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In the News
Sun, 02/24/2013
Parent Talk Live
Parent Talk Live radio host Dr. Michael Robinson interviews MarylandCAN Executive Director as they discuss MarylandCAN's community engagement and its impact on parental engagement in education advocacy efforts.
Fri, 02/15/2013
The Launch Pad
Harry Washington, host of The Launch Pad cable television show, interviews Curtis Valentine about MarylandCAN's efforts to close the achievement gap in the state of Maryland.
Thu, 01/31/2013
WBAL 1090AM
Ten years after Maryland's charter school law was enacted, more than 200 student, parents and teachers from charter schools around the state were in Annapolis today to urge lawmakers to make changes to the charter school law.
The effort was organized by MarylandCAN, the Maryland Campaign for Achievement Now.
Sun, 01/13/2013
94.7 Fresh FM
MarylandCAN Executive Director Curtis Valentine interviewied about MarylandCAN's work, especially as it relates to our advocacy for changes in Maryland's charter school law.
Aired January 13, 2013, on "Fresh Perspectives" (94.7 Fresh FM) and streamed live at CBSDC.com.
Also aired January 15, 2013 on 1580 AM Gov.Biz Radio.
Sat, 12/22/2012
All News 99.1 WNEW
Check out these soundbites from an interview with Curtis Valentine featuring him as "Hometown Hero of the Week" and highlighting the work he does with MarylandCAN
Maryland schools superintendent must attack education inequality
Fri, 06/08/2012
BaltimoreBusinessJournal
By Curtis Valentine
Dr. Lillian Lowery, Maryland’s new State Superintendent, proved herself a force to be reckoned with in Delaware, where she led the state to receive the first federal Race to the Top grant. We know great schools change everything: from the economy, to our communities to a child’s future. But to have great schools, we need great leaders.
As Delaware’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Lowery led one of Delaware’s largest school districts out of a $28 million budget deficit and convinced her state board to unanimously approve the expansion of the high-performing Newark Charter School. We hope she will bring that same energy and urgency to the vexing problems facing Maryland’s public schools.
But the road ahead won’t be easy. Maryland has the second largest achievement gap in the nation between low-income students and their wealthier peers. While we’re proud of our “Best School System in the Country” designation by Education Week, we must acknowledge that there’s another side to our education story: as a state, we’re struggling mightily to serve all our students. For example, on the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 18% of black students in eighth grade scored at least proficient on the math exam, compared to 56% of white students.
And according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, we have the second worst public charter school law in the country. Because of that law, more than 10,000 kids are sitting on charter school waiting lists instead of in charter school classrooms.
To create long-lasting change, we must have the conviction to make our voices heard and hold our officials accountable. Dr. Lowery, in turn, must have the courage to listen, attack these issues at their root and do whatever it takes to ensure that each and every one of our children, regardless of race or class, has access to a great public school.
**This article also appeared in the Gazette, Pikesville Patch, Eldersburg Patch, Westminster Patch, Silver Spring Patch and Owings Mill Patch.
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