Democrats for Education Reform Announces Winners of 2012 ‘Brian Bennett Education Warrior Awards’
This year’s winners of the 2012 Brian Bennett Education Warrior Awards include three leaders from state legislatures and one inspirational state education chief, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) announced today.
The awards, which honor courageous champions of education reform, include: Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, New Jersey State Senator Teresa Ruiz, former Minnesota State Senator Ember Reichgott Junge, and Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston.
“The leaders we are honoring today have worked tirelessly to better the lives of children through countless efforts to improve our nation’s education system,” said Joe Williams, DFER’s Executive Director. “Their leadership has produced the kind of exponential impact that will continue to benefit children for years to come.”
Over the past few months, the public submitted hundreds of worthy nominations for Education Warriors through DFER’s website. Award recipients were chosen by a committee based on their dedication to reforming our education system and their outstanding courage to shatter the status quo and change the political rhetoric.
“With the election around the corner, education has taken a front seat in political debates throughout our country both inside and outside of the home,” said Charles Barone, DFER’s Director of Federal Policy. “Education wasn’t even on many people’s top-ten list just a few years ago. The leaders we are honoring today have injected big ideas into the conversation and brought them into the national spotlight.”
More information on the 2012 honorees follows:
As the acting Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education where she has served since 2009, Deborah Gist has led the charge to reform the Rhode Island education system. During her tenure thus far, she has fought to end last-in, first-out (LIFO) policies in her state, launched a new teacher evaluation system, and raised requirements for entering into RI’s teacher training programs. Gist previously served as the first State Superintendent of Education in the District of Columbia where she was responsible for enacting alternative certification policies that allowed school districts and nonprofit organizations to apply to certify educators, and instituted new standards to improve the quality of teacher prep programs. Before her work as Superintendent in the District of Columbia, Gist taught elementary school for more than 10 years and was recognized as “Teacher of the Year” several times throughout her career. She also served as a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Education and as the executive director of the office on volunteerism and service programs for the Office of the Mayor in the District of Columbia.
New Jersey State Senator Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) played a key role in changing the status quo in New Jersey by introducing a bill reforming tenure laws in her state. Ruiz, who is the Assistant Majority Leader and Chair of the State’s Education Committee, was the chief architect behind this bill, which also instituted a new teacher rating system based on yearly evaluations as well as mentorship and professional development opportunities for teachers and principals. The bill, which won unanimous approval and was signed into law by Governor Christie, brought about the first major change to New Jersey’s tenure system in a century. Prior to her role as State Senator, Ruiz served as Vice Chair of the Essex County Democratic Party, the Deputy Chief of Staff and former Director of Public Information for Essex Country Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., and co-chair of the Hispanic Scholarship Program for the North Ward Center. The Essex Country Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honored her for her public service. She also worked as a Pre-K teacher and served as a Trustee of the Robert Treat Academy and the Essex Country Technical-Vocational School Board.
Ember Reichgott Junge revolutionized the way we view public education in our country. As a Minnesota State Senator (1983-2001), she sponsored the first bill that allowed students to attend their public school of choice and authored the first charter school legislation in the nation, which was enacted in 1991. She now serves as Vice Chairperson of the Charter School Development Corporation, which promotes competition, excellence in education, and school choice by financing and building great public charter schools across the country.
Having dedicated his life to repairing our broken education system, Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston (D-Denver), has become a well-known education reform advocate. He has been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s “40 under 40” and as Forbes Magazine’s 7 Most Influential Educators. Johnston developed the “Great Teachers and Leaders Law” in Colorado, which transformed the way his state holds teachers and principals accountable. He also helped pass the READ Act, which gives school districts and parents tools to aid struggling K-3 students develop their reading skills. Prior to taking office, Johnston co-founded and acted as principal for Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts (MESA). MESA made Colorado history by becoming the first public high school in which 100% of its seniors were admitted to four-year colleges. In addition, Johnston co-founded New Leaders for New Schools, a national non-profit that recruits and trains urban principals. Johnston also served as a top education advisor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
More information on the Brian Bennett Education Warrior Award:
The Brian Bennett Education Warrior Award is named after Brian Bennett, a community activist and lifelong champion of education reform. Bennett was a former teacher that helped launch some of California’s first charter schools. Under his leadership as Director of the Office of School Choice at the San Diego Unified School District, the number of charter schools in the district increased by more than 50%.
Following his career at the School District, Brian devoted his life’s work to leading San Diego and the nation in providing parents with meaningful, equitable, and affordable education options for their children. Although he sadly passed away in 2009 after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he nonetheless remains an inspiration to leaders in education across the country.