By now, you may have heard about a new incoming CEO over at Education Post and that it is no other than our own Citizen Stewart.

But, who is Citizen Stewart? Founder of Citizen Education and Wayfinder Foundation, a lifelong activist, educational advocate, and more, we figured there was no better way than to read (and listen) for yourself to get a better idea of who he is and what he stands for.

Dive in below to some of his work:

“If you want me to compromise my kids’ life chances in service of the greater good, my response is, “You go first.” – A reflection on the role that privilege and wealth play in how public schools serve students: 

Public Schools are Free, Unless You Count the House You Have to Buy

“It’s sad to say, but when it comes to the comedy of America’s massive education payroll, the joke is clearly on us.” – Better to laugh than cry at the hypocrisy coming from the anti-reform movement:

Education Autocrats Got Jokes, and They’re All On Us

“I started out with the old school belief that strong discipline is the first ingredient of successful schools, but I came to see the contours and nuances of the issue” – Contemplating discipline reform in schools and what it means in theory vs. in practice:

I’m here for restorative justice practices until your son punches my daughter at school

“For whatever reason, there are a lot of people who have been empowered by school choice, only to turn their backs on extending the same opportunities to others.” – Examining the real reason so many beneficiaries of a privileged education end up fighting to deny the same access to others: 

You graduated from a private school. Now you oppose school choice. It’s not cute.

“It should be shocking that middle-class educators with college degrees and above average occupational benefits trade in these hasty, dehumanizing generalizations [of parents]” – Examining the common tropes used to stereotype and discredit parents:

Let’s Stop Pitting Charter School and District Parents Against Each Other, and Start Valuing Their Right to Choose Schools

 

Citizen Stewart also led the “Rock the Schools” Podcast through a 100 episode run. Catch his discussion with former Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan:

If you don’t have time to go through the entire catalog, other notable episodes include former Chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools, Michelle Rhee, activist and youngest daughter of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Bernice A. King, and Dr. Cheryl Brown Henderson of the landmark legal case Brown v. Board of Education.

The 8 Black Hands Podcast:

Finally, Citizen Stewart accounts for 2 of the 8 black hands on a podcast alongside Ray Ankrum, Sharif El-Mekki and Dr. Charles Cole, III as 2 of the 8 black hands on the “8 Black Hands Podcast,” discussing the plight of 8 million black students in the U.S. Check out the latest episode below:

Let us know in the comments what your favorite Citizen piece of all time is, and if you still haven’t had enough Citizen Stewart, catch him on Twitter @citizenstewart.

1 COMMENT

  1. Again I congratulate you on your new position. I do value school choice. I chose to send my son to a district wide progressive school. I did not know that they didn’t teach reading well. They taught content well. We left for a school that understands the science of reading. I worry that parents don’t have enough information to understand the difference in pedagogy at different schools and won’t be able to make an informed choice. That’s why I want all neighborhood schools – the default option – to be great places, and whose teachers and administrators would be willing to guide a student to a better choice if need be.

    And if we stop the dyslexia to prison pipeline, great choices of schools will open up for many more kids.

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