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SCHOOL CHOICE: A LEGACY TO KEEP News!

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019

VIRGINIA WALDEN FORD WRITES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN WASHINGTON EXAMINER OP-ED

If anyone needed a wake-up call about the urgent need to expand school choice, last week’s release of student achievement data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is the loudest alarm clock we have heard in years. It should jolt every family, every school, and every elected official into action.

The numbers are sobering: only 41% of our nation’s fourth graders are proficient in math and only 35% are proficient in reading. As students get older, the outlook looks even bleaker: only 34% of eighth graders are proficient in reading and math.

What’s worse is that across almost every metric, with the exception of fourth grade math, student achievement is at lower levels today than it was two years ago.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, click here.

SCHOOL CHOICE: A LEGACY TO KEEP News!

Friday, November 1st, 2019

FEATURE: VIRGINIA WALDEN FORD INTERVIEWED BY THE LOS ANGELES SENTINEL

Virginia Walden Ford is not afraid of a fight especially not when the welfare of African American children is on the line. Then she is “fearless” and “relentless” and where superheroines are drawn for comic book mythology, here, we have a real-life warrior who battled over school vouchers in the nation’s capital.

Ford knew that her son deserved better and fought to get her son into a private school — with the government footing the bill.

Virginia Walden Ford is known as a dedicated and effective Black D.C. activist who shook it up in the late 1990s and 2000s pushing for vouchers despite the opposition by many Democratic leaders in the District.

It didn’t stop her, in fact, the obstacles motivated her more.

In the movie version of her life — “Miss Virginia” — Virginia Walden Ford is played by Uzo Aduba (“Orange is the New Black”). The release of the film seems to be fitting perfectly to reflect our current political climate. If you follow education news then you know that the Trump administration is pushing for an expansion of vouchers and as Democratic presidential candidates debate school choice.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, click here.

THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP News!

Thursday, October 31st, 2019

New Op-Ed from Andrew Campanella: New Data Shows Kids Are Struggling with Reading—How You Can Help

If your child is having a hard time learning to read or you’re worried she might fall behind, the Nation’s Report Card scores released yesterday aren’t great news. An alarming percentage of students in fourth and eighth grades are indeed struggling, according to the 2019 scores.

Nationwide, 35 percent of fourth graders and 34 percent of eighth graders are not proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Equally as disturbing: overall student proficiency in reading has actually declined over the last several years.

In New York City, the proficiency rates are even lower: 24 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders are proficient—both a full percentage point below what they were in 2017.

The response to this worrisome news is predictable. Policy wonks and elected officials are engaging in spirited discussions about how they can change education policy to improve children’s chances at succeeding. There will, almost certainly, be a lot of finger pointing too, identifying what caused these surprising declines and what could have been done to prevent them. These discussions—the ones about how to fix things moving forward, at least—are important.

But most parents, understandably, are not thinking about this from a detached perspective. They are thinking about their own children. Some moms and dads will see the NAEP data and ask themselves if their own children are truly proficient in reading, or if they are quietly falling behind. For some parents who know their children are having a difficult time, the national NAEP scores will only reinforce their concerns.

To continue reading Andrew’s article, click here.

To learn more about Andrew Campanella, click here.

To learn more about School Choice Roadmap, click here.

4 Thrillers to Read to Get Your Halloween Fix

Tuesday, October 29th, 2019

Cozy sweaters and cooling weather make autumn the perfect time to dive into a few spooky stories. Before you rewatch Hocus Pocus for the fifth time this month, why not pick up a written thriller instead? We put together a list of four of our favorite Beaufort thrillers to curl up with during the month of October. But be careful, only the extremely brave should dare to read these titles alone after the sun sets.

The Woman in the Park

As a summer 2019 release, The Woman in the Park is the latest psychological thriller from Beaufort to hit shelves. While The Purist Magazine called it “the beach read you’ve been waiting for” and SheReads named it one of the 10 best chilling end-of-summer thrillers, The Woman in the Park is just as great of a read while stretched out on the sand as it is curled up on the couch.

