Dear Friends,

I write with deep gratitude today. We are thinking of you — our friends and partners— and praying for your safety and good health.

As we all work to Flatten the Curve of Covid, we are working alongside the millions in and around our kids to flatten its impact on education.

Here’s how: CER has put its team, time and resources to work to help parents, all caregivers and educators, navigate their current education challenges. What our supporters have helped us achieve in a matter of days is tremendous:

A NEW RESOURCE PLATFORM is your one-stop shopping for the best and latest efforts in accessing substantive, innovative education options, here and across the globe.

WRITE AND BLOG. We’ve also provided an outlet for people to write about their experiences, and their ideas. EdSpresso, is your morning shot about the best and latest efforts of those in the trenches, as well as what policy is or isn’t doing to help them along.

VIRTUAL ED TECH FESTIVAL. As educators are challenged to teach remotely and parents are challenged to manage their students’ work, many are asking, “How do we do this, and do it well?” Ed Tech entrepreneurs from across the globe will address these and other questions during a virtual mini-fest on April 2.

EVERY CHALLENGE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. And COVID-19 is no exception. We will not let Covid deter us for the work that is so critical — ensuring that all students have education opportunity and innovation to achieve that, an asset never before as important for learning as it is now.

Since 1993, CER has consistently taken on the toughest fights to get our kids what they need and deserve. We know where to go to fix things, who to involve, and how to make policymakers account for their actions. At some point the virus will be behind us and I just wanted you to know that our resolve is more firm than ever before. We are not blinking — never have and never will. We are redoubling our commitment and efforts and just want you to know that’s where we are.

On all our media properties we’re telling the stories of heroic parents and teachers doing the real work and we must all continue to both support them in their efforts to keep students moving forward.

Follow us on twitter, FB and instagram, and email [email protected] to tell us your stories/solutions. Whatever we get from you on social media — or directly via an email — will be shared, utilized in tele-townhalls, conferences and provided to the media. So please keep us informed by sending us what you know — so we can keep everyone informed.

In the coming days we’ll have more stories and more to say about how we’re moving lawmakers forward to support the people of America.

For now, I just wanted to offer my gratitude and best wishes, on behalf of all of us at CER, our board, our allies!

Hoping and praying that you and yours stay safe. We will get through this.

Jeanne Allen

P.S. I would love to send you a copy of my book that was just published this January. An Unfinished Journey; Education and the American Dream is inspired by my Italian Heritage, more important to me now than ever before, and the work that we’ve done for years to ensure everyone may have the opportunities I have had to achieve that Dream. Please let me know if we should send you one by writing to me at [email protected], or you can download or order directly from Amazon. I announced last week that I am donating all royalties to the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, which is the most important infectious disease hospital in Italy and during this coronavirus outbreak was the first hospital to isolate the virus. Here is the link if you’re interested in learning more: https://bit.ly/399nquy