Action Archive

The Debate We Need

OurFuture.org Staff — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:46:55 -0400

The American Dream is slipping out of reach for more and more families. Yet instead of addressing the root crises, our national debate has been hijacked by pigs, lipstick and tabloid gossip.

In response, the Institute for America's Future launched a 7-week campaign to demand a debate worthy of a great nation in trouble. It started with a New York Times ad series demanding a debate worthy of America. We then stepped up pressure for the debate we need by launching a petition drive aimed at the moderators of the presidential and VP debates: Tom Brokaw, Gwen Ifill, Jim Lehrer, and Bob Schieffer. By the end of our campaign nearly 13,000 progressives signed our petition, which helped us send a clear signal to the moderators: we deserve a debate worthy of a great nation in trouble.

Compared to the gotcha-debates of the primaries, our campaign was a great success. Spurred by the gravity of the financial crisis, and pressured by progressives like us and a public sick of politics not being focused on the issues that matter to them, the debate moderators changed the script from the primary debates and gave Americans a focus on the issues. Amazingly, the first three debates contained no petty distractions from the issues, however we were notably disappointed in the final debate when moderator Bob Schieffer drove the debate toward gotcha politics and wasted 15 minutes that should have been spent on discussing critical issues. However, overall, the campaign was a great success.

Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism

OurFuture.org Staff — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:00:50 -0400

In response to repeated attacks on the patriotism of progressives by right-wing media outlet Fox News, Campaign for America's Future launched the "Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism" campaign. The goal of the campaign was to send a clear message to Fox News team in a format to which they'd be receptive: namely, personalized declarations of patriotism, each attached with a genuine Made-In-the-USA flag pin. The thrust of these personal declarations was that progressives are patriotic Americans too, and that no one holds a monopoly on patriotism.

Before we knew it over 600 progressives had sent us messages to pass along to Fox News, like this one from Patricia in Little Neck, NY:

“Patriotism does NOT belong to one party or ideology and I urge you to cease your incessant attacks. Please accept our 4th of July gift in hopes we can all come together & recognize that we are all true patriots under the same grand flag and constitution that celebrates our unity even among diversity.”

As promised, we delivered these messages and flag pins to the Fox News Channel Washington Bureau on Capitol Hill over the Fourth of July weekend.

The Big Con Exposed

Isaiah J. Poole — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:54:32 -0500

The Failure of Conservatism Conference
More than 100 activists participated in an all-day conference at the National Press Club in Washington to discuss how conservatism has been a failure for families, the nation’s economy and our standing in the world. Panelists also began a dialogue on a new progressive vision for the future. We have transcripts and video from the conference, which was co-sponsored by The American Prospect. We also have an archive of blog posts and other content related to the conference.

Thousands Say No to Toxic Toys

Robert Borosage — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:00:00 -0500

The Campaign for America's Future on Tuesday delivered 85 pages of signatures from people across the country demanding the resignation of the acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord. A letter to Nord from America's Future co-director Robert L. Borosage accompanying the petitions said, "We hope you will do what's best for the safety of American families, acknowledge your failures and honorably step aside."

Also, our video highlighting the dangers of toxic trade—featuring a Barbie with "symptoms" from a one-night stand with Ken—has been featured by Fox News Channel, ABC News, The Washington Post and the Associated Press.

Premiere of Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

Robert Borosage — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:38:44 -0500

The campaign to expose the truth about Wal-Mart began with the promotion of the Robert Greenwald documentary, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." Working with Brave New Films, Campaign for America's Future joined a coalition that sponsored over 7,000 citizen screening parties, giving the documentary a true people's premiere.. We also hosted the official Washington movie premiere, an event attended by Robert Greenwald, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Rep. George Miller, D-Ill., and two stars of the film, Red and Dee Esry. You can listen to podcasts and see photos from the D.C. premiere, our Capitol Hill press conference with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and you can find out where to purchase the movie.

Unleash the Medicare Truth Squad

Roger Hickey — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 17:40:52 -0400

Hundreds of Campaign for America’s Future supporters raised over $20,000 to enable our Senior Truth Squad to expose the outrages of the Bush Medicare law. We were able to purchase six ads in the front sections of EACH of 20 Iowa and Wisconsin newspapers. The combined readership of these papers was a whopping 1.8 million+, and – for three straight days! – those readers got the Truth Squads' message twice a day. We literally blanketed the crucial battleground states of Iowa and Wisconsin for three days running!

Meet the Senior Truth Squad

Get their Message Out to 2 Million Battleground State Voters!

