Center for Education Reform

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Center for Education Reform
Center for Education Reform 1.jpg
Basic facts
Location:Washington, D.C.
Type:501(c)(3)
Top official:Jeanne Allen, Chief Executive Officer
Founder(s):Jeanne Allen
Year founded:1993
Website:Official website

The Center for Education Reform (CER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that's mission, according to its website, "is "to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans—particularly our youth—ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom & flexibility throughout U.S. Education."[1] The center was founded in 1993.[1]

Background

The Center for Education Reform was founded in 1993 by Jeanne Allen.[1] At the time of the center's founding, Allen had worked for approximately five years as the manager of education policy at the Heritage Foundation.[2] As of September 2025, the Heritage Foundation's website states its mission "is to formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."[3]

As of September 2025, the Center of Education Reform's website states that its mission is to "expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans, particularly our youth, ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom, and flexibility throughout U.S. education."[4]

Leadership

As of September 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at the Center for Education Reform:[1]

  • Caroline Allen, Chief Program Officer
  • Kirk Benningfield, Chief Operating Officer
  • Caroline Casagrande, Chief External Affairs Officer
  • Alex Audet, Director of Data and Technology
  • Michael Musante, Senior Advisor
  • Jonathan Oglesby, Senior Director of Communications
  • Josphina Rago, Senior Partnership Director


As of September 2025, the Center for Education Reform's Board of Directors included the following individuals:[1]

  • Jeanne Allen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
  • Michael Moe, Chair
  • Maggie Fresen Zulueta, Treasurer
  • Chris Whittle, Board Member

Work and activities

Parent Power! Index

The Center for Education Reform released its first annual Parent Power! Index in 1999 to, according to its website, give parents an interactive tool to discover to what extent their state affords them this power – and if not, what they can do to get it."[5]

As of September 2025, center's website stated:[5]

The Parent Power! Index measures the extent to which each state:

  • has policies in place that put students ahead of systems;
  • values the diversity of need and condition of every family;
  • provides vital accessible information, and
  • by doing so affords parents the power to exercise fundamental decisions regarding how their kids are educated.[6]

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

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Finances

The following is a breakdown of Center For Education Reform's revenues and expenses from 2011 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica

Center For Education Reform financial data 2011-2023
Year Revenue Expenses
2023 $45.1 million $32.1 million
2022 $30.7 million $30.4 million
2021 $7.21 million $6.01 million
2020 $1.59 million $1.87 million
2019 $2.55 million $2.34 million
2018 $2.1 million $2.32 million
2017 $1.16 million $2.37 million
2016 $4.09 million $2.54 million
2015 $1.39 million $1.23 million
2014 $1.19 million $1.59 million
2013 $1.56 million $1.92 million
2012 $2.46 million $2.07 million
2011 $2.6 million $2.3 million

See also

External links

Footnotes