(From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 2, 2009)
By AMY HETZNER
State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) is being honored as one of “10 Champions of America’s Students” in an upcoming calendar by Democrats for Education Reform.
Taylor, who is pictured in the calendar with students from Holy Redeemer Christian Academy, is in impressive company. Other honorees in the calendar are Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. George Miller, the California Democrat who heads the House’s education and labor committee.
Wonder how Taylor came to the attention of Democrats for Education Reform? It may have something to do with the fact that the group’s executive director is none other than former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel education reporter Joe Williams.
DFER says it selected the honorees because they are committed to offering education opportunities to all students have had made education reform a leading civil rights issue for children in urban communities.
Here’s what Williams had to say in a news release about the “champions” selected for the calendar. “These leaders reflect a vibrant and growing American movement,” he said. “When we first started our organization, there wasn’t a cohesive group advancing change in public education. Thanks to the leadership of people like these 10 honorees, there is now a broad network pushing for solutions to the issues that have plagued the system for years.”