For over twenty years, I’ve watched my neighbors to the east in Wisconsin struggle with their charter school law.  It needs improvement—badly.  The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools ranks their law 38th of 43 charter school laws in the nation.  That’s why I went to Madison, Wisconsin January 9 to testify before a committee of the Wisconsin Assembly in support of a bill that would bring their law closer to a model charter law. 

That’s how the Adjacent Markets Division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) likes to think of charter school entrepreneurs.  I like it!   To HMH, charter leaders “Translate vision into results.  Imagination into action… You are the passionate game-changers in public education.  You make a clear difference!”

My final trip of the year was to the Hertz Furniture Expo in Mahwah, New Jersey, just south of the New York state line.  I must admit, it was one of my favorite speaking trips of the year.  It was a different audience for me:  a meeting of school furniture expert client representatives who sell to district and charter public schools around the country. 

Less than three weeks after the 50th anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy, I found myself in the same Fort Worth hotel where the President and Mrs. Kennedy slept the night before that fateful motorcade ride in Dallas.  The Kennedys’ room on the 8th floor was just one floor above where I was staying. 

Just a few days after the Illinois State Charter School Conference, I was back in Chicago as the guest of Distinctive Schools, which manages five charter schools in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois.  Distinctive Schools emphasizes one overarching goal:  All students will be on track to be college and career ready by 8th grade graduation.   

Dr. Howard Fuller’s keynote address to the INCS (Illinois) Statewide Charter School Conference in Chicago December 2 lit up the Twitter-verse.  And well it should.  He didn’t hold back as he challenged charter school leaders and educators everywhere, and even the conference theme of “Reclaiming the Dream.”

That is the welcoming mural featuring the school mascots of the jaguar and the eagle for Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, a national Blue Ribbon School. These students (left) personify the campus mission of “Community, Character, and Challenging Curriculum.”

What fun to take a break from my cross-country book tour for an update with my favorite local cable television host, Judy Corrao!

If you’ve watched the Emmy-winning show, Breaking Bad, then you know actor Steven Michael Quezada. He plays DEA Agent Steven Gomez on the AMC television series. So, why would Quezada be a featured speaker at the Indiana Charter Schools Conference and Expo November 12?

I am thrilled to share some special news. You may not know that last year I chose to self-publish my book, Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story. Self-publishing is a challenging experience, almost like the rocky journey I traveled in pioneering the first charter school law. So you can imagine my surprise to learn that Zero Chance was selected Grand Prize winner of the Writer’s Digest 21st annual Self-Published Book Awards out of more than 2,500 entries!

I was mesmerized by the skill of the flamenco dancers from Tierra Adentro of New Mexico Charter School. As I watched, Sandy Martinez approached me and pointed out her 8th grade daughter, Jillian (right). As a dancer myself, I marveled at Jillian’s confidence, poise, and technique at such a young age...

October 22 was the deadline for the first charter school applicants to submit letters of intent to create charter schools in Washington state. What an exciting time! Nearly two dozen letters of interest were submitted throughout the state. The first charter schools may open in fall of 2014, or most likely, in fall of 2015. Washington state will be the 42nd state to authorize charter schools.

What a hoot! My book was displayed at the Frankfurt, Germany Book Fair October 9-13! This is the largest book expo in the world.

You’ve seen Geoffrey Canada in Waiting for Superman, his Ted Talk, and even his own American Express commercial. He’s spent decades as head of the Harlem Children’s Zone, supporting kids from birth through college to break the cycle of poverty. I was thrilled to meet Geoffrey, the keynote speaker for the 2013 Annual Charter Schools Conference of the Northeast Charter Schools Network October 18-19. He is a real pioneer.

What a grand celebration of 20 years of education reform in Washington D. C. on October 9!   It was a reunion of pioneers in education reform and chartering from all over the country.  Hosted by Center for Education Reform (CER), a day-long conference was followed by a world-class Gala that also celebrated the leadership of Founder Jeanne Allen who is retiring November 1. 

Meet twins De’Onta and De’Na Newborn, two sixth graders at Lee A. Tolbert Community Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. Imagine them opening the state charter school conference singing a beautiful duet with the poise and skill of professionals. The high note struck by the young man nearly shattered the glasses on our table.

To my education reform friends: I hope you can join this gala celebration of twenty years of education reform on October 9 in Washington DC!

Happy 90th birthday, Governor Al Quie! You have been an inspiring role model for me as an example of bipartisanship, civility and public service. We need many more like you in public service today.

Hiawatha Leadership Academy, a K-4 South Minneapolis charter school with nearly 98% Latino and African American students, is at the top of the list of Minnesota’s high-performing schools.

If you want to see ordinary people taking an extraordinary change for change, look no further than the leaders of West Concord Public Charter School, in the small southeastern Minnesota town of West Concord. And never, ever give up.