As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE) recognizes the legacy of Eileen M. Ahearn, a dedicated advocate for students with disabilities. Eileen’s foresight and commitment to ensuring students with disabilities have equitable access to high-quality charter school education as their peers is the foundation for the work at CLE. In 2019, CLE created the Eileen M. Ahearn Education Visionary Award to honor Eileen’s impact and recognize individuals who have built upon her legacy. Individuals selected for this award have made outstanding contributions to ensuring that students with disabilities are able to access and thrive alongside their peers in inclusive educational environments, charter or otherwise. CLE is proud to announce that Paul O’Neill, CLE’s co-founder and Senior Fellow Emeritus, is the recipient of the 2024 Eileen M. Ahearn Education Visionary Award. Paul’s contributions to special education and charter schools align seamlessly with Eileen’s vision and legacy. His commitment to creating a nonprofit organization dedicated to boldly challenging systemic barriers for students with disabilities has been integral to CLE’s success over the past 10 years, success that translates directly into improved access and educational outcomes for diverse learners in charter schools and beyond. Paul is an education […]
Inclusive hiring isn’t just a trend; it’s a strategic imperative for any innovative and proactive organization today. It goes beyond compliance; it’s about recognizing the inherent value that inclusivity and diversity bring to an organization. It is committing to actively seeking out individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Understanding Inclusive Hiring: At its core, inclusive hiring is about creating equitable opportunities for everyone, regardless of any seen or unseen characteristics. Inclusive hiring recognizes the systemic barriers in our society that may prevent certain groups from accessing employment opportunities. It is a daily commitment to fostering a workplace culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to contribute their best. Recruitment systems must be structured to combat the inequity that has been normalized within the human resource industry. At the Center for Learner Equity (CLE), we recognize the difference between equity and equality; anything short of belonging and justice is not enough. The Business Case: While our drive and desire to pursue equity because of value alignment is enough, a strong business case can also be made. Research has consistently shown that diverse teams outperform their industry peers in terms of innovation, problem-solving, and overall performance¹. When you bring together […]
Join us in celebrating our 10th anniversary! As we reflect on our journey, we take pride in our commitment to breaking down barriers and expanding learning opportunities for students with disabilities.
This analysis by The 74 shows Minnesota could fill its vacancies three times over if it lured back special ed teachers from less-grueling regular ed classrooms. Wendy Tucker, CLE’s Senior Policy Fellow, is quoted in this article to help illustrate the challenges students with disabilities face every day.
Thanks to The 74 for including this article examining why our society is willing to accept failure for an entire group of students, which was co-authored by David Flink, co-founder and CEO of Eye to Eye, and CLE’s Lauren Morando Rhim. We are honored to be included among some of America’s most prominent names in education who tackle some of the thorniest issues facing the country’s schools.
David Greenberg and Karega Rausch of NACSA share the results of their year-long analysis of how charters are authorized yielded some key suggestions for how applications should evolve.
CLE’s executive director, Lauren Morando Rhim is quoted in a Youth Today article exploring the trend of microschools.
The RISE Act was recently reintroduced, and CLE was listed as on of the supporting organizations in a press release from the House.
The Center for Learner Equity’s executive director, Lauren Morando Rhim was quoted in a K-12 Dive article exploring the growth of grant funded charted schools.
The Center for Learner Equity receives research grant to explore relationship between charter growth and inclusive practices .