I've long shared the core principles of the Education Equality Project, above all the conviction that great schools and teachers??can and should be expected to do a lot to equalize educational opportunity and results in the United States--this in contrast to the defeatist??"Broader Bolder" assertion that schools can't do much until society sends them an improved model of child and family. I'm also a longtime admirer of most of EEP's leaders. But I didn't sign on myself until today. Because a terrific weekend op ed on teacher effectiveness, besides hitting the mark substantively, indicated that the estimable Michael Lomax has replaced the unspeakable Al Sharpton as a co-chairman of EEP (along with Joel Klein and Janet Murguia). This morning I confirmed that happy news and instantly added my name to the list of signatories. Bravo for the Education Equality Project, both for having its policy precepts and tenets in proper order and for having cleaned up its own house.
--Chester E. Finn, Jr.
