Nearly 50 years after Dr. King gave his life in Memphis in the fight for equality, only 5% of kids in our city graduate high school ready for college. We are not living up to the legacy left to us by Civil Rights leaders when a top-quality education is a privilege in our community and not a right. It is our responsibility to carry on this work and seek justice for kids.

Today we’re working to make educational equity a reality. I am humbled by a recent study that identified our corps members as the most effective of the state’s 42 teacher-preparation programs. Since we first came to Memphis in 2006, we’ve more than tripled our size from 50 corps members to 175, successfully partnered with school, district, and community leaders, and together we’ve proven that children living in poverty can excel academically when they are held to the highest expectations and given the opportunity to succeed. 

I am inspired by our corps members and all of our teachers in Memphis. I am encouraged by our alumni school leaders like Michael Whaley (Memphis ’06) of Memphis College Prep, which in its first year is exceeding national averages in student achievement. We are all an integral part of the reform that’s transforming our education system and we need more leaders who will help keep Dr. King’s dream alive. I hope you will join us to inspire the next generation of leaders in our country – our kids in Memphis.