DFER News Roundup
Featured:
- Congratulations to Illinois state Rep. Christian Mitchell for his win in the Democratic primary this week! Read DFER’s statement on Mitchell’s victory.
- In other exciting news, DFER launched its Texas branch last week and named Jennifer Kohn Koppel as state director.
- Two deserving DFERs could use your support as they battle to hold onto their seats in the U.S. Senate – seats that are crucial to keeping Democrats in the majority. Read more about our Reformers of the Month, Senators Mary Landrieu and Kay Hagan.
DFER Seen & Heard:
- DFER-IL earned in a mention in POLITICO’s Morning Education for its support of Rep. Mitchell.
- Morning Education also reported on the launch of DFER Texas.
- “Democrats for Education Reform hail Mitchell victory, warn on 2015,” reports the Illinois Observer.
- “No one can deny that we need to give every child a quality education, and if something isn’t working as well as it should be, we need new approaches,” DFER-TX’s Jennifer Koppel told Thesis Magazine‘s Cameron Maynard.
Advocacy, Policy Briefs & Such:
- DFER-NY released a statement on the AQE’s march in Albany.
- Statement | DFER-MA releases statement on stalled charter bill in light of Arne Duncan’s visit to Boston schools.
DFER Blog:
- DFER-TX State Director Jennifer Kohn Koppel introduced herself and the new DFER Texas chapter.
- DFER-NY’s Craig Johnson commented on the recommendations released during NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Common Core Implementation Panel.
In Related News:
- Capital New York’s Scott Waldman reports on Gov. Cuomo’s “charter epiphany.”
- Want a crash course on the Common Core? NPR has a great piece to get you up to speed.
- “Duncan says Mass. can’t be complacent about education,” writes the Boston Globe’s Scott Lehigh.
- “Tea party activists have been waging war for months against the Common Core academic standards. Now, in a coordinated show of muscle, Big Business is fighting back — and notching wins,” reports POLITICO’s Stephanie Simon.
- EdWeek’s Alyson Klein reports the U.S. Senate is set to consider a bill that would update the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program.
Fun With Infographics & More:
- Congrats again to Christian Mitchell for his win this week!
- Infographic | DFER Launches in the Lone Star State.
- Start your weekend off with a smile with kids at the Detroit Academy of Arts and Science, performing Pharell’s “Happy.”
- Check out our five reasons why Christian Mitchell deserves Chicago’s vote.
- Infographic | Better STEM education for women and girls? We can do it!
- President Obama appeared on Zach Galifianakis’ “Between Two Ferns” to plug the Affordable Care Act.