These Wisconsin and Iowa seniors are mad about the Bush Medicare law. Like so many other seniors in America, they are learning more about the Bush deal that delivers billions to drug companies and HMOs while leaving seniors and taxpayers with the bill.

Click any image below to see what Florence, Ed, Mar and the rest of the Truth Squad has to say, and please contribute to help these real grassroots activists make their messages heard and inspire millions to action in these crucial days.

Jack Smith
40+ yrs Iowa resident

Mar Smith
40+ yrs Iowa resident

Janice Wright
40+ yrs Iowa resident

Edward Rethman
Lifetime Iowa resident

Joe Zagnoli
60+ yrs Iowa resident

Lilith Thomas
Lifetime Iowa resident

Dave Slautterback
45 yrs Wisconsin resident

Florence Lea
Lifetime Wisconsin resident

Tom Brown
8 yr Wisconsin resident

Katie Wenban
58 yr Wisconsin resident

Lee Brown
8 yr Wisconsin resident

Welcome Fawcett
Wisconsin grandmother

For more information about the Bush Medicare Deal in Wisconsin, Iowa, and other states, click here.

The Campaign for America's Future has teamed up with Iowa Citizen Action and Wisconsin Citizen Action to unleash the Senior Truth Squads. Learn more about their powerful grassroots movements at:

www.iowacan.org/: Iowa Citizen Action
www.wi-citizenaction.org: Wisconsin Citizen Action

Thanks Again From The Truth Squad!

Thank you again for contributing to get the Senior Truth Squad out in front of 1.9 million+ Iowans and Wisconsinites last week for three straight days! Below are the papers where the Truth Squad ads were run, and the readership #s for each paper. Thank you again!

Newspaper	Daily Readership
IOWA
Cedar Rapids Gazette	134,506
Davenport Quad City Times	104,652
Des Moines Register	330,156
Dubuque Telegraph Herald	60,290
Iowa City Press Citizen	36,552
Muscatine Journal	15,320
Ottumwa Courier	31,000
Waterloo Courier	105,582

WISCONSIN
Baraboo News Republic	8,180
Beaver Dam	20,156
Chippewa Falls	13,608
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram	55,000
Green Bay Press-Gazette	113,716
La Crosse Tribune	63,000
Madison Wisconsin State Journal	217,384
Milwaukee Journal	488,576
Portage Register	10,044
Racine Journal	57,396
Shawano	13,102
Superior/Ashland Newspapers	30,958

Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future

tjackson — Sun, 01 Aug 2004 03:00:00 -0400

A National Task Force on Public Education

The Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress created a national Task Force to ensure excellence in public education — co-chaired by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Philip Murphy, Senior Director of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, historian and former Washington, D.C. School Board member Roger Wilkins.

The Task Force began with the recognition that the current scope of the universally available public system is too limited for the future. We called for access for every child to preschool through at least two years of education after high school graduation — a "P-14+" initiative — and we explored and outlined a realistic plan for creating such a system. This culminated in the publication of a groundbreaking report – “Getting Smarter, Becoming Fairer: A Progressive Education Agenda Sfor a tronger Nation”

Below are the names and bios of the members of the National Task Force on Public Education, and the list of nationwide public forums that the Task Force convened to engage local education experts in developing a new progressive education agenda.

Click here to read the Task Force's Charter »

Nationwide Public Forums

AUGUST 27TH | PORTLAND, OREGON

Community Schools: Working Together to Address the Needs of All Children

SEPTEMBER 9TH | COLUMBUS, OHIO

Early Childhood Education: An Investment in Our Future

NEW TASK FORCE REPORT
Investing in Early Childhood Education in Ohio: An Economic Appraisal [Full Report Text]

SEPTEMBER 28TH | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Workforce Development: Ensuring Students Have the Tools to Succeed

OCTOBER 20TH | ST LOUIS, MISSOURI

Postsecondary Education: Ensuring Access for All

NOVEMBER 19TH | PHOENIX, ARIZONA

A High Quality Teacher for Every Classroom: Hiring, Supporting, Retaining and Assigning Them Equitably

SPEAKERS: Gov. Janet Napolitano

NEW TASK FORCE REPORT:
Why Do High-Poverty Schools Have Difficulty Staffing Their Classrooms with Qualified Teachers? [Full Report Text]

DECEMBER 10TH | NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Redesigning Schools for the 21st Century: Promising Innovations

NEW TASK FORCE REPORT:
Fast Track to College: Increasing Postsecondary Success for All Students [Full Report Text]

