DFER at the Convention

If you want more background on what DFER and others did at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008, here are some links:

 

A) http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/12/year-that-was.html

 

Jay Greene, author of the great book, Education Myths (www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/074254978X/tilsoncapitalpar), listed the rise of education reform in the Democratic Party, "largely thanks to the efforts of Democrats for Education Reform", as one of the "5 most important developments during 2008 that contributed to reform of K-12 education":

Reform ideas, including choice, merit pay, curbing teacher tenure, and promoting alternative certification, are gaining mainstream acceptance in the Democratic Party largely thanks to the efforts of Democrats for Education Reform.  An important indication of this political shift was an event at the Democratic National Convention organized by the Democrats for Education Reform at which an audience of about 500 cheered speakers denouncing the teacher unions and embracing reform ideas. The Democratic supporters of reform largely (but not exclusively) consist of urban minority leaders, including Michelle Rhee, Joel Klein, Adrian Fenty, Cory Booker, Kevin Chavous, Al Sharpton, and Marion Bary.  Go ahead and make all the Sharpton and Bary jokes you like, but this (mostly) minority defection of urban Democrats from union orthodoxy is like a political earthquake that will have important implications for future reform politics.  And it's true that some conservatives have begun backtracking on reform ideas, including Sol Stern, Diane Ravitch, and depending on the day of the week, Checker Finn and Mike Petrilli.  But if the reform movement has traded some conservatives for the new generation of minority Democratic leadership, I think we've come out ahead.

B) "Dems Rally Against Unions!", by Mickey Klaus, Slate: http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/dems-rally-against-unions.html

 

C) Randi's "really pissed": http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/ed-equality-projects-cheap-shot-at.html

 

D) Press release #1: Prominent Education Reformers Call for Longer School Days, Performance-Driven Teacher Pay, Expanded Public School Choice: http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/prominent-education-reformers-call-for.html

 

E) Press release #2: URGING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO VIEW THE NATION'S FAILING SCHOOLS AS A CIVIL RIGHTS CRISIS: http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/urging-democratic-party-to-view-nations.html

 

F) "Providing a World-Class Education 'A Moral Obligation,' Obama Tells Crowd": http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/providing-world-class-education-moral.html

 

G) "DFER's Skybox View of Hillary's Speech": http://edreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/dfers-skybox-view-of-hillarys-speech.html