John Legend Joins Education Advocacy Group Stand For Children Leadership Center's Board Of Directors

Music artist John Legend has joined nonprofit development and training organization Stand for Children to support a movement working toward improved public schools.

The Portland, Ore.-based Stand for Children Leadership Center and New York City-based Education Equality Project have partnered to create a collaboration in education reform efforts and working to close achievement gaps across the country, the two groups announced today.

Legend is a board member on the Education Equality Project and now joins the Stand for Children Leadership Board of Directors. Likewise, board members Michael Lomax and Phil Handy have also joined the Stand for Children, Inc. national Board of Directors.

"EEP is now joining forces with Stand in order to make the greatest impact in communities of color," Lomax said in a statement Tuesday. "Their grassroots structure allows us to connect our leaders and advocates with community-based leaders and advocates, and to work together on policies that will improve graduation rates, transform schools and close the achievement gap."

The EEP was founded in 2008 and through research and advocacy, has worked to close the achievement gap with the support of leaders from minority communities, education and policy experts and lawmakers.

Legend launched the Show Me Campaign in 2007 with the goal of using education to overcome poverty. In July, he joined forces with P&G and Commnities in Schools for GIVE Education, a campaign that aims to increase awareness and fight America's high school dropout crisis. Legend also wrote music for "Waiting for Superman," a film that highlighted issues in the nation's broken education system.

In a public service video that calls for community action to work with Stand and the EEP, as well as support their goals, Legend talks about his own experience at high school graduation.

"Half of my fellow students dropped out before graduation, I was one of the lucky ones -- I finished high school and went on to college," Legend says in the video. "With a different situation, different teachers, maybe I would've been one of those 53 percent of young black men who do not graduate from high school. One of the 53 percent doing the low wage jobs, unemployment and prison."

Legend is among a number of celebrities and music artists who have taken a part in a movement to improve education in the U.S. The Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.Am has called for a push in science, technology, engineering and math education, and has a "Yes We Can" video to convey the message.

Similarly, music artist Shakira has taken part in a movement to provide universal access to education through her launch of the Barefoot Foundation. She was also appointed last month to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

WATCH Legend's message:

John Legend Talks About Stand for Children from Stand for Children on Vimeo.

Comments

[anpu]

04:06 PM on 11/17/2011

All I have to say is, "Project Follow-Through." People need to discover this massive governmental study that attempted to close the achievement gap through a War On Poverty. Education was seen as a way to end the cycle of poverty. I've been teaching for 19 years now and I always ask people who are "education reformers" and professional "professional development presenters" if they have ever heard of Project Follow-Through. In all of my years of teaching I have not encountered one who has. I find this to be odd for "education reformers."

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINKS AND READ THE INFORMATION. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE GRAPH PROVIDED IN THE FIRST LINK.

http://www.projectpro.com/ICR/Research/DI/Summary.htm

http://pages.uoregon.edu/adiep/ft/grossen.htm

It's criminal that today's education policy makers, educational decision makers, and administrators do not use Project Follow-Through to make "best" decisions. It's as if our current crisis in education was created. Oh wait!!! After reading Project Follow-Through I know it was manufactured!!

[anpu]

04:29 PM on 11/17/2011

And read this link as well.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/adiep/ft/adams.htm

[Absolute]

08:05 PM on 11/16/2011

He's either a clueless pawn, an opportunist or a true believer

[deanleto]

06:53 PM on 11/16/2011

Mr. Legend has a negative attitude toward the teaching profession.
All well and good.

But my parents taught me to read before i went to school, and supported my educational aspects....

Maybe we ought to look at systematic poverty and stop blaming the people who dedicate their lives for little pay and shrinking benefits.

[nfsbrrpkk]

02:29 PM on 11/16/2011

Stand for Children is a bogus front group with the mission of cashing-in on public education.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/07/jonah-edelman-spills-oligarchs.html

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story_2nd.php?story_id=131105508519296400

[vpientka]

09:23 PM on 11/15/2011

What makes a songwriter think he knows so much about education that he would join the ranks of Michelle Rhee? I guess a 'really uninformed, can't find my butt with both hands', songwriter.

[am10]

09:33 PM on 11/15/2011

Probably because Rhee knows as much about education as Legend.

[lhaver]

08:34 PM on 11/15/2011

What a phony. John Legend knows as much about education as Michelle Rhee does. I gave away my CD when I saw he did the music for that pro-charter, anti-teacher screed. Yo, John, go have lunch with Chris Christie.

[April Davenson]

01:50 PM on 11/15/2011

I love John Legend.

[am10]

09:34 PM on 11/15/2011

If you like that cheesy crap fine. The least he could do is have a clue about education if he's going to advocate for it.

[am10]

11:56 AM on 11/15/2011

Hey Jon,
Do you realize the leader of Stand For Children makes almost as much money as you do?