Mission
The Center for Education Reform is an interest group in the United States of America that advocates for charter schools. This interest group generally prepares studies of state charter school legislations. For instance in the year 2007, the group was able to carry out a study that found out 54% of the charter school students fit for free or reduced lunches. Moreover, the study also indicated that half of all charter school students fall into the ‘at risk’ classification (The Center for Education Reforms, n.d).
The mission of the Center for Education Reform is to expand and increase the educational opportunities, which can cause improved economic results for all people of the United States. The primary target of this interest group, in its mission, is the youths. The group’s mission entails making sure that there is a suitable condition for profitable innovation, freedom as well as flexibility in the entire United States. The group is, therefore, occupied with the educational interests of all Americans and aims at having progressive and beneficial education in the country.
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The interest group promotes its agenda through lobbying various educational stakeholders to support its initiatives as well as proposals. The interest group also has been able to achieve its agendas through political means where the politicians are lobbied to pass its proposals in the form of reform Acts in the Congress (The Center for Education Reforms, n.d). Other ways that the interest group uses to achieve its mission include dialogue with the education decision-makers and demonstrations as well as picketing. Center for Education Reform also does its work by primarily working to create and share top ideas as well as useful information. Its mission is also met through supporting and empowering activism at the grassroots. Finally, the Center for Education Reforms is also able to achieve its mission through protection and stimulation of wide media coverage of its activities and issue accuracy (The Center for Education Reforms, n.d).
All members of this interest group believe in one mission, which is having reforms that can make education to be better and effective in America. The members of this interest group support the cause of activism to reform the education sector (The Center for Education Reforms, n.d). They all participate in the activities of the group by way of presenting their financial donations and taking an active part in the pushing for the education reforms.
History
The Center for Education Reform was founded in the year 1993. The interest group is currently in its 23rd year of existence. The reason for its formation was to create a bridge in the educational policy and practice gaps (The Center for Education Reforms, n.d). Moreover, it was also formed to restore the excellence missed in the education sector. This excellence was to be restored through enhancing the opportunity for choice and accountability within schools. During the period of its inception, there was no choice and accountability within the education sector of the United States of America. However, today these are the two hallmarks of success for this interest group in the entire United States of America.
Budget
The Center for Education Reforms is a non-profit interest group whose main source of income includes contributions from members and charity donations by various people of goodwill. The main source of revenue for the group is contributions, gifts and grants. In the recent financial year, its total revenue stood at $1,185,542 (Charity Navigator, n.d). There are no membership dues and grants from the government for the Center for Education Reform.
The section of expenses for the interest group is comprised of programs, administrative and fundraising expenditures (Charity Navigator, n.d). These type of expenses fall under the functional expenditures according to the budget of the group. In the financial year 2015, program expenses took $1,288,551, administrative expenditure was $128,641 and fundraising expenses were $168,142. For the year 2015, the company recorded a deficit of $-399,040 keeping the net assets at $131,216 (Charity Navigator, n.d).
Staff
The Center for Education Reforms is run by a team of employees with the Chief Executive Officer being the senior-most worker. The employees are compensated monthly. The C.E.O is charged with the responsibility of ensuring all the functions of the organization run smoothly. Other vital positions in the interest group include the Directorate of partnership and business development that is in control of developing and managing the external links of the group. These external links include those that provide the necessary funding for the organization. There is also the directorate of policy and innovation, a position that involves conducting research and data. Moreover, this position involves interaction with the education entrepreneurs in coordinating the work of the group. Finally, there is the operations manager, who is in charge of the various processes and activities of the organization.
Membership
The membership of Center for Education Reform is mainly made up of foundations. The charity foundations are part of the interest group, and their financial contributions run the organization. One prominent member of the interest group is Jeb Bush, the son of former U.S President George Bush. The interest group has membership all the country, and most of the members are parents of school-going children.
Impact
The Center for Reforms has grown to become renowned the national affairs of the United States of America, particularly matters of education. As a result of this fame, the interest group gets a lot of media coverage in virtually all its activities in the country. The Center for Education Reforms is always featured in the mainstream media when fighting for the choices in education for the students. Therefore, the impact of Center for Education Reforms on mainstream media cannot be gainsaid.
As mentioned earlier, the interest group has a tendency of lobbying the parents of students at the grassroots to become part of its membership. This is an exercise that has been done quite successfully by the interest group. The organization has a very great record of mobilizing the ground and making sure change is implemented at the point it is necessary. For instance, the Center for Education Reforms worked hard to ensure groups on the grassroots in Florida are connected and gave them advice on the way to tactically achieve a high-level support within the state board of education. The resultant vital connections led to the development of the required pressure to overcome the opposition to the opening of the Marco Island Academy. This charter school was able to open in the middle of the year 2011.
In terms of political affiliations, the Center for Education Reforms is not aligned to any political machination. The interest group works across the political divide in the United States of America to achieve its mission in the education sector. In the Congress, the Center for Education Reforms works with both the Democrats and the Republicans to win their support in pushing through important reforms necessary for the education sector. The interest group has also served as a trusted advisor to various policy-makers in different states. The group works with various legislators in the Congress to draft laws that permit and enhance the growth of choice for the country’s students as well as their families. The organization makes trips to various states to help governors make effective education plans. The interest group has been able to make reforms with policy-makers using conference calls that are held with the legislators concerning school choice laws. The Center for Education Reforms depends on the political leaders that it manages to lobby for helping marshal many supporters for hearings and rallies.
Services
The Center for Education Reforms works with various education stakeholders to provide different services in the country. Some of the services include local market analysis, top proprietary research as well as publications, sharing good tactics and practices, comprehensive campaign planning and coordination. Other services include advice on the policy-makers as well as outreach initiatives, coalition development and grassroots support.
Its uniqueness and success
The Center for Education Reforms is able to achieve its goals and stand out with the massive mainstream media coverage than its other education interest groups because of the effective strategies it uses. This interest group has got much fame because of being able to be distinct from all the other education interest groups (Ballotpedia, n.d). One thing that makes the Center for Education Reforms to stand out among other similar organizations with its high success is the fact that it is able to leverage national credibility as well as connections and local links. The organization is also always delivering good results within the halls of power and local schools. The Center for Education Reforms does not focus on the people and politics like the other similar interest groups do but concentrates on the structure and substance to be delivered. The organization is also always ready to defend its facts and positions in the education reform debates. Looking at its Chief Education Officer, it is evident that another unique fact about this interest group is that it ensures the best professional educationists are hired as its staff hence has a team of experts running its affairs.
References
Ballotpedia (n.d). Center for Education Reforms. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Center_for_Education_Reform 23/6/2016
Charity Navigator (n.d). Center for Education Reforms. Retrieved from http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=8329 on 23/6/2016.
The Center for Education Reforms (n.d). Purpose. Retrieved from https://www.edreform.com/about/purpose/ on 23/6/2016.
