WASHINGTON, March 11, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Congressman Chaka Fattah (D., PA) this week met with first lady of Haiti Elisabeth Preval, Louisiana Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas, and George Washington University President Steven Knapp to discuss the future of education in post-earthquake Haiti.
At the meeting, it was announced that Haiti will be launching a new national effort to increase access to high-quality publicly funded education for all of the nation’s children. This work will build on the success of post-Katrina education in Louisiana with the assistance of Paul Vallas and Congressman Chaka Fattah. Vallas, who has been praised for his work in rebuilding New Orleans schools from the ground up in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, will work with the people of Haiti and Congressman Fattah to rebuild Haiti’s educational system.
Fattah, the creator of several successful educational programs, including America’s largest pre-college awareness and readiness program, is one of America’s leading voices on education. He is eager to join the effort.
The literary rate in Haiti is around 50 percent and the overwhelming majority of Haitian families must pay for their children’s education, in spite of living in extreme poverty. “The education system in Haiti was struggling before the earthquake hit,” Fattah said. “This is a chance to extend a basic American right – free elementary and secondary education for all children – to this impoverished country. We know how critical universal education has been to building the American middle class and we look forward to the power of education to help Haiti rebuild.”
The Congressman, who worked with Paul Vallas during his tenure in Philadelphia, spoke of his breadth of experience and skills, “Paul Vallas is eminently qualified to work on this effort, and I’m looking forward to assisting him and the government of Haiti to build a better, stronger, sustainable education system.”
SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah
Our school system has been collecting school supplies and health items for kids in Haiti. The Red Cross tells me they can not help us with getting these to Haiti. Can you please help us? All our schools made gallon zip lock bags with items. We called this “Kits for Haiti Kids”. We have several thousand bags. We wanted our kids to learn how to help other kids in need. Please help us get these items to the schools in Haiti.
Thank you
Becky Cranford
on jan. 12th the powerful 7.3 quake hit the impoverished nation of Haiti. There has been widespread major damage and a loss of life estimate to be between 300.000.
ECOLE FRERE TOUSSAINT at Delmas 19 detroyed, 760 student poor children cried help for their future.
the reconstruction estimation is between $ 300.000 US
How could you help to rebuilt this school
you can send your contribution at the name of :ECOLE FRERE TOUSSAINT Haiti
9126 Avenue L, Brooklyn NY 11236
Pastor Jeannot Toussaint
God Bless you
Perhaps, the Congressman should come to New Orleans and see for himself how Mr. Vallas has ‘rebuilt’ our public education system. currently, Paul Vallas is the only one who feels he has done a good job. Request to see a copy of the March 29, 2010 School Board Meeting which was filmed by NOPSTV. For two hours community members, teachers and parents got up and spoke about the lack of involvement in the decision making, the takeover of traditional public schools by inexperienced school operators, the lack of accountability of charters to anyone, kids being treated like chess pieces, veteran teachers being replaced by Teach for America, kids who don’t know anything about our kids, our culture, teaching or trauma getting jobs that teachers here with masters in education now being told they aren’t needed now. He lied to every community here. He is a disgrace, not a hero.