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December 14, 2011

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 By: Jessica Stewart

I was at the GO Holiday Party a few weeks ago when someone shared with me that Senator Mike Johnston is the subject of one of the chapter's of Tom Friedman's new book (That Used to Be Us).

It made me even more proud that Senator Johnston will be joining us in just a few weeks to help raise money for GO's work in 2012.

So far, 141 people have purchased their ticket to support GO and be sure they have a spot at a fantastic Oakland education event. If you haven't reserved yours yet, be sure to do that soon. The early bird tickets are only available for two more days (until Friday).

I got my hands on a copy of Friedman's book so that I could see the section about Senator Johnston. Here is one of my favorite excerpts from that chapter that has a good analogy about where education stands today:

"Johnston said that when he thinks about the change that he and others are trying to effect in education, he thinks back to attending President Obama's inauguration in Washington. What impressed him most was seeing a platoon of wheelchairs parting the crowd on the Mall after the president took the oath. Sitting in them were the surviving Tuskegee Airman, the first African American aviators in te United States armed forces, who flew many successful missions in World War II.

"What I realized was that they lived in a moment when people didn't believe it was possible - they didn't believe that a black man had the courage or intelligence or stamina to fly one of America's most expensive warplanes," Johnson recalled. "So they said, 'Put me up in the air and let me show you,' and they became one of the only air squadrons in WWII who never lost a bomber." And of course they could and did become successful pilots. "And when they did, the world changed- because the argument about whether or not we were all created equal was once and for all over, and nothing else could have happened but that Truman would eventually integrate the air force, or that Johnson would sign the Civil Rights Act, or that sixty years later we would inaugurate the first black president.

"Education needs its own Tuskegee moment. One reason we have not been able ot galvanize the whole community for educational reform, "Johnston concluded, "is that some people still don't believe that every one of our kids can compete with the smartest kids from Singapore and China. It's our responsibility to get up in the air and prove them wrong. Then the whole world changes."

Senator Johnston led historic legislation in Colorado that brought together Republicans, Democrats, union leaders, district leaders, and others to support effective educators in Colorado classrooms. He also co-founded New Leaders for New Schools and was one of President Obama's top three education advisors. He is also the author of In the Deep Heart's Core, a book he wrote after being a teacher in the Mississippi Delta. He was also recently named to Time Magazine's 40 Under 40 List.

Needless to say, the conversation we're going to have on January 5th with Mike is going to be inspiring and interesting, and I hope you're a part of it. Get your ticket here.

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