The Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools (FCCS) is demanding that when Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris take the stage for Tuesday’s ABC News Presidential Debate, they address the education crisis affecting Black children.

So far this election season, mainstream media and the candidates have spent too much time focusing on issues rather than the massive failures that are taking place in America’s classrooms, and no group has been impacted more than African American children.

“We need to focus on the needs of Black children,” said Sarah Carpenter, founder and CEO of the Memphis-based Powerful Parent Movement. “Saving democracy is a vital issue, as well as addressing the border, but America cannot be a world leader in the future if our children are not getting a high-quality education.”

In 2019, Carpenter’s organization collaborated with other Black educators and activists to form FCCS to advocate for Black children and parental choice, including:

Dr. Howard Fuller, Former Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools; Founder and Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University
Jalen Rose, former NBA star; Founder & Board President of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Detroit, MI
Dr. Steve Perry, educator, author, Founder of Capital Preparatory Schools, FCCS Board Chair
Geoffrey Canada, Founder and President of the Harlem Children’s Zone
Sarah Carpenter – Executive Director of Memphis Lift
Dr. Charlene Reid, Co-CEO of Excellence Community Schools, Bronx, NY and Stamford, CT
Rev. Al Cockfield- Founder & CEO Lamad Academy Charter, Co-Founder & Board Chair BLACC, FCCS Board Member
Emory Edwards, FCCS Board Member, Indianapolis, IN
Jeremiah Grace, Executive Director of the Black Latino Asian Charter Coalition (BLACC)
Jay Artis-Wright, Executive Director of FCCS
Sonya Thomas, Executive Director of Nashville Propel
Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, Executive Director of Parent Shield Fort Worth

According to the National College Attainment Network, “In every state, Black students were less likely to demonstrate college and career readiness compared to White students.” The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that only 13% of Black fourth-graders are proficient in reading and 11% in math, reflecting significant declines in post-pandemic performance.

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal highlights that while Democrats focus on student loan debt and increasing teacher pay, they are falling short on K-12 education reform. At the same time, an August article in Politico (discusses how the GOP is losing the academic culture wars). A survey from FCCS this summer reveals that, in swing states, there is a strong demand among Black and Latino swing state voters for improvements in K-12 education that embrace more options and cultural relevance, which includes school choice and access to courses such as African American studies.

“Allowing the majority-white teachers’ union to be the loudest voice on education policy ignores the diverse needs of students of color and perpetuates inequalities we’ve seen in schools for over 70 years,” said FCCS Board Chair and Founder of Capital Prep Academy, Dr. Steve Perry.

This prominent group of Black education advocates are demanding that both parties provide urgent solutions to an education crisis that is predominantly impacting Black students. They are offering their expertise to support policies that will close the opportunity gap by:
Improving School choice.
Increasing access to college and career readiness.
Expanding academic offerings that include cultural studies.
Expanding the opportunities for African Americans to open and teach in existing public schools.
About FCCS
The Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools (FCCS) is a non-partisan organization that advocates for equitable access to quality public school options for Black and Brown communities as the key driver of economic empowerment and educational advancement.