DFER claims to support five policy areas: resource equity, teacher quality and preparation, accountability, public school choice, and higher ed quality and affordability. In 2018, the Colorado Democratic Party asked the Colorado DFER chapter to stop using "Democrats" in its name.[2]
Leadership
Shavar Jeffries, one of the charter school sector's most prominent Black leaders, became the president of the organization in 2015.[3][4][5]
Since 2023, the organization is led by Jorge Elorza, former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.[6]
Activities
In Washington D.C., DFER sent out attack ads against Janeese Lewis George, a progressive candidate for D.C. city council. After conducting polling that showed voters were concerned about crime, DFER ran mailers that claimed that George would defund the police.[7] After the election, DFER apologized for its efforts.[8]
References
^Moe, Terry M. (2011). Special Interest Teachers Unions and America's Public Schools. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN978-0-8157-2130-7.