Difference between revisions of "Kriste Dragon"
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| − | [[Image:Dragon.jpg|thumb|right|Kriste Dragon]]'''Kriste Dragon''' is the CEO and co-founder of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, a network of public charter schools in Los Angeles and Kansas City. Prior to founding Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Dragon served as Executive Director of Teach for America Los Angeles and Vice President of Regional Operations for Teach For America’s western regions. She also served as a professional development coordinator at UCLA’s Center X, where she developed mathematics curriculum and trained teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Previously, Dragon was a middle school mathematics teacher in South Los Angeles, and she has chaired several charter school boards throughout Los Angeles.<ref>Citizens of the World Charter Schools [http://www.cwclosangeles.org/about-us/ About Us] organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018</ref> Dragon was a founding co-chair of the National Advisor Board of | + | [[Image:Dragon.jpg|thumb|right|Kriste Dragon]]'''Kriste Dragon''' is the CEO and co-founder of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, a network of public charter schools in Los Angeles and Kansas City. Prior to founding Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Dragon served as Executive Director of Teach for America Los Angeles and Vice President of Regional Operations for Teach For America’s western regions. She also served as a professional development coordinator at UCLA’s Center X, where she developed mathematics curriculum and trained teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Previously, Dragon was a middle school mathematics teacher in South Los Angeles, and she has chaired several charter school boards throughout Los Angeles.<ref>Citizens of the World Charter Schools [http://www.cwclosangeles.org/about-us/ About Us] organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018</ref> Dragon was a founding co-chair of the National Advisor Board of The Collective, Teach for America’s national alumni of color association. She has also served on the boards of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, the National Charter Collaborative, and EdNavigator. Dragon has a JD from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Alabama. Dragon was a Broad Academy fellow from 2015 to 2016 and is currently part of the Broad Fellowship for Educational Leaders.<ref name=CWCS>Citizens of the World Charter Schools [http://www.citizensoftheworld.org/Our-Team About Us] organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018</ref><ref name=BC>Broad Center [https://www.broadcenter.org/alumni/directory/profile/kriste-dragon/ Kriste Dragon] organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018</ref> |
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Dragon has been a board member for several charter school and education reforms organizations. She’s a member of the Advisory Board for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the National Charter Collaborative, and she was previously a member of the California Charter Schools Association’s Political Council. She’s also the board chair for EdNavigator, an education reform organization an education reform that is “dedicated to building support for student-focused improvements in public education.”<ref name=CWCS/><ref name=BC/> EdNavigator receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Walton Family Foundation.<ref>Walton Family Foundation [https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/innovations-in-education Innovations in Education] Organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018</ref><ref> Ed Navigator [www.ednavigator.com/how-we-help/our-partners Our Partners] organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018</ref><ref>MAREESA NICOSIA [https://www.the74million.org/article/parents-at-work-has-ednavigator-fixed-school-engagement-by-making-it-a-job-benefit/] The 74, Jan. 24 2017</ref> | Dragon has been a board member for several charter school and education reforms organizations. She’s a member of the Advisory Board for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the National Charter Collaborative, and she was previously a member of the California Charter Schools Association’s Political Council. She’s also the board chair for EdNavigator, an education reform organization an education reform that is “dedicated to building support for student-focused improvements in public education.”<ref name=CWCS/><ref name=BC/> EdNavigator receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Walton Family Foundation.<ref>Walton Family Foundation [https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/innovations-in-education Innovations in Education] Organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018</ref><ref> Ed Navigator [www.ednavigator.com/how-we-help/our-partners Our Partners] organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018</ref><ref>MAREESA NICOSIA [https://www.the74million.org/article/parents-at-work-has-ednavigator-fixed-school-engagement-by-making-it-a-job-benefit/] The 74, Jan. 24 2017</ref> | ||
