Here they are, folks, the “classics” of the reform movement, devoted to the privatization of American public education. The lead event is when Tony Bennett, the ex-Commissioner of Education in Florida, presents an award for education reform to William J. Bennett, the Secretary of Education during the Reagan administration.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2013
Contact: James A. Boyle
571-213-3979
jim@boylepublicaffairs.com
CENTER FOR EDUCATION REFORM GALA ON OCTOBER 9 WILL HONOR SIX ED REFORM “CLASSICS,” INDIVIDUALS– AND FAMILY FOUNDATION– WHO’VE MADE UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO MOVEMENT
William Bennett, Yvonne Chan, Barbara Dreyer, The Gleason Family Foundation (James, Janis and Tracy Gleason), Deborah McGriff and Michael Moe to Receive Awards in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for Education Reform turns 20-years-old this fall and, as part of its Anniversary Celebration, the organization will host “CER at 20,” an October 9th conference and gala in Washington, DC where the group will honor five individuals and one family foundation who have been the “classics” of the education reform movement.
These accomplished people, whose contributions to the enormous progress made on education reform are both unique and path breaking, will be presented EdReformies at the gala that evening by presenters who themselves are leaders in the movement.
The announcement of the EdReformies awards was made by Jeanne Allen, founder and president, CER, who announced in February that she is stepping down from the CER presidency at the end of October to pursue other opportunities advancing the cause of meaningful education reform benefitting all children. Allen will remain a CER Board member and serve as a senior fellow of the organization. Kara Kerwin, currently vice president, external affairs, CER, will assume the role of president, CER, on November 1st.
The EdReformie awardees (and their presenters) are:
WILLIAM J. BENNETT
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, author and radio personality
Presented by Tony Bennett, Florida Commissioner of Education
YVONNE CHAN
Founder and Principal, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, former California State board member and charter school activist
Co-Presented by Building Excellent Schools Fellows Jane Henzerling, founder the Mission Preparatory Charter School, San Francisco, CA and David Singer, Head of School University Prep, Denver, CO
BARBARA DREYER
Co-founder and CEO, Connections Education and pioneer in virtual learning
Presented by Jonathan Hage, President & CEO, Charter Schools USA
JAMES, JANIS AND TRACY GLEASON OF THE GLEASON FAMILY FOUNDATION
Principals of The Gleason Family Foundation, and leaders in the battle for school choice
Presented by Michelle Bernard, Founder & CEO, Bernard Center and noted journalist, columnist and author.
DEBORAH MCGRIFF
Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund, founding member of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, former superintendent, education leader and activist
Presented by Alisha Thomas-Morgan, Georgia House of Representatives
MICHAEL MOE
Co-Founder & Partner, GSV Asset Management, and the leader in making education the prominent factor in business and financial sectors
Presented by Michael Horn, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation
“Each of these awardees has made an incredible contribution to the education reform movement over the course of the past two decades, and that’s why we call them EdReform ‘classics’,” said CER’s Allen. “But more important than what they have accomplished as individuals is how the legacy of their work will live on. They are being honored now because their work today and in the past has set the stage for even more successful school reform in the future.”
Sponsors of CER at 20 include Charter Schools USA, K12 Inc., Connections Education, GSV Advisors, Educational Ventures Inc., Friendship Public Charter Schools, National Heritage Academies, Imagine Schools, The Klinsky Family Charitable Fund, National Charter School Institute, Michael R. and Ellen C. Sandler Family Foundation. Information on sponsoring or attending the October 9, 2013 CER 20th Anniversary Conference and Gala at the Washington Hilton is available at events@edreform.com. Registration is available online via PayPal at http://www.edreform.com/about/events/20th-anniversary/tickets/
###
CER, since 1993, is the leading voice and advocate for lasting, substantive, and structural education reform in the U.S. Additional information about the Center and its activities can be found at http://www.edreform.com.
The Center for Education Reform
(tel) 800-521-2118 • 301-986-8088 • (fax) 301-986-1826
cer@edreform.com • http://www.edreform.com
Center for Education Reform 1 | 910 17th St NW | Washington, DC 20036 United States
Diane Ravitch's blog 
/shudder
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Me, too. Horrors.
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Tony Bennett
Barbara Byrd Bennett
William Bennett
Anyone else seeing a pattern?
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Are they related?
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Not by the blood in their veins, but by the blood on their hands, yes.
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I think they need to update their release to state: Tony Bennett FORMER Florida Commissioner of Education.
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Their DNA is the same….liars, cheaters, kid destroyers, country destroyers, and really slimey, too.
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I wouldn’t be caught dead at this SPIN event for the elite who have their heads up ….
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what does this egen mean? “the leader in making education the prominent factor in business and financial sectors” The Moe hagiography. And I can’t believe they are not lauding EduShyster or the awesome writer of the instant classic “Reformy to English Dictionary”
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What they mean by it, is that he brought attention to education and brought the resources of business and finance to bear on education and to support it.
Of course they mean charter schools supported by philanthropists (who I’m questioning whether it’s philanthropy or philandering) and not public schools.
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Dienne: not to mention MRS Bennett (of Tony fame) who is evidently working for Charters USA one of the sponsors– nice!
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So, the self-admitted liar: T. Bennett;
The compulsive gambler and online school profiteer: W. Bennett;
And the serial school killer: B. Byrd Bennett.
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Being presented an award by Indiana voter-pinkslipped and Florida self-pinkslipped school honcho Tony Bennett is like having 95 feces tacked onto your front door. Onward and upward, pseudo-reformers.
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“Each of these awardees has made an incredible contribution to the education reform movement over the course of the past two decades,…” but none have made any real contributions toward education.
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William Bennett tweeted Thurs morning how he couldn’t understand why the concern over Tony’s grade fixing scandal. Kind of like What ‘s so wrong with that?? This from the former head of USDOE. The tweet disappeared later that day.
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“MICHAEL MOE
Co-Founder & Partner, GSV Asset Management, and the leader in making education the prominent factor in business and financial sectors”
Does anyone have any idea what that means? How did he make education the prominent factor in business and financial sectors? Is it? The prominent factor?
They may have invented a new language.
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Profitization not privatization
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How much you want to bet Tony Bennett ends up a guest of honor?
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Ok, let me see if I am following this correctly. Tony Bennett CHEATED to rig scores and still gets the platform with the powers that be. Some officials in Atlanta cheated to rig scores, and ended up disgraced. I am confused, how is this possible? Why is it ok for one person to cheat, but not another?
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I wouldn’t be surprised if Tony Bennett discovered another pressing opportunity (in Australia, or someplace) during this exact time period, and regretfully cancelled the photo-op.
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