The Center for Education Reform

Quick question for the parents reading this:
This week, voters in six states went to the polls. The post-election coverage has been about housing, crime, jobs, the cost of living.

How much have you heard about your child's school?

Almost nothing.

But here's what nobody on the trail wants to say out loud: every one of those issues, every single one, runs back to education. Families don't stay in a city where they can't find a good school for their kid. Businesses don't grow in communities where the next generation can't read. The future of your neighborhood is being decided in classrooms right now.

And here's the good news the headlines also missed: in some places, it's already working. North Carolina just opened its Opportunity Scholarship program to every family, and more than 100,000 kids are using it. That's what's possible when leaders actually choose families. 💛

This isn't an off-year. It's the year.

Jeanne Allen wrote about what's at stake — and why North Carolina is the story more parents (and more states) should be watching.

Worth a read → https://forza.edreform.com/p/june-is-busting-out-all-over

Less than 6 hours left. ⏳

The 2026 Yass Prize closes today at 12pm EST.

If you've been thinking about applying — this is the morning to do it.

You've already built something that matters. Take 30 minutes and put it in front of people who will recognize it.

$1 million award.

Final hours. → https://yassprize.org/

Most weekends, the to-do list is laundry and a grocery run. This weekend, your work could be recognized with $1 million.

⏳ 2 days left to apply for the 2026 Yass Prize.

If you've been seeing our posts and you're still not 100% sure what this is, here's the whole thing:
The Yass Prize is a $1 million award for education innovators, the founders, principals, and leaders building schools and learning programs that actually work for kids.

It's built around four ideas, called the STOP framework:
🔹 Sustainable — built to last
🔹 Transformational — changing lives, not just lesson plans
🔹 Outstanding — actually getting results
🔹 Permissionless — building without waiting for permission

Microschools. Charter schools. Private and independent schools. Homeschool networks. Tutoring programs. Career-technical education. If you've built it and it's making a real difference, this award was made for you.

Since 2021, the Yass Prize has awarded over $60 million to 225+ organizations across 45 states.

Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, puts it simply:
"Believe in your mission. Ground yourself. Never give up."

👉 Applications close Monday, June 1 at 12pm EST.

Take 30 minutes this weekend. Apply at https://yassprize.org/

Weekend plans? Applying for The Yass Prize sounds perfect to us. 😎

Hey Siri — set a reminder. There are only 3 days left.

So what is the Yass Prize?
It's a $1 million prize for education founders, principals, and leaders who are building schools — and learning programs — that actually work. Microschools, charters, private and independent schools, homeschool networks, tutoring programs, alternative learning models.

If you've built it, this prize was made for you.

Since 2021, the Yass Prize has awarded more than $60 million to 225+ education organizations across 45 states.

People call it the Pulitzer of education innovation. Past finalists will tell you the network you join through the application is worth as much as the money itself.

👉 Applications close Monday, June 1 at 12pm EST.
Don't let the weekend get away from you.

Apply at https://yassprize.org/

🕔 🗓️ The clock is ticking... FIVE days until the 2026 Yass Prize application deadline! https://hubs.li/Q04j2Sxp0

Today, we remember.

We honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country — and the families who carry their legacy forward every day.

Their courage reminds us that freedom is never guaranteed. It is protected through sacrifice, responsibility, and a commitment to future generations.

This Memorial Day, we pause in gratitude for those who gave everything for the opportunities we have today.

"A lot of our students were students who were sitting in the back of the classroom and no one noticed. They didn't fit the mold. We notice them here." — Michael Marrone, head of Liguori Academy in Kensington, one of 16 Philadelphia schools participating in the new Opportunity Knocks Scholarship.

Forbes covered the program this week. With Philadelphia closing 17 public schools and roughly 4,000 students displaced, Opportunity Knocks offers $8,000 per year — covering all costs — for 500 affected students. Renewable through high school graduation. Applications are open now.

Read Kerry McDonald's piece in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/2026/05/15/philadelphia-families-gain-education-options-through-new-scholarship/

See if your student qualifies at: https://opportunityknocksphilly.org/

Philadelphia Families Gain Education Options Through New Scholarship The Opportunity Knocks Scholarship provides $8,000 in annual funding for 500 students displaced from Philadelphia public schools amidst upcoming school closures.

Flashback
2007 ➡️ Joe Williams investigates the ripple effect of and their impact on public education in Stories of Inspiration, Struggle & Success
https://hubs.li/Q04gCtMt0