| − | Dragon is currently a fellow at the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship<ref name=CWCS/><ref>Aspen Global Leadership Network [https://agln.aspeninstitute.org/profile/1050 Kriste Dragon] organizational website, accessed Sept 25, 2018</ref> a leadership program within the Aspen Institute, a pro-education reform think tank that is funded by large education reform organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.<ref>Summit Public Schools [http://www.summitps.org/whoweare/cmo-leadership WHO WE ARE • Organizational Leadership] Organizational website, accessed Feb 13. 2018</ref><ref>Aspen Institute [https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/pahara-aspen-education-fellowship-class-10-challenge-leadership-invite-only/ Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship Class 10: The Challenge of Leadership] organizational website, accessed Feb 13. | + | Dragon is currently a fellow at the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship,<ref name=CWCS/><ref>Aspen Global Leadership Network [https://agln.aspeninstitute.org/profile/1050 Kriste Dragon] organizational website, accessed Sept 25, 2018</ref> a leadership program within the Aspen Institute, a pro-education reform think tank that is funded by large education reform organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.<ref>Summit Public Schools [http://www.summitps.org/whoweare/cmo-leadership WHO WE ARE • Organizational Leadership] Organizational website, accessed Feb 13. 2018</ref><ref>Aspen Institute [https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/pahara-aspen-education-fellowship-class-10-challenge-leadership-invite-only/ Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship Class 10: The Challenge of Leadership] organizational website, accessed Feb 13, 2018.</ref><ref>Aspen Institute [https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/national-commission-on-social-emotional-and-academic-development/funders/ Funders] organizational website, accessed Feb 13. 2018</ref> Dragon is also a network member and guest blogger for Education Post, a national blog that publishes stories about challenges and needed reforms in education.<ref>Education Post [http://educationpost.org/network/kriste-dragon/ Kriste Dragon] organizational website, accessed Sept 24 2018</ref> Education Post supports school accountability and “strong charter schools.” It has received funding from several organizations that promote education reform, school choice, and privatization, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.<ref>Education Post [http://educationpost.org/about/ about] organizational website, accessed Sept 24 2018</ref> |
==Problems With Citizens of The World Charter Schools== | ==Problems With Citizens of The World Charter Schools== | ||
In January 2013, a local parent group in Brooklyn, New York, sued the state for approving a Citizens of the World run charter elementary school without sufficient "support from the impacted community." The lawsuit accused Citizens of the World of gathering support from a "select, cultivated group of parents" and holding "hidden meetings." The parent group that filed the suit claimed that “the state illegally ignored significant community opposition to the new charter,” which “received fierce criticism from WAGPOPS, Williamsburg Community Board One, local teachers and politicians.”<ref>Meredith Hoffman [https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130129/greenpoint/parents-sue-state-for-approving-citizens-of-world-charter-school/ Parents Sue State for Approving Citizens of the World Charter School] ''DNA Info'' Jan 29 2013</ref> | In January 2013, a local parent group in Brooklyn, New York, sued the state for approving a Citizens of the World run charter elementary school without sufficient "support from the impacted community." The lawsuit accused Citizens of the World of gathering support from a "select, cultivated group of parents" and holding "hidden meetings." The parent group that filed the suit claimed that “the state illegally ignored significant community opposition to the new charter,” which “received fierce criticism from WAGPOPS, Williamsburg Community Board One, local teachers and politicians.”<ref>Meredith Hoffman [https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130129/greenpoint/parents-sue-state-for-approving-citizens-of-world-charter-school/ Parents Sue State for Approving Citizens of the World Charter School] ''DNA Info'' Jan 29 2013</ref> | ||
| − | In April 2013, a leaked internal enrollment plan for the Citizens of the World charter based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, revealed that the school’s main engagement strategy targeted wealthy white families. A chart of priorities in the leaked memo listed the recruiters' top strategy as "engaging core parent group" and described the target of that strategy as "middle/upper income, predominantly white."<ref>Sonja Sharp [https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130423/crown-heights/brooklyn-charter-school-targets-rich-white-parents-enrollment-plan-shows/ Brooklyn Charter School Targets Rich, White Parents, Enrollment Plan Shows] ''DNA Info'' April 23, 2013</ref> However, Citizens of the World charters purport to be “intentionally racially and socioeconomically diverse.”<ref>Natalie Gross [www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/school-segregation-are-charter-schools-problem School Segregation: Are Charter Schools the Problem?] ''Education Writer Association'' Feb 7 2018</ref> | + | In April 2013, a leaked internal enrollment plan for the Citizens of the World charter based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, revealed that the school’s main engagement strategy targeted wealthy white families. A chart of priorities in the leaked memo listed the recruiters' top strategy as "engaging core parent group" and described the target of that strategy as "middle/upper income, predominantly white."<ref>Sonja Sharp [https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130423/crown-heights/brooklyn-charter-school-targets-rich-white-parents-enrollment-plan-shows/ Brooklyn Charter School Targets Rich, White Parents, Enrollment Plan Shows] ''DNA Info'' April 23, 2013</ref> However, Citizens of the World charters purport to be “intentionally racially and socioeconomically diverse.”<ref>Natalie Gross [www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/school-segregation-are-charter-schools-problem School Segregation: Are Charter Schools the Problem?] ''Education Writer Association'', Feb. 7, 2018.</ref> |
