A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.

MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Thanksgiving may officially be over a week away, but we find ourselves counting our blessings a bit early and we wanted to share our gratitude with you.

PARENTS AND KIDS FIGHTING BACK. There may have been a chill in the air but the over 1,300 attendees at the "Open Doors - Unlock Opportunity" in D.C. last Thursday provided plenty of warmth and enthusiasm. A combination call to action for Mayor Bowser to release empty surplus former DCPS buildings for use by public charter schools, celebration of D.C. charter schools and student excellence awards with a prize pool of over $20,000, the event made us thankful that these parents, teachers and students heeded Frederick Douglas’s words that Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. And Demand they did.

AFTERWARDS… RECOGNIZING TALENT. We’re proud - and a little in awe - of the winners of the Student Achievement Awards at the Open Doors rally. We thank these talented students as well as their teachers and parents: Amari Romney, Richard Wright Public Charter School, for the video “My School is Wonderful”; Cadence Robinson, Center City Public Charter School -Shaw Campus, for the sculpture “We Are Shaw”; Mekedim Gossaye, Yosan Hagos, Edwin Lopez Martinez, Fernando Castillo Diaz and Tewodros Addis of Center City Public Charter School, Brightwood for the rap “What Would I Do If I Did Not Have You?. Congrats also to Statesmen College Preparatory Academy For Boys for having the highest attendance at the event.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER. There is no greater power seeking to destroy charter schools than the so-called progressive candidates running for President, but the intrepid and truly progressive Dr. Howard Fuller is making sure they hear the truth. Fresh off his rousing speech before 1,300 boisterous charter school students and supporters at the “Open Doors” rally in Washington, D.C. last week (see above), civil rights activist Dr. Howard Fuller will be in Atlanta, Ga., demonstrating loudly for charter schools outside the democratic presidential debate tomorrow.

Fuller is the co-founder of the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools, and the lead organizer of the rally that will gather outside Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta on Wednesday night. The purpose? “We are tired of their threats to take away public charter schools as education options from families who need and want them the most. When candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders turn their backs on public charter schools, they are also turning their backs on Black and Latino children and families, the largest population of these schools. We are not going to stand for it anymore.” As the kids say, “True that!”

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, TAKE 2. Given the recent disastrous results from The Nation's Report Card it is clear that the truth is an education establishment that is failing a large majority of our students. Journalist John Stossel reports on the situation in Philadelphia - sadly not an anomaly - where the establishment is ignoring the heartfelt desires of parents to put their kids in schools that actually educate. A brief flashback to the 60’s…”All we are saying, is let charters teach.”

HISTORY COMES ALIVE. Music may have “charms to soothe the savage breast”, but history has information and inspiration to show us the truth of Issac Newton’s phrase that we can see as far as we do “because we stand on the shoulders of giants”. Fox & Friends co-host and best-selling author Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) joins Jeanne Allen on this week’s Reality Check to talk about his latest book, “Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory that changed American history” and his other books on leading figures in American history. Knowledge of American history and civics is as vital for kids as knowledge of the “Three Rs”. CER has plans to increase that knowledge in our schools...stay tuned.

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

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