Category Archives: Open Letters Series

Open Letters to Reformers I DON’T Know. Part IV: Arne Duncan

Posted on April 2, 2015 by garyrubinstein

This is the sixteenth in a series of open letters I have written to reformers I know and, more recently, that I don’t know over the past two years.  Go here for links to the other letters and responses. 4/2/15 Dear … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series, top posts, Uncategorized | 27 Comments

Open Letter to Reformers I DON’T Know. Part III: Amorphous TFA Blob

Posted on March 2, 2015 by garyrubinstein

I joined TFA in 1991, twenty-four years ago.  How, then could this letter be part of the reformers I DON’T know, rather than to the reformers I know series?  Well, though I do know certain people who are in leadership … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series, Teach For America, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

Open Letters To Reformers I DON’T KNOW. Part II: Bill Gates

Posted on February 1, 2015 by garyrubinstein

Over the past three years I’ve written a series of 13 ‘open letters’ to various reformers, most were reformers “I know” as either old friends or acquaintances.  When I ran out of reformers I know, I started a new series … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series | 10 Comments

Open Letters To Reformers I DON’T Know. Part I: Joel Klein

Posted on January 5, 2015 by garyrubinstein

Some very big reformers have recently gotten very quiet.  Michelle Rhee has stepped down as CEO of StudentsFirst, Wendy Kopp is no longer the CEO of Teach For America, Kevin Huffman ‘resigned’ from being commissioner of education in Tennessee, John … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series | 9 Comments

Open Letters To ‘D-List’ Reformers I Know. Part 1: Justin ‘Juice’ Fong

Posted on February 23, 2014 by garyrubinstein

A little over a year ago, I wrote a series of open letters to ‘reformers’ I’ve known throughout the years.  I was not surprised that the majority of them did not respond.  On average, they each are making over $350K … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series, tfa rants | 11 Comments

Open Letters To ‘B-List’ Reformers I Know. Part 2: Elisa Villanueva-Beard and Matt Kramer

Posted on December 31, 2013 by garyrubinstein

On February 12, 2013, founder and long time CEO of TFA, Wendy Kopp, stepped down.  Two new co-CEOs were appointed, Elisa Villanueva-Beard and Matt Kramer. Elisa was a 1998 corps member and Matt had never taught.  Both were working as … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series, tfa rants | Tagged | 13 Comments

Open Letters To ‘B-List’ Reformers I Know. Part 1: Joel Rose

Posted on November 22, 2013 by garyrubinstein

After two days of pursuit, I finally found him.  I had never visited anyone in jail before – had never known anyone in jail before.  Most of the people that waited on the visitor’s line with me appeared to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series | 3 Comments

Open Letters FROM Reformers I Know. Part 2: Wendy Kopp

Posted on January 23, 2013 by garyrubinstein

Links to the rest of this series here Though she was the last one to receive an open letter from me, Wendy Kopp is the second person to respond.  I’ll probably make some comments about the letter in the ‘comments’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series | 45 Comments

Open Letters To Reformers I Know. Part 8: Wendy Kopp

Posted on December 31, 2012 by garyrubinstein

Links to the rest of this series here My ‘open letter’ series culminates with this letter to the founder of Teach For America, Wendy Kopp.  I suppose that I’ve ‘known’ Wendy for twenty-one years as I first spoke to her … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series, tfa rants, top posts | 41 Comments

Open Letters To Reformers I Know. Part 7: Michelle Rhee

Posted on December 24, 2012 by garyrubinstein

Links to the rest of this series here I first met Michelle Rhee, the reformer’s reformer, back in the summer of 1996.  At the time I was working for the TFA summer institute in Houston.  Though I was one year … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Letters Series | 19 Comments