Original Source | The Oregonian
By Susan Castillo, Wednesday February 11, 2009

Giving our youngest citizens an education necessary for future success has always been a fundamental building block of democracy. Each generation has benefited from educated citizens who were ready to lead when their time came.

Today, this foundation is fracturing under the weight of millions of dollars in likely school budget cuts.

Original Source | The Grio
By Cheo Tyehimba, Monday August 24, 2009

When the principal introduced me to "Akil," a lazy-eyed 6 year old enrolled in a kindergarten class at Martin Luther King, Jr. elementary school in West Oakland, I knew I'd been gone too long. I'll never forget him.

"That's Akil," said the principal. "He doesn't speak. It's not that he's mute or anything. He just stopped talking. No one has heard him since last year."

Original Source | The Oregonian
By Swati Adarkar, Friday August 14, 2009

Head start in race to top
Rep. Arnie Roblan got it right in his guest opinion about the federal "Race to the Top" education initiative ("Oregon students win in a 'Race to the Top,' " Aug. 12).

Original Source | Los Angeles Business Journal
By Greg Jones, Monday August 10, 2009

At a time when we are looking to reverse the economic recession, new research quantifies just how much the achievement gap costs our economy and informs us about ways to close it.

As chairman of California Business for Education Excellence, I know there is no more important issue facing our state than raising student academic achievement in our public schools. It is so closely linked to a strong and vibrant economy. We must close achievement gaps that persist for low-income, African-American and Latino children who comprise the majority of California's future work force.