What A Wonderful World

        I'm often reminded of the beautiful Louis Armstrong song by the scores of people across this country who work to make the dreams of so many children come true.

...The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by

I see friends shaking hands,
Saying, 'How do you do?'
They're really saying,
I love you.

I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know,
And I think to myself, What a Wonderful World.

        Those words ring deep for so many involved in bringing about better schools. And chances often only come once. So, when the decision was made to throw a party for the Center's Fifth Anniversary, it didn't take long to decide that the best way to mark the occasion was by paying tribute to a sampling of those "people going by," who represent what it is that the Center is all about.

        For at the heart of our goals and dreams is our commitment to doing whatever it takes to help people bring about fundamental reform in their schools.

        Our honorees were, therefore, heroic individuals whose efforts were made for everyone's children, and whose successes are something we can all applaud, duplicate and learn from. With a surprise video salute to these seven leaders in reform, their days of working tirelessly without recognition were ended. They were applauded, commended and much sought after the rest of the evening, as many of the guests found time to congratulate and thank,

Our Unsung Heroes.

Bill Manning is the president of the Red Clay School District in Wilmington, Delaware. Tired of business as usual upon his initiation, Manning initiated rigorous district-wide standards and gave life to the state's first charter school. Manning shows that diligent school board
members can make a major difference when they are focussed on children.

Dwight Evans. A Pennsylvania state lawmaker from Philadelphia, Evans bucked his traditional union allies and the conventional wisdom that said more money would solve Philly's ills, and helped secure the necessary votes for the state's proposed charter school law. His support for further choices for children -- including private schools -- has had a positive influence on African-Americans in the state and beyond his borders.

Leah Vukmir. Demonstrating that one person can truly make a difference, Vukmir galvanized others who shared her concerns over weak curricula in the schools. She formed the parent group PRESS, which today is over a thousand strong and a force in state policy deliberations. Vukmir's efforts have contributed to the formation of countless other parent groups nationwide.

Paul Clopton and Mike McKeown, Mathematically Correct. Struck by the lack of real math instruction in their schools, Clopton and McKeown found that at the heart of the problem was poorly written textbooks and teachers who didn't know math teaching math. Mathematically Correct was born on the World Wide Web, and quickly became a central focal point for reform in mathematics. Their tireless work has influenced California's state standards and the nationwide debate.

Laura Friedman. As a local businesswoman and St. Louis native, Friedman was struck by the senseless failure of the schools. Her inquiries around the country led her to the concept of charter schools. And true to the motto of Missouri -- the "Show me" state -- Friedman took it upon herself almost single-handedly to see the state's charter law enacted.

Howard Fuller. When Fuller was superintendent of Milwaukee's public schools, he sat in control of an enormously broken system which he bucked almost daily. Since his departure, he has fought with determination for fundamental reforms, and to right the wrongs of urban education. Fuller's mission is to gain power for those most afflicted by education's failings. Whether it be charter schools, full school choice, standards or teacher accountability, Fuller will be there to talk, to cajole and to motivate people to act.

Before, during and after the salute...

        ...our party was joined by the spectacular Colin Powell Academy Children's Choir, who treated us to the most spirited entertainment one could wish for. These twenty children from this center-city Detroit charter school demonstrated the power of good education. We were thrilled to have them with us, but apparently not as ecstatic as they, some of whom had never even ventured out of their community, let alone come to Washington, DC. It was for them the chance of a lifetime. And for us their presence reminded us throughout the evening what it is that our cause is all about.

And speaking of heroes...

        Unbeknownst to him, the Center also paid tribute to its own Chairman, the very modest and unassuming Jerry Hume, whose leadership has prodded us to be the best we can, to set high, rigorous standards, and to always check our own work to ensure we don't fall into the trap of the status quo. Jerry's also been a tireless worker on the national scene, having served on the boards of the Foundation for Teaching Economics, the California Business Roundtable, the California State Board of Education and more.

        In introducing our salute to Jerry, Bill Bennett pointed out that heroes are a good thing to have around, to remind us how to pattern our own behavior, how to act for the benefit of those for whom we work.

Our Keynote Speaker, E.D. Hirsch

The cause of heroes was taken up by our keynote speaker, the phenomenal E.D. Hirsch. His analysis of our schools and his rich curriculum, the Core Knowledge series, have brought new life to the quest to make American education excellent and equitable. His speech, carried several times on C-SPAN, challenged the audience to recognize the failings of conventional educational institutions. He asked us to honor those local men and woman whose schools and classrooms are often not under a microscope amongst reformers, but who succeed despite the obstacles. He also treated us to a thoughtful and compelling argument about how far adrift we've gotten, and how far afield the debate has gone over what good education should be and has become.

    "...academic achievement is not opposed to but leads to self-esteem. Factual knowledge leads to critical thought. The decision about which end of the continuum needs to be stressed depends on the historical moment. Our thinking about education needs to be more contextual. For many decades, our schools have adhered to the anti-fact, romantic tradition...

    "Especially we need to de-emphasize the romantic overemphasis on innate ability rather than effort. It's convenient to think that poor children are destined to be low achievers in school because of social forces and innate differences. Yet some schools manage to bring all children to grade level. Effort is more important than ability in school. By starting early enough, and working hard enough, all children can read, write, and calculate at grade level or above. Students' achievements are not innately determined by their social disadvantages or their different "intelligences" and "learning styles." Since Jefferson and Horace Mann -- our two great visionaries of American public education -- leveling the playing field has been and continues to be the authentic aim of public schooling."

        Finally, he bid us to go out and do good, a fitting bequest of the audience and of the Center as it plots its next five years. [Link to full text of speech.]

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