Jonah Edelman

Last updated

Jonah Edelman
Born
Jonah Martin Edelman

(1970-10-09) October 9, 1970 (age 53)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Education Yale University (BA)
Balliol College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil)
Occupation(s)Co-founder and CEO of Stand for Children
Parents

Jonah Martin Edelman (born October 9, 1970) is an American advocate for public education. [1] He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Stand for Children, a national American education advocacy organization based in Portland, Oregon, with affiliates in nine states.

Contents

Early life and education

Jonah Edelman is the second son of Marian Wright Edelman, former civil rights leader and aide to Martin Luther King Jr. and founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, and Peter Edelman, former aide to Senator Robert F. Kennedy, former assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and professor at Georgetown University Law Center. His brother Ezra produced and directed the documentary O.J.: Made in America .

Edelman was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and received his B.A. in history with a concentration on African-American studies from Yale University in 1992, where he was awarded the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize. Edelman attended Balliol College, Oxford, on a Rhodes Scholarship, earning his Master of Philosophy in 1994 and Doctor of Philosophy in 1995, both in politics. His dissertation was titled, "The passage of the Family Support Act of 1988 and the politics of welfare reform in the United States". [2]

Edelman cites tutoring a six-year-old bilingual child named Daniel Zayas in reading while volunteering at Dwight Elementary School during his first year at Yale as a turning point. [3] While still an undergraduate, he ran a teen pregnancy prevention speakers' bureau, co-founded a mentorship program for African American middle school students, and served as an administrator of an enrichment program for children living in public housing—Leadership Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP). Jonah Edelman is married to Charese Rohny, has twin sons and lives in Portland, Oregon. [4] [5] [6]

Stand for Children

Edelman was a key organizer of Stand for Children Day, a June 1, 1996 rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., attended by 300,000 people. [7] Among the speakers at this rally, the largest for children in U.S. history, were Geoffrey Canada, who later became Stand for Children’s first board of directors chair, the editor of Parade Magazine, Walter Anderson, who came up with the name "Stand for Children Day," and Marian Wright Edelman.

On June 2, 1996, Edelman and Eliza Leighton founded Stand for Children as an ongoing advocacy organization to support rally participants when they returned home. Hundreds of follow up Stand for Children events and rallies took place across the country on June 1, 1997, and then June 1, 1998.

Stand for Children's mission is to ensure all students receive a high quality, relevant education, especially those whose boundless potential is overlooked or under-tapped because of their skin color, zip code, first language, or disability. [8] Stand's top priority areas concern increasing high school graduation rates, college and career preparation, literacy proficiency levels of economically disadvantaged students, and achieving equitable and adequate funding.

In the 24 years since its founding, Stand has achieved numerous legislative victories for students and created programs aimed at boosting academic success. Stand helped secure the passage and full funding of Measure 98 in Oregon, which provides $303 million to enable the state's school districts to expand evidence-based dropout prevention strategies, career technical education pathways, college credit courses, and post-secondary counseling. [9] In Washington, Stand helped pass the nation's first-ever statewide Advanced Placement course enrollment equity requirement. [10] Stand also played a pivotal role in advocating for the passage of funding for full-day kindergarten in Colorado in 2019. [11]

In 2017, Stand developed the Center for High School Success, which partners with school districts in multiple Stand-affiliate states to provide educators with resources, training, and data needed to ensure more ninth grade students stay on track to graduation.

Past controversy

At the Aspen Ideas Festival on June 28, 2011, Edelman was the center of a controversy due to remarks he made regarding recent concessions by teachers' unions leading to landmark education reform legislation in Illinois. While unions and legislators say they engaged in a collaborative effort in which all sides gave a little in an effort to improve Illinois’ schools, Edelman told attendees at the Festival, that, actually, he led a well-funded campaign that used lobbyists and shrewd political gamesmanship to pressure union leaders to give up their rights." [12]

Subsequent to this speech, a video of Edelman’s lecture went viral. Afterwards, he apologized for his "arrogance" in claiming his political manipulations alone passed the bill to the exclusion of unions’ contributions. The Illinois Education Association declined his apology. [13]

