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Earlier this year I stepped up to serve as MarylandCAN’s executive director because even in 2013, thousands of our children live without access to high-quality schools—and because we cannot accept that disparity if we hope to ever actually be No. 1 in the country for public education.
I strive each day to change the status quo. But I can’t do it alone.
In just the past five months, MarylandCAN has:
- Analyzed Maryland’s performance on the Nation’s 2013 Report Card to reveal that our state has some of the worst achievement gaps in the country—even as we claim to have the best public schools.
- Publicized the shocking reality that Maryland excludes more than half of its special needs students from taking the National Assessment of Education Progress—a much higher percentage than any other state. The Baltimore Sun, WTOP and The Washington Post reported on this inequity.
- Worked with other organizations and advocates to push the Maryland State Department of Education’s public charter school study in the right direction to improve the state public charter law, and collaborated with other leaders to plant the seed for increased pre-K funding in 2014.
- Made it clear to Baltimore’s school commissioners that local leaders across sectors agree that principals deserve a strong voice in the search for the school system’s next CEO.
As a former public school student and teacher, the founding principal and executive director of KIPP Baltimore and the father of two small children, I know that education has the power to change everything. And I know that Maryland can bring great schools within reach of all students.
Thanks for all that you do!