Task Force Co-Chairs

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor
State of Arizona

Governor Janet Napolitano was sworn into office in January 2003 and has made her mark as a governor who moves quickly to approach the biggest problems facing the state. In her first year in office, she won approval of a budget that erased a billion-dollar state budget deficit without raising taxes or cutting funding for public schools or other vital services. Now in her second year as Governor, a centerpiece of her administration is to ensure that all Arizona children will report to first grade safe, healthy, and ready to succeed academically. To that end, she is working hard to establish full-day kindergarten and a quality childcare rating system as options available to parents throughout Arizona. Governor Napolitano is also working aggressively to redirect Arizona's economy toward high tech industries offering high-skill, high-wage jobs. Prior to being elected Governor of Arizona, she served one term as Arizona Attorney General and four years as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. Born in New York City and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is a distinguished alumna of Santa Clara University and the University of Virginia Law School. She has lived in Arizona since 1983, when she moved to Phoenix to practice law.

Philip D. Murphy
Senior Director
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Philip D. Murphy is a Senior Director of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He served on the Goldman Sachs Management Committee from 1999 until 2003 and co-headed its Investment Management Division from 2001 until 2003. During more than 20 years at Goldman Sachs, Murphy developed some of the firm's most important global client relationships and helped set and execute the strategy for a variety of businesses. He hired and mentored scores of professionals. He chaired a series of firm-wide task forces and committees on topics such as compliance and reputational judgment, reinvigoration of a client culture, internal communications, and articulation of the firm's public benefit. Murphy is also very active with a number of public interest organizations such as the NAACP, 2nd Floor Advisory Council, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, among others. Murphy is a native of the Boston area and is a graduate of Harvard College and The Wharton School. He lives in New Jersey with his wife Tammy, sons Josh, Charlie and Sam, and daughter Emma.

Roger Wilkins
Professor of History and American Culture
George Mason University

Roger Wilkins is the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University. During the Johnson administration, Wilkins served as Assistant Attorney General. He has written for both The New York Times and The Washington Post, and was Associate Editor of The Washington Star. While on the editorial page staff of The Washington Post, he shared a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for Watergate coverage with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and Herb Block. Wilkins has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Africa-America Institute and is currently a vice chair of the board of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He is publisher of NAACP's journal Crisis, has served on the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Board of Education, and now serves on the Board of Education Trust. He was awarded the 2002 NAIBA Book Award for Adult Non-Fiction for his book Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism. His current interest is in early childhood education for America's poorest children. Wilkins holds a law degree from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Patricia King, have a grown daughter and live in Washington. He has two other adult children from a former marriage.

Task Force Members

John A. Buchanan
Former Member of Congress

John Buchanan is an ordained Baptist minister and served churches in Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington, DC. He represented Birmingham, Alabama, in the Congress for sixteen years. As a senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee, he was instrumental in the writing and passage of Title IX. A member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations and to the U. N. Human Rights Commission. After leaving Congress, he chaired for ten years the civil liberties organization, People For the American Way. He served as chairman of the Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education and worked on behalf of civic education with the Bicentennial Commission and the National Education Goals 2000 Panel. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Council of Churches; National Council of the U. N. Association of the U.S.; and the National Board of Advisors at the Center for Civic Education. His numerous awards include the Common Cause Public Service Achievement Award. He is currently consultant to the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Louis Caldera
President, University of New Mexico

Louis Caldera became the 18th President of the University of New Mexico on August 1, 2003. As President, Caldera leads the state's flagship research university and third-largest employer. As President, he has emphasized improving undergraduate education and expanding the impact of the university in the sciences, engineering, health care and public policy. Before coming to UNM, Caldera held the post of Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at the California State University system, the largest four-year university system in the country. Caldera served as Secretary of the Army from 1998 to 2001 during the Clinton administration, where he initiated highly-popular educational programs for soldiers and recruits. As Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1997 to 1998, he ran the federal grant-making agency supporting Americorps, the National Senior Service Corps, and Learn and Serve America. As a member of the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1997, Caldera focused on economic development, education, and children's health and safety. Caldera holds a B.S. from West Point, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Caldera lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Eva, and three daughters.