"They essentially gave away every single provision related to teacher effectiveness that we had proposed — everything we had fought for in Colorado," Edelman said in Aspen. "We hired 11 lobbyists, including four of the absolute best insiders and seven of the best minority lobbyists, preventing the unions from hiring them." He further stated, "There was a palpable sense of concern if not shock on the part of the teachers’ unions of Illinois that Speaker [of the House Mike] Madigan had changed allegiance and that we had clear political capability to potentially jam this proposal down their throats the same way that pension reform had been jammed down their throats six months earlier." [14]

Honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Oregon</span> Public university in Eugene, Oregon, U.S.

The University of Oregon is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the university also has two Portland locations, one in Downtown and one in Northeast; a marine station, called the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, in Charleston; and an observatory, called Pine Mountain Observatory, in Central Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Goldschmidt</span> American politician

Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and Democratic politician from the state of Oregon who held local, state and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the United States Secretary of Transportation under President Jimmy Carter and governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt was at one time considered the most powerful and influential figure in Oregon's politics. His career and legacy were severely damaged by revelations he raped a young teenage girl in 1973, during his first term as mayor of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Education Association</span> US teachers trade union

The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers. The NEA has just under 3 million members and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The NEA had a budget of more than $341 million for the 2012–2013 fiscal year. Becky Pringle is the NEA's current president.

The Oregon tax revolt is a political movement in Oregon which advocates for lower taxes. This movement is part of a larger anti-tax movement in the western United States which began with the enactment of Proposition 13 in California. The tax revolt, carried out in large part by a series of citizens' initiatives and referendums, has reshaped the debate about taxes and public services in Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Federation of Teachers</span> Labor union for education workers

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America. The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marian Wright Edelman</span> American activist for childrens rights (born 1939)

Marian Wright Edelman is an American activist for civil rights and children's rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Public Schools</span> Public school system of the municipal government of Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the fourth-largest school district in the United States, after New York, Los Angeles, and Miami-Dade County. For the 2020–21 school year, CPS reported overseeing 638 schools, including 476 elementary schools and 162 high schools; of which 513 were district-run, 115 were charter schools, 9 were contract schools and 1 was a SAFE school. The district serves 340,658 students. Chicago Public School students attend a particular school based on their area of residence, except for charter, magnet, and selective enrollment schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consumer Federation of America</span> Consumer group

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randi Weingarten</span> American lawyer

Rhonda “Randi” Weingarten is an American labor leader, attorney, and educator. She is president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the AFL–CIO. She is the former president of the United Federation of Teachers.

An advocate is a professional in the field of law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter M. Pierce</span> 17th Governor of Oregon

Walter Marcus Pierce was an American politician, a Democrat, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon's 2nd congressional district. A native of Illinois, he served in the Oregon State Senate before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House. Pierce was an anti-Catholic supporter of compulsory public education and signed a law banning parochial schools, resulting in lawsuits and the United States Supreme Court case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters. He was also a eugenicist and supported Prohibition. He advocated unsuccessfully for a state income tax and vehicle license fee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel del Valle</span> American politician

Miguel del Valle is an American politician and the former City Clerk of Chicago. He was an Illinois State Senator for two decades, representing the 2nd District of Chicago from 1987–2006. Del Valle lost his bid for mayor in Chicago's February 22, 2011 municipal elections, coming in third with 53,953 votes. He served as the president of the Chicago Board of Education from June 2019 through June 2023, having been appointed to that position by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascade Policy Institute</span> American libertarian think tank in Oregon

Cascade Policy Institute is a non-profit and non-partisan American libertarian think tank based in Oregon that focuses on state and local issues. Founded in 1991, the institute advocates limited government in cost and size, and promotes privatization and other free market alternatives to government services. Cascade is a member of the State Policy Network, a network of conservative and libertarian think tanks in the United States and Canada.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, formerly called the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is an umbrella group of American civil rights interest groups.

