How embarrassing! Apparently my friend Democrats for Education Reform turned 3 years old a few days ago (H/T Eduwonk), and I missed it altogether. Think of all the great advice I could offer to someone who just turned 3! Anyway, DFER executive director Joe Williams offered his reflections on the growth and influence of the Democratic Party’s go-to advocacy voice for reforming public schools:

Just three years ago, today’s conventional wisdom (that the political tide is beginning to turn in favor of reform) would have been laughable. Trust me, I heard the laughs and saw the eyes roll in state after state when I told people what we were trying to do. Good luck with that, they told us.

Yep. DFER has come a long way, baby. It’s a great thing to see strong voices for education reform in both major political parties. But to celebrate now, I’m going to have to send a belated birthday card. What kind of card do you think: Snoopy? Dora? Lightning McQueen? Maybe DFER’s still into Winnie the Pooh….