Holding our leaders accountable
for improving education
CER’s “Education 2020” clearing house is dedicated
to ensuring that the nominees put parents and children first.
Education is the pathway to the American Dream. Done right, it provides all students with an equal opportunity to participate in the future. The President of the United States can use the office to raise public awareness of the shocking educational failure of a majority of US students on basic education. S/He can elevate the discussion of what it takes to spearhead bold and innovative policies. Whether it was President Kennedy’s call for a new emphasis on education to counter the Russian’s technological advances during the “Space Race”, A Nation At Risk during the Reagan Administration or President Clinton’s embrace of educational opportunity through charter schools, each President can set a dynamic, bi-partisan and forward looking vision for how America provides for and what it expects from policies and the people educating our youth.
It starts with two major engines that drive progress in every other endeavor – access to innovation and the provision of opportunity to take advantage of it. It is critical that the individual who occupies the highest office in the land understand the many different facets of education innovation and opportunity. The world has advanced considerably since the time of the little red school house. From how the brain works, to new understanding of how different children learn, to the role of technology – what we know now must transform how we do education today.
No matter what form it takes, these are the fundamental issues that CER believes make up the philosophical bedrock on which a President must stand. Regardless of the idea or program proposal, it must have at its core the understanding that every student, at every level, needs access to education opportunities – both public and private – that do not confine students to schools in their zip code and that address the needs of students at all levels and that harness the power of innovation to accelerate learning for all.
The next President must also advocate for the development of policies that expand the teacher workforce with the same entrepreneurial approaches that have transformed work in all other sectors, raising the bar on performance and ensuring that pay is differentiated by the variety and quality of work that is performed by those in the education profession.
These are the issues that are front and center with American families. We know, because we listen to the voices that reach out to us from districts, counties, towns, and states across the country daily.
This page is dedicated to ensuring that any candidate hears and acts upon those same voices for the benefit of all families and children seeking the chance to participate in the future.
BREAKING NEWS
RESOURCE
PARENT POWER INDEX
Make sure ALL Candidates support parents and giving them the Power they need to help their kids.
NEWS & COMMENTARY
PRESS RELEASE
CHALLENGE CANDIDATE FORUMS
Issue a strong message to the Democratic candidates ignoring parental demands
PARENT POWER
#WHATABOUTUS
Read about how Democratic candidates asked to listen to voices of stuggling parents
call to action
PARENTS RALLY IN South Carolina
Activists and Parents marching to South Carolina make their views known
OPINION
DON’T FIGHT WITH CHARTER SCHOOLS, LEARN FROM THEM
Let’s state the obvious truth: our nation’s education system is shockingly failing most students and teachers.
OPINION
SOUNDS OF SILENCE: EDUCATION IN THE 2020 RACE
Doesn’t education deserve more than 2% of the attention?
LATEST NEWS
EDUCATING THE CANDIDATES
Follow the dialogue of the growing and influential chorus of ordinary citizens about the struggle to make education opportunity the most important issue for 2020.
RESEARCH & RESOURCES
RESEARCH
K-12 FACTS
The U.S. spends more per student than other countries on education, but that spending does not translate into better performance.
RESOURCE
Voices of Color, Voices for Opportunity
A series of opinions by African-American leaders engaged in the battle for educational opportunity in their communities.
RESOURCE
FREEDOM COALITION FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS
Sending a strong message to those who oppose Charter Schools. Fighting PROUDLY for our black and brown students.
RESOURCE
THE FUTURE OF SCHOOL
An extension of the CER ACTION Series, virtual conferences addressing the most critical challenges—and opportunities—created by the Coronavirus pandemic.