SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct 7 (Reuters) - The education reform group Students First has named as its president a longtime supporter of school vouchers and loosening tenure protections for public school teachers, the group said on Tuesday.
Jim Blew, a longtime adviser to education reform efforts, will replace Students First founder Michelle Rhee, the former chief of the Washington, D.C. schools, who championed charter schools, tougher teacher evaluations, and other reforms.
"They've accomplished an awful lot," said Blew of the organization's first four years, lobbying for reforms in numerous states and engaging in such politically fraught discussions as using public funds to send children to private schools. "It's a great record to build on."
Blew, appointed Tuesday by the Students First board of directors in a meeting in New York, will lead the Sacramento-based organization at a time when it has been retrenching, eliminating paid staff positions in Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Maine and New Jersey.
He plans to focus the group's activity on about a dozen states, including California, New York, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Blew previously ran campaigns for the Alliance for School Choice and is an adviser to the family of WalMart founder Sam Walton, which funds education reform efforts along with other causes.
A registered Democrat, he has been affiliated with groups that have clashed with teachers unions and many Democratic officials.
Blew became interested in education reform through his father, a Los Angeles public school teacher who helped build a teachers unions but later began to oppose protections for teachers he believed should not be in the classroom, Blew said.
Rhee, who is married to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, will remain on the organization's board, but plans to devote more time to her family and to working on political issues with Johnson.
She will continue to help set strategic goals for Students First and will serve on its executive committee, Blew said. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by David Gregorio)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.