In Sacramento the achievement gap widens as African American students continue to perform significantly lower than their classmates . In fact in the last 10 years African-American students have only been able close the achievement gap by a mere 3%. At this rate it will take black kids over 300 years to catch up. We need solutions and we need them quickly.

Thousands of charter schools across the nation have proven that all children can learn and excel. Charter schools provide the necessary options for students and families -options that give every child the opportunity to succeed and be prepared for college and their careers.

On June 16th, Indivizible will host the first ever Education Panel which will bring out some of Sacramento’s biggest names in education reform to discuss the positive difference charter schools make for black and brown students.

Meet the impressive lineup of speakers:

RICHARD WHITMIRE

An advocate for effective education systems, author Richard Whitmire has gained a clear understanding of why our children are failing and what they need to succeed.

Whitmire masterfully accounts his experiences in multiple books including, Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Education System That’s Leaving Them Behind, The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst School District, The Achievable Dream: College Board Lessons on Creating Great Schools and his most recent publication On the Rocketship: How Top Charter Schools are Pushing the Envelope. Learn more here.

MICHELLE RHEE

Michelle Rhee has gained national attention and mountains of respect for her commitment to student achievement. It was this dedication to providing a quality education to every student that prompted her to form StudentsFirst.

For StudentsFirst the mission is clear; build a national movement to defend the interest of children in public education and pursue transformative reform so that America has the best education system in the world. Learn more here.

JOSIAH YOUNG

Josiah Young, is an attorney and  education advocate  committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to attend an excellent public school. As the executive director of Stand Up for Sacramento Schools, Young ensures the voices of school leadership, community members and families are heard as we work  to create and foster great schools and great teachers in the Sacramento region.

Stand Up strives to improve teacher quality, enhance transparency around school performance, increase the range of school options available to students while equipping parents with the tools to advocate for their child’s success. Learn more here.

MAYOR CHRISTOPHER CABALDON

With over 20 years in education, West Sacramento’s Mayor Christopher Cabaldon has earned the title of a “visionary leader for education.”

Mayor Cabaldon brings the relevant experience, context and  energy required for this important conversation.  Cabaldon will describe the missing links and what is required for all students to succeed. Learn more here.