Step One: Call It Out

Education has been labeled the “civil rights issue of our time.” Dropout factories––high schools where no more than 60% of the students that start as freshmen make it to their senior year––has become a common-day term. These low-performing public schools tend to be in the poorest zip codes across our country. The negative impacts of poverty on the health and education of students is well documented, mostly affecting kids of color who tend to live in lower-income communities.

I recently hosted an education event in which I invited Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and Dennis M. Walcott, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, at Frederick Douglass Academy, my alma mater, in Harlem.

The Education Commission of the States, a national policy organization, made a small splash earlier this year with its list of the 12 hottest education issues for 2012. But it’s no surprise that it didn’t get more attention.

There is no question that obtaining a college degree is essential, especially in these times of high unemployment. A recent Gallup poll showed that 73 percent of college graduates are employed fulltime, compared to only 58 percent of those with a high school education or less.

Maya Rockeymoore interviews Rev. Jesse Jackson to discuss education reform and the education achievement gap in the United States.

The Reverend Al Sharpton discusses how people of color are not being served by U.S. public schools and how we can close the achievement gap in education.

Dennis Van Roekel presents the National Education Association’s views on revitalizing the public educational system, reforming schools and revamping accountability systems for 21st century learning, and ensuring sustainability of public education.

Maya Rockeymore discusses the purpose of the Forum for Education and Democracy as well as the inherent issues in the U.S. public school system. Topics include: closing the achievement gap, facilitating teachers’ success, and ESEA reauthorization.

Douglas W. Anthony, Dir. School Leadership from Prince George 's County Public Schools presents at the What Works in Schools Conference. Topics include school reform, U.S. education policy and developing teachers and administrators.

Dr. Deborah Meier addresses the What Works in Schools Conference. Topics include school reform, U.S. education policy and issues with standardized testing in schools.