Synopsis:

When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children. But nothing is as it seems. Her life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. Her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police. With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence.

RED Hotel

A timely thriller based on real-life acts of war, RED Hotel teeters on the edge of reality until the very end. This action-packed book is a combined effort of authors Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller, in which they use their long-standing experience in the hospitality and entertainment industries to write a novel about a terrorist attack at a Tokyo hotel.

Synopsis:

When a bomb rips the façade off the Kensington Hotel in Tokyo, dozens are killed and injured while one man walks calmly away from the wreckage, a coy smile playing on his lips. Former Army intelligence officer Dan Reilly, now an international hotel executive with high level access to the CIA, makes it his mission to track him down. He begins a jet-setting search for answers as the clock ticks down to a climactic event that threatens NATO and the very security of member nations. Reilly begins mining old contacts and resources in an effort to delve deeper into the motive behind these attacks, and fast. Through his connections he learns that the Tokyo bomber is not acting alone. But the organization behind the perpetrator is not who they expect.

Facilitated by the official government from a fearsome global superpower, the implications and reasons for these attacks are well beyond anything Reilly or his sources in the CIA and State Department could have imagined, and point not to random acts of terror, but calculated acts of war. RED Hotel is an incredibly timely globe-trotting thriller that’s fiction on the edge of reality.

Seeking Hyde

If you love Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you’ll love Thomas Reed’s Seeking Hyde. Reed’s book dives into the history of one of the world’s most famous authors, while taking readers along a gripping, heart-pounding journey through late-19th century London. This Beaufort title is the perfect Halloween read for lovers of historical thrillers and die-hard Stevenson fans.

Synopsis:

Seeking Hyde sticks closely to the biographical record as Robert Louis Stevenson struggles to write another book to be the successor to Treasure Island. After the infamous two characters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, take form in a dream, Stevenson writes passionately for three days, convinced that he has crafted his masterpiece. His wife Fanny, a willful and demanding gypsy, offers a scathing critique, obliging him to start over from the beginning. While the revised tale is published to great acclaim, it is ultimately blamed for inspiring a gruesome series of murders in London’s East End. Desperate to address his own guilt, Stevenson enters the dark underworld of Victorian London. As he follows a twisted path through this midnight landscape, the author-turned-detective wrestles with the social demons of prostitution, police corruption, and the hypocrisy of powerful men—ultimately coming face-to-face with Jack the Ripper himself.

Ladies of the Lake

Author Ken Corday, established producer of popular day-time soap Days of Our Lives, made his publishing debut with the chilling thriller Ladies of the Lake. Since publication, Corday’s novel has been adapted into a successful digital TV series by the same name. This thriller offers readers entertaining family drama, a world-class cast of characters, and a shocking twist-ending that will leave you wanting more.

Synopsis:

From the outside, Avalon seems like the ideal place to live; full of rich men and beautiful women. Six couples form a close-knit friendship; the men all golf together, the women all shop together, and their six children all skip school together. But the wives begin to resent feeling like possessions and realize that the men become crueler every day. When more husbands start dying, the so-called “Ladies of the Lake” find themselves under suspicion from the LAPD and their own children. The six children try to uncover their parents’ secrets before the handsome Detective Daniels can discover what is truly going on behind closed gates. 

Get into the spirit of Halloween with any one of these Beaufort titles. Visit Barnes & Noble or IndieBound to pick up a copy of your chosen thriller today!

Wishing you all a happy Halloween,

Mia ThermoBEAUlis

THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP News!