| − | In December 2017, it was announced that both of the Citizens of the Worlds elementary schools based in New York were to be shut town at the end of the school year, after the board “decided the schools’ failure to improve their scores gave them a small chance of securing renewal.” The Citizens of the World networks in New York, both of which were launched in 2013, “struggled with leadership turnover at their regional office and within the schools themselves,” and “are also some of the lowest performing schools authorized by SUNY.” In addition, the schools fell “far below the overall charter school average in New York City,”<ref name=CBC>Monica Disare [https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2017/12/15/two-citizens-of-the-world-charter-schools-will-close-at-the-end-of-this-year/ Two Citizens of the World charter schools will close at the end of this year] ''Chalk Beat''Dec. 15 2017</ref> and the school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, struggled with low enrollment.<ref name=CBC/><ref>Diane Rativich [https://dianeravitch.net/2013/11/29/about-those-long-waiting-lists-at-charter-schools/ | + | In December 2017, it was announced that both of the Citizens of the Worlds elementary schools based in New York were to be shut town at the end of the school year, after the board “decided the schools’ failure to improve their scores gave them a small chance of securing renewal.” The Citizens of the World networks in New York, both of which were launched in 2013, “struggled with leadership turnover at their regional office and within the schools themselves,” and “are also some of the lowest performing schools authorized by SUNY.” In addition, the schools fell “far below the overall charter school average in New York City,”<ref name=CBC>Monica Disare [https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2017/12/15/two-citizens-of-the-world-charter-schools-will-close-at-the-end-of-this-year/ Two Citizens of the World charter schools will close at the end of this year] ''Chalk Beat''Dec. 15 2017</ref> and the school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, struggled with low enrollment.<ref name=CBC/><ref>Diane Rativich [https://dianeravitch.net/2013/11/29/about-those-long-waiting-lists-at-charter-schools/ About Those Long Waiting Lists at Charter Schools], blog, Nov. 29, 2013</ref> |
| − | About Those Long Waiting Lists at Charter Schools] | ||
==Wonder of Reading Scandal== | ==Wonder of Reading Scandal== | ||
| − | From 2008 to 2012, Dragon served as executive director of Wonder of Reading, a now-defunct nonprofit that donated “money to restock and renovate elementary school libraries that was founded by Chris Forman, a founding board member of Citizens for the World Charter Schools. In July 2009, NBC4, a local affiliate in Los Angeles, examined Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) records and found evidence that Wonder of Reading engaged in “double-dealing,” “kickbacks,” and other corrupt practices. For instance, Chuck Gomez, the designated “construction manager” for Wonder of Reading, “turned the program into a huge cash cow for friends and family” by “subverting the way LAUS awards construction contracts” to guarantee that awards would go to a specific construction company owned by his friend and the two would share money saved by cutting corners on projects.<ref>Nonprofit Explorer [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954484325 Wonder of | + | From 2008 to 2012, Dragon served as executive director of Wonder of Reading, a now-defunct nonprofit that donated “money to restock and renovate elementary school libraries that was founded by Chris Forman, a founding board member of Citizens for the World Charter Schools. In July 2009, NBC4, a local affiliate in Los Angeles, examined Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) records and found evidence that Wonder of Reading engaged in “double-dealing,” “kickbacks,” and other corrupt practices. For instance, Chuck Gomez, the designated “construction manager” for Wonder of Reading, “turned the program into a huge cash cow for friends and family” by “subverting the way LAUS awards construction contracts” to guarantee that awards would go to a specific construction company owned by his friend and the two would share money saved by cutting corners on projects.<ref>Nonprofit Explorer, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/954484325 Wonder of Reading 990 tax forums] ''ProPublica'', accessed Sept. 2018</ref><ref>Frank Snepp, [https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/NBC4-Extra---Book-Wars-Episode-Two.html Book Wars, Episode two], ''NBC 4'', July 17, 2007</ref><ref name=CWCS/> Notably, Dragon doesn’t mention her previous work for Wonder of Reading on her official biography listed on the Citizens of the World website.<ref name=CWCS/> |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 19:07, 7 November 2018
Kriste Dragon is the CEO and co-founder of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, a network of public charter schools in Los Angeles and Kansas City. Prior to founding Citizens of the World Charter Schools, Dragon served as Executive Director of Teach for America Los Angeles and Vice President of Regional Operations for Teach For America’s western regions. She also served as a professional development coordinator at UCLA’s Center X, where she developed mathematics curriculum and trained teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Previously, Dragon was a middle school mathematics teacher in South Los Angeles, and she has chaired several charter school boards throughout Los Angeles.[1] Dragon was a founding co-chair of the National Advisor Board of The Collective, Teach for America’s national alumni of color association. She has also served on the boards of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, the National Charter Collaborative, and EdNavigator. Dragon has a JD from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Alabama. Dragon was a Broad Academy fellow from 2015 to 2016 and is currently part of the Broad Fellowship for Educational Leaders.[2][3]
Contents
Education Reform Efforts & Ties
