FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ericka Hatfield
October 16, 2024 Ericka@dfer.org
Democrats for Education Reform Wins Industry Recognition at the 2024 PIE Network Conference
DFER scores major wins at national education reform conference for outstanding literacy policy and research tools that identify and execute school improvement strategies
SAN DIEGO – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is proud to announce that it received multiple highly coveted “Eddies” awards at the recent 2024 “Policy Innovators in Education” (PIE) Network Conference. Known for their emphasis on impactful education policy, the PIE Eddies awards recognize organizations driving systemic change in schools and communities. Members from 88 state and national education advocacy organizations voted for the winners. These honors reflect DFER’s continued efforts to champion equitable education reform, fostering policies that improve opportunities for students across the country.
“We are deeply honored by this recognition for our national and local teams,” said Charlie Barone, Vice President, K-12 Policy. “These awards are a testament to our team’s dedication and our commitment to student success.
DFER’s national policy team walked away with the “Most Actionable Tools & Research” Eddies Award for our Spotlight Schools: High-Poverty Schools That Are Raising The Bar research. In reports authored by senior policy analyst Rianna Saslow and VP Barone, these schools show that demography does not always have to equal destiny. Despite systemic inequities, they are shining examples of schools with high percentages of students from low-income backgrounds that have achieved remarkable success in either student proficiency, student growth, or both. This research helps school leaders, policymakers, and advocates to identify and execute school improvement strategies so they can improve proficiency and spur student academic growth.
DFER Massachusetts won the “Best Collaboration” Eddies Award in partnership with ExcelinEd, National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), National Parents Union – Massachusetts (NPU-MA), Teach Plus Massachusetts, and The Education Trust. The coalition’s strategic advocacy helped secure $150 million over five years in targeted funding for high-quality, evidence-based curricula, effective teacher training, and ongoing student screening to increase reading proficiency among preschool and elementary students. Under the The Healey-Driscoll administration, the Literacy Launch initiative creates the opportunity to transform early literacy experiences and skills for thousands of Massachusetts students.
The recognition at this year’s conference underscores DFER’s role as a national leader in education reform, demonstrating the impact of the organization’s efforts in transforming education outcomes for black and brown students, particularly those from underserved communities.
“We will continue to push forward, advocating for policies and initiatives that prioritize high-quality and evidenced-based literacy instruction for every student ,” said Erin Cooley, Massachusetts Managing Director. “This recognition only strengthens the Literacy Coalition’s resolve to drive meaningful change and empower young readers across the Commonwealth.”
DFER teams also were represented as finalists for their work in the “Game Changer of the Year” category. Finalists included DFER Louisiana, DFER Colorado, and DFER DC.
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) works to get Democratic leaders to embrace and enthusiastically champion innovative, evidence-based, high-quality public education options for all students, particularly students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and other historically underserved students. Learn more about DFER, or Find an Expert and follow us on Twitter.
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