Newest DFER state chapter highlights successful reforms since Katrina and commitment to building on that progress
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) announced today that the newly-formed Louisiana state chapter of DFER has been named the Reformer of the Month for their commitment to working with local school districts and policymakers to ensure that every student in Louisiana has access to a high-quality education.
DFER recently announced that Eva Kemp-Melder has been hired to serve as the DFER-Louisiana State Director. Kemp-Melder previously worked for US Senator Mary Landrieu as a policy advisor, working on education policies including high-quality charter school development, early childhood expansion, and higher education affordability.
“Louisiana schoolchildren were deeply impacted by the dislocation and disruption caused by Katrina. In the almost ten years that have followed, the education community has come together to improve the school system throughout the state of Louisiana with widespread and tangible results,” said Lea Crusey, acting Executive Director of DFER. “We couldn’t be happier to highlight the work that Eva and the Louisiana team are doing to keep that progress going, and to continue to expand the educational opportunities for students in their state.”
“We have seen graduation rates rise and more children have access to high-quality education. Working together, our community has made progress that seemed impossible to most in the weeks following Katrina,” said Eva Kemp-Melder. “Our team is eager to continue that work to make sure that every Louisiana student has the educational opportunities they deserve.”
The Reformer of the Month is chosen by DFER to highlight the ongoing and successful efforts of Democrats around the country that are working to ensure that every child gets a high-quality education. Reformers of the month have a proven track record of supporting policies that will improve the schools in their community. They have a commitment to finding ways to improve public schools and help teachers and students in their community by investing in programs and methods that work and change ones that don’t, so that all children have a fair shot at a quality education.
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Contact: Jessica Floyd, press@dfer.org