Dragon has been a board member for several charter school and education reforms organizations. She’s a member of the Advisory Board for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the National Charter Collaborative, and she was previously a member of the California Charter Schools Association’s Political Council. She’s also the board chair for EdNavigator, an education reform organization an education reform that is “dedicated to building support for student-focused improvements in public education.”[2][3] EdNavigator receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Walton Family Foundation.[4][5][6]
Dragon is currently a fellow at the Pahara-Aspen Fellowship,[2][7] a leadership program within the Aspen Institute, a pro-education reform think tank that is funded by large education reform organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.[8][9][10] Dragon is also a network member and guest blogger for Education Post, a national blog that publishes stories about challenges and needed reforms in education.[11] Education Post supports school accountability and “strong charter schools.” It has received funding from several organizations that promote education reform, school choice, and privatization, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.[12]
Problems With Citizens of The World Charter Schools
In January 2013, a local parent group in Brooklyn, New York, sued the state for approving a Citizens of the World run charter elementary school without sufficient "support from the impacted community." The lawsuit accused Citizens of the World of gathering support from a "select, cultivated group of parents" and holding "hidden meetings." The parent group that filed the suit claimed that “the state illegally ignored significant community opposition to the new charter,” which “received fierce criticism from WAGPOPS, Williamsburg Community Board One, local teachers and politicians.”[13]
In April 2013, a leaked internal enrollment plan for the Citizens of the World charter based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, revealed that the school’s main engagement strategy targeted wealthy white families. A chart of priorities in the leaked memo listed the recruiters' top strategy as "engaging core parent group" and described the target of that strategy as "middle/upper income, predominantly white."[14] However, Citizens of the World charters purport to be “intentionally racially and socioeconomically diverse.”[15]
In December 2017, it was announced that both of the Citizens of the Worlds elementary schools based in New York were to be shut town at the end of the school year, after the board “decided the schools’ failure to improve their scores gave them a small chance of securing renewal.” The Citizens of the World networks in New York, both of which were launched in 2013, “struggled with leadership turnover at their regional office and within the schools themselves,” and “are also some of the lowest performing schools authorized by SUNY.” In addition, the schools fell “far below the overall charter school average in New York City,”[16] and the school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, struggled with low enrollment.[16][17]
Wonder of Reading Scandal
From 2008 to 2012, Dragon served as executive director of Wonder of Reading, a now-defunct nonprofit that donated “money to restock and renovate elementary school libraries that was founded by Chris Forman, a founding board member of Citizens for the World Charter Schools. In July 2009, NBC4, a local affiliate in Los Angeles, examined Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) records and found evidence that Wonder of Reading engaged in “double-dealing,” “kickbacks,” and other corrupt practices. For instance, Chuck Gomez, the designated “construction manager” for Wonder of Reading, “turned the program into a huge cash cow for friends and family” by “subverting the way LAUS awards construction contracts” to guarantee that awards would go to a specific construction company owned by his friend and the two would share money saved by cutting corners on projects.[18][19][2] Notably, Dragon doesn’t mention her previous work for Wonder of Reading on her official biography listed on the Citizens of the World website.[2]
References
- ↑ Citizens of the World Charter Schools About Us organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Citizens of the World Charter Schools About Us organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Broad Center Kriste Dragon organizational website, accessed Sept. 25, 2018
- ↑ Walton Family Foundation Innovations in Education Organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018
- ↑ Ed Navigator [www.ednavigator.com/how-we-help/our-partners Our Partners] organizational site, accessed February 15, 2018
- ↑ MAREESA NICOSIA [1] The 74, Jan. 24 2017
- ↑ Aspen Global Leadership Network Kriste Dragon organizational website, accessed Sept 25, 2018
- ↑ Summit Public Schools WHO WE ARE • Organizational Leadership Organizational website, accessed Feb 13. 2018
- ↑ Aspen Institute Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship Class 10: The Challenge of Leadership organizational website, accessed Feb 13, 2018.
- ↑ Aspen Institute Funders organizational website, accessed Feb 13. 2018
- ↑ Education Post Kriste Dragon organizational website, accessed Sept 24 2018
- ↑ Education Post about organizational website, accessed Sept 24 2018
- ↑ Meredith Hoffman Parents Sue State for Approving Citizens of the World Charter School DNA Info Jan 29 2013
- ↑ Sonja Sharp Brooklyn Charter School Targets Rich, White Parents, Enrollment Plan Shows DNA Info April 23, 2013
- ↑ Natalie Gross [www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/school-segregation-are-charter-schools-problem School Segregation: Are Charter Schools the Problem?] Education Writer Association, Feb. 7, 2018.
- ↑ Jump up to: 16.0 16.1 Monica Disare Two Citizens of the World charter schools will close at the end of this year Chalk BeatDec. 15 2017
- ↑ Diane Rativich About Those Long Waiting Lists at Charter Schools, blog, Nov. 29, 2013
- ↑ Nonprofit Explorer, Wonder of Reading 990 tax forums ProPublica, accessed Sept. 2018
- ↑ Frank Snepp, Book Wars, Episode two, NBC 4, July 17, 2007
