BEN JEALOUS
Benjamin Todd Jealous is the 17th President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAACP. He’s the youngest person to hold the position in the organization’s nearly 100-year history.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ
Actor and comedian Paul Rodriguez’ career has spanned more than two decades and includes starring roles and featured appearances in over 30 films and countless TV appearances.
MARIA CANCIAN
Professor of Public Affairs and Social Work
Maria Cancian is Professor of Public Affairs and Social Work, and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty. Her research is in the area of domestic social policy. She is co-editor of the new book, Changing Poverty, Changing Policies (Russell Sage Foundation, 2009)
TERRIE M. WILLIAMS
Author, mental health advocate
Terrie Williams is a publicist who has represented everyone from Eddie Murphy, Miles Davis, Johnnie Cochran and Janet Jackson. In her new book, ‘Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting,’ (Scribner), she not outlines her battle with depression but includes stories from regular folks and celebrities.
DR. HAYES-BAUTISTA
Dr. Hayes-Bautista is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine, UCLA. He graduated from UC Berkeley and completed his MA and PhD in Medical Sociology at the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco.
DR. ALVIN POUSSAINT
Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint is Director of the Media Center of the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston. He is also a Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Harvard Medical School. He is co-author, with James P. Comer, M.D., of Raising Black Children, 1992; and co-author, with Amy Alexander, of Lay My Burden Down, 2000. He has written dozens of articles for lay and professional publications. In 1997, he received a New England Emmy award for Outstanding Children’s Special as co-executive producer of Willoughby’s Wonders.
MICHELLE RHEE
Chancellor Michelle Rhee leads the District of Columbia Public Schools, a school district serving more than 47,000 students in 123 schools. Chancellor Rhee founded The New Teacher Project (TNTP) in 1997, a leading organization in understanding and developing innovative solutions to the challenges of new teacher hiring. As Chief Executive Officer and President, Ms. Rhee partnered with school districts, state education agencies, non-profit organizations and unions to transform the way schools and other organizations recruit, select and train highly qualified teachers in difficult-to-staff schools.
DERRELL BRADFORD
Derrell Bradford is deputy director of Excellent Education for Everyone (E3), a school-choice advocacy group co-founded by Newark Mayor Cory Booker.
DENNIS VAN ROEKEL
Dennis Van Roekel, a 23-year teaching veteran and longtime activist and advocate for children and public education, is president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association. As NEA President, he leads the nation’s largest labor union representing educators and advocates for quality public schools.
BEN AUSTIN
Ben Austin has served as the Executive Director of the Parents Union since April 2008. He has dedicated much of his career to fighting for a California where every child can get a great public education.
BEN CHAVIS
Ben Chavis turned a failing charter school in Oakland into one of the top performers in the state. Students at the American Indian Public Charter School (originally intended for American Indians but in fact serving the city’s diverse racial and ethnic communities) consistently outrank other Oakland middle schools on standardized tests and score among the highest in California.
DEBORAH KENNY
Dr. Deborah Kenny is the founder and Chief Executive of Harlem Village Academies. In just five years, test scores have improved dramatically at her schools, in a part of New York that historically has had 75% failure rates. In January 2009 Harlem Village Academies made history as 100% of eighth graders passed the New York State math test, ranking them #1 of all public schools in New York State.
