Derrell Bradford’s determination to give parents the freedom of school choice has made the former writer integral to the fight for U.S. education reform. Since recognizing that New Jersey can no longer afford its public school system — the Garden State has cut $1.3 billion of state support over two fiscal years — Bradford has rallied behind the Garden State’s governor, Chris Christie, and his controversial decision to downsize public education while expanding the state’s network of charter schools.

Derrell Bradford is making history … by advocating for school choice and charter programs across New Jersey. Though controversy surrounds publicly-funded, privately-managed charter schools, Bradford believes expanding his state’s charter school system will provide parents with better education options and disrupt deep-rooted disadvantages of zipcode-based school enrollment. In October, Bradford was appointed to a newly-established Educator Effectiveness Task Force, which is charged with recommending a “fair and transparent system of educator evaluations that centers on student learning and achievement,” according to the governor’s website. Up for discussion are teacher tenure and merit-based compensation, all towards the goal of bettering student performance.

What’s next for Derrell?

Bradford will guide Excellent Education for Everyone as the organization continues to evaluate and insist on improving educational standards and practices on every level, from legislation to classrooms.

In his own words …

Speaking with The New York Times, Bradford said, “You have to support school choice of all kinds; you have to understand the state cannot afford its schools; and you have to understand that we’re at war with the status quo.”

A little-known fact …

There are nearly 1.8 million students enrolled in the 5,453 U.S. charter schools, according to The Center for Education Reform.

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