DFERs of the Month – LOC’s Women of Memphis

This month, we’re excited to honor four first-time candidates as our DFERs of the month. They are each graduates of the Leaders of Color Program – Memphis. The Leaders of Color program identifies, trains, and supports community-based Black and Brown civic leaders, empowering them with the tools and resources to advance educational equity and the broader

DFER LA State Director Calls for EBR School Board Member Connie Bernard’s resignation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leslie Leavoy leslie@dfer.org BATON ROUGE, LA – DFER Louisiana State Director Leslie Leavoy released the following statement calling upon District 8 East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard to resign: “It’s long past time for Mrs. Connie Bernard to resign from the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. Over

DFER National President Shavar Jeffries Statement on Supreme Court Decision on DACA Program

New York, N.Y. – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) National President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s upholding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which will prevent nearly 800,000 DREAMers—many of whom are students—from deportation: “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a step in the right direction toward

Leaders of Color Statement on Racial Justice

As I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, these past few weeks have been incredibly trying. As a nation, the federal mismanagement of the response to COVID-19, and the similarly mismanaged response to the senseless murder of George Floyd have been heartbreaking, to say the very least. The America that we are living in

DFER CO Community Highlights

DFER Colorado and our partners at A Plus Colorado have partnered to highlight community organizations and community members’ incredible work during COVID-19. These organizations, despite incredible adversity, have continued to put students and families first during these unprecedented times. Below are some of the interviews we conducted that showcase their work. Interview #1: Interview with Transform Education Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IPRsJ3elj0&feature=youtu.be

DFER CO Webinars and Interviews

Democrats for Education Reform Colorado affiliate organization, Education Reform Now Colorado, teamed up with A Plus Colorado for a series of webinars on how the state can better support schooling during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. You can view these webinars below. Webinar 1: Schooling in the era of COVID-19: A virtual discussion with national and local education leaders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRMIcStu__k&list=TLPQMDEwNjIwMjB1IvAXjV5gRQ&index=1 A+ Colorado and Education

DFER Statement on George Floyd and Racial Justice

NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 2, 2020)— Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) National President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement in response to the murder of George Floyd and the imperative of racial justice: “The banality of George Floyd’s murder signals the long road ahead for this country to overcome its history of racial oppression. His murder

In Defense of the SAT — Eliminating College Admissions Exams Only Worsens Entrenched Inequities

This article was originally posted on The 74, and can be found here. By Dr. Prateek Dutta Last week, two events that seemed to have little to do with each other made headline news. Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband pleaded guilty to bribing officials in order to get their children admitted into a selective university in

Meet Arizona Representative & Education Champion Daniel Hernández Jr.

Daniel Hernández Jr. first became connected with Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) in 2011, after he heroically helped save the life of then-U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-AZ). An intern at the time, Daniel jumped into action after the Congresswoman and 20 others were shot at her “Congress on your Corner” event and provided emergency first aid

Statement on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act 

“Public Education Aid Should be Exponentially Larger” Democrats for Education Reform affiliate Education Reform Now released the following statement in response to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act: “The current draft of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act does not go far enough to provide financial assistance to public schools