia…

TerryMcAuliffe, Brian Moran, CreighDeeds

Not much to see here, Folks…stick around. The Dems are just getting cranked up. The GOP’s lone-ranger, however, recently went from parking brake to hammer-down…

Bob McDonnell

The Presumptive Republican nominee’s website reads:

“Bob McDonnell will spend 2009 rolling out exciting new policy proposals that are innovative and solve the problems facing Virginia citizens. From transportation to education to health care, Bob McDonnell will build on his record of results with a positive vision for the future. Please keep checking back here for the official policy rollouts from the campaign this coming spring and summer.”

Despite the lack of specifics on his campaign site, McDonnell wasted no time outlining his ideas of education policy with the following statement released after the Obama speech:

“I applaud President Obama for his leadership in lending his support to timely education innovations such as performance pay for teachers, and increased student access to charter schools. He is right to support efforts to reward excellent teachers and allow parents and students reasonable alternatives in their educational development. As this campaign moves forward I look forward to introducing innovative education policy ideas in the near future. I will be focused on supporting parents and students, recognizing excellent teachers, equipping principals with the tools they need, improving financial accountability, getting more resources into the classroom, and making charter schools more accessible for Virginia’s children. I thank President Obama for moving the public education debate forward with his willingness to look at new ideas. I agree with the President that it is time to find new ways to bring greater choice and accountability into our public education system.”

Pretty clear that Bob is not courting the VEA with this statement. However, I know a few moderate Dems in the education circles who will swing to the right based on school reform and education equality. These are real issues, growing more divisive with every election. Democrats had better pay attention.

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Posted in Barack Obama, Bob McDonnell, Brian Moran, Chad Ratliff, Charter Schools, Creigh Deeds, DFER, EEP, Governor's Race, Terry McAuliffe, Virginia