Charita L. Crockrom
Principal, John F. Kennedy High School
Cleveland, Ohio

Charita Crockrom, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, has twenty-eight years of experience as an educator, twenty of which she spent at her alma mater, Collinwood High School in Cleveland. Crockrom has just completed her first year as Principal of John F. Kennedy High School in Cleveland. She previously served as Principal of Collinwood High School from 2001 to 2003, and Principal of Collinwood Middle School from 2000 to 2001. She also served as Assistant Principal of Collinwood High School for five years. Crockrom has won numerous awards celebrating her teaching, professionalism, and administrative skills, including: three British Petroleum Teacher of the Year awards (1992, 1993, and 1995), Continental Airlines Most Inspirational Teacher (1992), Teacher of the Year from the Ohio Senate (1992), and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club "Made In Cleveland" Award (2002). She presently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Secondary Principals, and is part of its Steering Committee and a candidate for President Elect of the organization in 2005. Crockrom is certified to teach English/Language Arts for grades K-12, holds a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Principal Certification from Cleveland State University.

Judith A. McHale
President and Chief Executive Officer
Discovery Communications, Inc.

Judith McHale was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) in 2004. She is responsible for the overall strategic direction, business development, and operations of all DCI resources and properties in the United States and around the world. McHale had previously been President and Chief Operating Officer, a post she held since 1995. McHale created the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership in 1997, which provides advanced satellite technology to deliver free educational programming to over 380,000 students and their communities in ten countries across Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. McHale is a member of the Board of Directors of Polo Ralph Lauren, the Host Marriott Corporation, Cable in the Classroom, Vital Voices Global Partnership, The Africa Society, Sister-to-Sister: Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, and the National Democratic Institute. Before joining Discovery in 1987 as its General Counsel, McHale served as General Counsel for MTV Networks. She began her career as an attorney at the New York law firm of Battle Fowler. McHale graduated from Fordham Law School and earned her undergraduate degree in politics from the University of Nottingham in England.

Margaret A. McKenna
President of Lesley University

Margaret A. McKenna is the President of Lesley University, a position she has held since 1985. Prior to her appointment, President McKenna served as Director of the Bunting Institute, Vice President of Radcliffe College, White House Deputy Counsel to President Jimmy Carter, and Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to those assignments, Mckenna held posts as the Executive Director of the International Association of Human Rights Organizations and as a trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. McKenna serves on the boards of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Cisco Learning Institute, the Datatel Scholars Foundation, the Boston Higher Education Partnership and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. President McKenna also serves on the board of Dominion Resources, Inc, a Fortune 400 company. She has served as Board Chair for the Council of Independent Colleges and has served on the American Council on Education's President's Task Force on Teacher Education. McKenna is the recipient of six honorary degrees and of numerous awards, including the Lelia J. Robinson Award from the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Pinnacle Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Delia Pompa
Director, The Achievement Alliance

Delia Pompa has over 30 years of experience leading local, state and federal agencies, national and international organizations, and academic institutions to understand and to respond to the needs of children and their teachers. In her current position as director of the Achievement Alliance, Pompa works with a coalition of organizations, including the Business Roundtable, the Citizen's Commission on Civil Rights, the Education Trust, Just for the Kids, and the National Council of La Raza. The coalition works to provide accurate, non-partisan information about student achievement. Pompa is the former Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs and the former Executive Director of the National Association for Bilingual Education. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher in the Edgewood Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. She went on to serve as an administrator in the Houston Independent School District and as Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency before coming to Washington, D.C. She is the former Director of Education, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and Youth Development for the Children's Defense Fund. Pompa serves on a variety of national boards and committees for a wide range of institutions addressing the educational needs of children.

James Pughsley
Consultant, Stupski Foundation, and Former Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools
Charlotte, North Carolina

Dr. James L. Pughsley is the former Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and is now serving as a consultant with the Mill Valley, CA-based Stupski Foundation, which works directly with U. S. public school districts to help ensure all children in America, regardless of race or income, have access to a high-quality public education. Dr. Pughsley served as Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) from 2002 until June 2005 and had been with the district since 1996. Under his leadership, CMS took a strategic approach to doing business that had a tremendous impact on student achievement and community confidence in the school system. He spearheaded efforts to improve the quality of teaching in the classroom, implemented strategies to increase equity within the district, and provided strong leadership and direction to the district's 148 school building administrators. Prior to joining CMS, Dr. Pughsley served as Interim Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. He also served as Superintendent in Monroe City Schools in Louisiana and held top administrator positions in the Clark County School District in Nevada. Dr. Pughsley has been recognized for his leadership skills and his commitment to quality education for all children. In 2000-2001, the Charlotte Black Political Caucus honored him for his commitment to education. In November 2003, the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) named him 2003 Superintendent of the Year. He received his undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University and his Masters and Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Arizona.