Randall Edwards is an American politician who most recently served as the state treasurer of the state of Oregon. A Democrat, Edwards was elected as treasurer in 2000 and reelected in 2004, after serving two terms in the Oregon Legislative Assembly. He served as a manager and senior advisor at the Oregon State Treasury from 1992–1996, and was an International Trade Analyst for the U.S. Commerce Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand for Children</span> Education advocacy group in the United States of America

Stand for Children is an American education advocacy group. Founded in 1996 following a Children's Defense Fund rally the non-profit advocates for equity in public education. Stand for Children's mission is "to ensure all students receive a high quality, relevant education, especially those whose boundless potential is overlooked and under-tapped because of their skin color, zip code, first language, or disability."

Eva Sarah Moskowitz is an American politician and education reform leader, who is the founder and CEO of the Success Academy Charter Schools. A member of the Democratic Party, Moskowitz served on the New York City Council, representing the 4th district on the Upper East Side, from 1999 to 2005. Moskowitz interviewed to be Donald Trump's Secretary of Education, but decided not to pursue the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50CAN</span>

50CAN is a nonprofit education advocacy group founded in January 2011 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States According to its website, 50CAN's mission is to advocate for a high-quality education for all kids, regardless of their address. The organization aims to find, connect and support local leaders in states across the country to help them improve educational policies in their communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Anti-Corruption Act</span> American model legislation

The American Anti-Corruption Act (AACA), sometimes shortened to Anti-Corruption Act, is a piece of model legislation designed to limit the influence of money in American politics by overhauling lobbying, transparency, and campaign finance laws. It was crafted in 2011 "by former Federal Election Commission chairman Trevor Potter in consultation with dozens of strategists, democracy reform leaders and constitutional attorneys from across the political spectrum," and is supported by reform organizations such as Represent.Us, which advocate for the passage of local, state, and federal laws modeled after the AACA. It is designed to limit or outlaw practices perceived to be major contributors to political corruption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March for Science Portland</span> 2017 protest in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The March for Science Portland was a protest held in Portland, Oregon. This local protest was part of the March for Science, a series of rallies and marches in Washington, D.C., and over 600 cities across the world on April 22, 2017. Portland Science Advocates organized the march in support of science and to protest President Donald Trump's plan to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health. Funding for the event, which cost approximately $30,000, was crowdsourced.

References

  1. ↑ Warren, James (April 28, 2011). "Son of Advocates Makes Education His Mission". The New York Times . Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ "https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=oxfaleph011790989&vid=SOLO&search_scope=LSCOP_ALL&tab=local&lang=en_US&context=L". solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved May 26, 2023.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "Children's advocate talks about inspiration, what kids need". spokesman.com. March 22, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  4. ↑ Jonah Edelman, stand.org
  5. ↑ Jonah Edelman, educationpost.org
  6. ↑ What Fatherhood: Has Taught Me Reflections on Being a Dad, Metro Parent, 6/2011 PDF, p. 14
  7. ↑ "The controversy over 'Stand': A closer look". EdNews Colorado. October 20, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Education Advocacy Nonprofit". Stand for Children. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Opinion: Measure 98 shows Oregon is rewriting the narrative for students' future". The Oregonian. May 15, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  10. ↑ "FIRST-IN-NATION LAW TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO ADVANCED CLASSES FOR ALL STUDENTS ADOPTED IN WASHINGTON STATE" (Press release). Stand for Children. May 7, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019– via GlobeNewswire News Room.
  11. ↑ Siens, Leilani (August 25, 2019). "Op-Ed: Full-Day Kindergarten Is a Win for All Kids and Families". Westword. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Braggart-angers-teachers-union-after-tough-negotiations-over-reform-bill". Chicago Sun-Times. July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Jonah Edelman On Illinois School Reform: Stand For Children Head Talks Political Maneuvers". HuffPost. July 12, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Braggart-angers-teachers-union-after-tough-negotiations-over-reform-bill". Chicago Sun-Times. July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.

Videos

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.