Contact: Andrew Campanella Senior Communications Advisor Phone: 202-276-1303
1/12/2010
(Washington, D.C., January 12, 2010)—The Alliance for School Choice today praised Governor Bob McDonnell’s appointment of Gerard Robinson to serve as Virginia’s new Education Secretary. Robinson, currently the president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), has a distinguished record in leading education reform efforts in several states throughout the nation.
“Gerard Robinson is a visionary leader who has demonstrated that he always puts the needs of students and children first,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the Alliance for School Choice. “We know that Gerard will be a tireless advocate for providing educational opportunities for children from low-income families. This appointment heralds a new era for education reform in Virginia. I join my colleagues in the education reform community today in congratulating Gerard on his appointment, and we applaud Governor McDonnell for his strong commitment to ensuring equal opportunity in education for all children in Virginia.”
Among his many accomplishments at BAEO, Robinson fought successfully in several states to expand charter schools and to ensure that all children, particularly those children from low-income families, have equal access to the schools of their choice, including private schools. His leadership has been especially instrumental in the growth of nationally prominent school choice programs, including Georgia’s charter school system, Milwaukee’s successful voucher program and the New Orleans voucher program for disadvantaged students.
The Alliance for School Choice is a national public policy organization based in Washington, DC; the organization works closely with state-level school choice groups to advance equal opportunity in education.
