Of the 13 million children growing up in poverty, only about half will graduate from high school. Those that do will perform on average at an eighth-grade level.
The California school system is cheating young people out of the type of education they deserve. The problem is even more pronounced in low-income areas and among students of color.
This cannot continue. Students, teachers, parents and the public must reclaim their schools and invest the time, money and energy needed to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education.
In a nutshell, that’s why I got involved in leading the Right To Learn campaign and hope that we can deliver a movement that will substantially improve education in this state.
Personally, I’ve been involved in education for a long time, as a public school teacher in Houston and an assistant principal with KIPP — a charter school system headquartered in San Francisco that runs some of the highest-performing public schools in the country and does so in areas many people have given up on.
I am also a complete techno-geek (and a Mac head) and believe in the power of the Internet and social networks to unite people in social movements like never before. From flash-mob pie fights to rallying for an end to global warming, new technologies will allow our generation to more effectively connect with each other towards social good.
Outside of Right To Learn, I like to read, hike, volunteer and follow politics. Lately, I’ve been very involved Barack Obama’s presidential campaign (California’s primary is Feb. 5!). I’m a college sports fanatic (Go Gators!) and can’t wait for baseball season to begin again (Go Red Sox!). I have a strange fascination with cows (my grandfather was a dairy farmer) and occasionally even find a few minutes to squeeze out post on my personal blog.
I look forward to embarking upon this journey to improve California education with all of you. The RTL team will continue to do everything we can to empower young people throughout the state to get involved in this campaign, but we’re always looking for new ideas, so please do not hesitate to e-mail me at trey@youthnoise.org if you have questions or want to get more involved.