Wendy D. Puriefoy
President, Public Education Network

Wendy D. Puriefoy is President of Public Education Network (PEN), the country's largest network of community-based school reform organizations, reaching 11.5 million poor and disadvantaged children in 1,600 school districts and 16,000 schools in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Ms. Puriefoy has been deeply involved in school reform since the 1970s, when she served as a special monitor of the court-ordered desegregation plan for Boston's public schools. Prior to being recruited as President of PEN, Puriefoy was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Boston Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. She serves on the boards of numerous national organizations including Children's Defense Fund, DEMOS, Learning Matters Inc., and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Puriefoy received her bachelor's degree from William Smith College and holds three Master of Arts degrees in African American Studies, American Studies, and American Colonial History from Boston University.

Chauncey Veatch
2002 National Teacher of the Year in Social Studies
Coachella Valley High School, Thermal, California

Chauncey Veatch became a teacher in 1995, at the end of his active duty service in the United States Army. Veatch has taught seventh- and eighth-grade science, mathematics, reading, writing, social studies, physical education, English as a Second Language (ESL), and ESL for adults. In 1999, Veatch began teaching at the high school, where he requests that students with learning disabilities, special education students, pregnant teens, students involved with gangs or drugs, and non-English speakers be placed in his classes. Currently, Veatch teaches at Coachella Valley High School and the Riverside County Head Start program. Veatch was recently named International Ambassador for Education by La Prensa Hispana. He is active in the Troops to Teachers program, the PTA's national outreach campaign to Hispanic parents and in NASA's elementary school science outreach program to African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American students. Veatch also served on the Federal Task Force on Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness, and U.S. Surgeon General Koop's Council on Drunk and Drugged Driving. Veatch earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of the Pacific, Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame, and his teaching credential from Chapman University.

Sponsors:

Robert L. Borosage
President, Institute for America's Future

Robert L. Borosage is President of the Institute for America's Future, an organization founded to put forth a populist economic agenda for our country's future, and Co-Director of its sister organization, the Campaign for America's Future. He is also an Adjunct Professor at American University's Washington School of Law. Borosage writes widely on political, economic, and national security issues for publications including the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Nation. He is a frequent commentator on television and radio, including Fox Morning News, Radio Nation, National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and Pacifica Radio. Borosage was the founder and Director of the Campaign for New Priorities and founder of the Center for National Security Studies. He has served as Director of the Institute for Policy Studies, Advisor to Carol Moseley-Braun, Barbara Boxer and Paul Wellstone, and Senior Issues Advisor to the presidential campaign of the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson. Borosage is a graduate of Yale Law School and holds a Master's degree in International Affairs from George Washington University.

John Podesta
President & Chief Executive Officer
Center for American Progress

John Podesta is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress. Podesta served as Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001, where he was responsible for directing, managing, and overseeing all policy development, daily operations, congressional relations, and staff activities of the White House. He also coordinated the work of cabinet agencies with a particular emphasis on the development of federal budget and tax policy, and served in the President's Cabinet and as a Principal on the National Security Council. Podesta is currently a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center. He has taught courses on technology policy, congressional investigations, legislation, copyright and public interest law. He is considered one of Washington's leading experts in technology policy, and has written a book and several articles and lectured extensively on these issues. A Chicago native, Podesta worked as a trial lawyer in the Department of Justice's Honors Program in the Land and Natural Resources Division, and as Special Assistant to the Director of ACTION. He has served as a member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, and the United States Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Knox College.

Project Director:

Cynthia G. Brown
Director, Renewing our Schools, Securing our Future:
A National Task Force on Public Education

Cindy Brown has spent over 35 years working in a variety of professional positions addressing high-quality, equitable public education. Prior to joining the Center for American Progress, she was an independent education consultant who advised and wrote for local and state school systems, education associations, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and a corporation. From 1986 through September 2001, Brown served as Director of the Resource Center on Educational Equity of the Council of Chief State School Officers. She was appointed by President Carter as the first Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (1980). Prior to that position, she served as Principal Deputy of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare's (HEW) Office for Civil Rights. Subsequent to this government service, she was Co-Director of the nonprofit Equality Center. Before the Carter Administration, she worked for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law, the Children's Defense Fund, and began her career in the HEW Office for Civil Rights as an investigator. Brown has a Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a B.A. from Oberlin College. She serves as Chair of both the Institute for Responsive Education and American Youth Policy Forum Boards of Directors and on the Boards of Directors of the Hyde Leadership Public Charter School and the National Association for Teen Fitness and Exercise.