Friday, October 25th, 2019

FEATURE: ANDREW CAMPANELLA FEATURED ON EPISODE 76 OF REALITY CHECK PODCAST TO TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP

Andrew Campanella (@andrewrcamp)is the president of National School Choice Week, which has grown under his leadership from 150 events in 2011 to more than 40,000 in 2019. He is the author of the forthcoming book, ‘The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child, a guidebook that helps parents identify education environments that meet their children’s needs. (Beaufort Books, January 2020). Andrew joins Jeanne on this Episode 76 of Reality Check to talk about his journey to the choice movement, how his interactions with hundreds of parents have shaped and sharpened his understanding of how choice plays out in parental decision-making surrounding their children’s education, and why he is optimistic about the future of education in America.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

To learn more about The School Choice Roadmap, click here.

THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP News!

Friday, October 25th, 2019

FEATURE: ANDREW CAMPANELLA FEATURED ON “SCHOOL DAZED” PODCAST – “THE ONE ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE”

School systems used to be one-size-fits-all. This didn’t always work for all students. These days parents have an array of options available to them and they’re able to make choices that work for their children. BUT, which choice is the right one?

In this episode we welcome the president of National School Choice Week, Andrew Campanella. The National School Choice Week is the largest public awareness effort in the U.S. focusing on opportunity in K-12 education. Andrew shared with us information about all of the available options and tools to make great choices for your family. 

To listen to the podcast, click here.

To learn more about The School Choice Roadmap, click here.

THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP News!

Friday, October 25th, 2019

FEATURE: ANDREW CAMPANELLA INTERVIEWED ABOUT NEW BOOK BY LENNIE JARRATT FOR THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE PODCAST

Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, discusses his new book, “The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child”.

Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, discusses his new book, “The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child”. Andrew discusses he wrote the book after many discussions with parents and school leaders. He explains how parents are the real experts in how their children learn and should be educated. He removed the education jargon to lay out a step by step guide for parents to empower them to make an informed decision on the best school for their child. 

To listen to the podcast, click here.

To learn more about The School Choice Roadmap, click here.

THE SCHOOL CHOICE ROADMAP News!

Friday, October 25th, 2019

FEATURE: THE LEARNING CURVE PODCAST, S1 EP8: “ANDREW CAMPANELLA, PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK”

Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week and author of the new book, The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child, is the Newsmaker Interview guest this week on The Learning Curve. Bob talks with Andrew about the many school choice options available to parents, and the steps they can take to find the right educational environment for their children.

Stories of the Week300,000 students in Chicago have been out of school for five days as a result of the city’s teacher union strike – teachers deserve to be well compensated, but does striking serve children’s best interests?  In Election 2020, a new education proposal from presidential candidate and Senator Elizabeth Warren further politicizes school choice, while quadrupling Title I and IDEA funding for traditional public schools. In Mississippi, the new teacher exam de-emphasizes more rigorous math questions.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

To learn more about The School Choice Roadmap, click here.

BECOMING ODYSSA News!

Thursday, October 24th, 2019

STORIES OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: A RECOMMENDED BOOK LIST

Thru-hikers and section hikers always have a story about what brought them to the trail. The Appalachian Trail in particular is swarming with folklore, so nearly everyone remembers the first story they heard about the 2,000+ mile footpath that weaves uninterrupted from Georgia to Maine. Sometimes the magic is captivated in a single moment; for others of us, several instances over time bound us closer and closer to the trail.

Personally, I found magic in the words and stories of others. When I read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson I was intrigued. I thought perhaps one day I’d hike it. But then Jennifer Pharr Davis gave me a story I could really attach too—one that I could see myself in—and I knew it was game over for me. I had to make the trek. For many of life’s greatest endeavors, that’s all it takes: someone’s story to inspire us, blaze a path, and serve as a beacon to guide us.

Because stories are so powerful, below I’ve listed some of the powerful stories that set the stage for my 2020 thru-hike. It’s not all-inclusive, but it contains the books that had the most powerful effects on me and my dreams. Many of you may have already read these stories, but if not, I highly recommend. 

Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis
As a kid you hear so many stories about a young hero (usually a boy) who feels out of place in society, but eventually discovers his strength and turns into the hero he was destined to become (think Hercules, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, etc.). Jennifer Pharr Davis is that (s)hero. This story follows her first thru-hiking experience as she “finds” herself—her strength, beauty, confidence, passion, and values. I love this story for how well it captures the trail and for the inspiring way it clearly altered the course of Pharr Davis’ life. A truly wonderful read, especially for young women considering a thru-hike.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about Becoming Odyssa, click here.

To learn more about Jennifer Pharr Davis, click here.

THE WOMAN IN THE PARK News!

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019

THE WOMAN IN THE PARK IS “A DEFTLY CRAFTED SUSPENSE THRILLER,” SAYS MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Synopsis: When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children.

But nothing is as it seems. Her life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. Her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police.

With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence.

Critique: The collaborative work of Teresa Sorkin (who is a Television Producer with a passion for creating, writing, telling, sharing and producing great stories and the founder of Roman Way Productions, a production company with 32 projects in development) and Tullan Holmqvist (who is an investigator, writer and actor), “The Woman in the Park” is a deftly crafted suspense thriller of a novel with more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about The Woman in the Park, click here.

SCHOOL CHOICE: A LEGACY TO KEEP News!

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

UZO ADUBA SAYS ‘MISS VIRGINIA’ CHARACTER SHOWS THE POWER WE ALL HAVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The depths of a mother’s love is on full display in the new movie “Miss Virginia,” based on the true-life story of Virginia Walden Ford who successfully fought the system to create a private school voucher program for low-income children in Washington, D.C.

Orange is the New Black’s Uzo Aduba, who plays Virginia in the film and delivers a passionate performance, says this is what drew her to the role – the unrelenting love a mother has for her child. In an interview with EURweb’s Lee Bailey, Aduba said she saw examples of this type of love with her own mom and knew this was the role she wanted to play.

“It felt to me like such a love story in a sense when I was reading it,” Aduba explained. “The mother went pretty far for the love of her child and gave everything she had for the love of her child and that’s a story I’m familiar with. I’m a product of immigrants and I had a front row seat to my own mother doing the same for myself and my siblings, pouring all of her love and hope into us so that we could have as many different exposures as we possibly could.”

“I could connect to that idea and that story,” Aduba added.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about Virginia Walden Ford, click here.

To learn more about School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, click here.

SCHOOL CHOICE: A LEGACY TO KEEP News!

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

THE MOVIE MISS VIRGINIA POWERFULLY DRAMATIZES THE URGENT NEED FOR SCHOOL CHOICE

What’s it like to have your life story told on the big screen?

The new movie Miss Virginia is based on the unlikely story of Virginia Walden Ford, who, as a single mother in Washington, D.C., in the early 2000s, fought to create a federally-funded private school voucher program that would allow poor kids—including her son—to escape failing public schools. Against long odds and institutional hostility, she succeeded and is played with fiery passion by Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba. Matthew Modine, known for roles in Full Metal JacketWeeds, and Stranger Things, co-stars as a sympathetic congressman who helps win congressional authorization for the program.

The movie opens in select theaters and on streaming services on October 18. Go here for more information.

Walden Ford’s own backstory as a student is both harrowing and inspirational. She was among the early waves of black kids that integrated public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, an experience that informed her actions as a parent. Her memoir of growing up in the segregated South and becoming a major figure in education reform, School Choice: A Legacy To Keep, will be published on November 21.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about Virginia Walden Ford, click here.

To learn more about School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, click here.

REFLECTIONS OF A LIFE IN EXILE News!

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

INTERVIEW WITH REFLECTIONS ON A LIFE IN EXILE AUTHOR J.F. RIORDAN

Lake Effect essayist J.F. Riordan stops by WUWM 89.7 to discuss her newest book and make a plea for peace in public.

To listen to the full episode, click here.

To learn more about J.F. Riordan, click here.

To learn more about Riordan’s newest book, Reflections on a Life in Exile, click here.

Beaufort Titles on the Big Screen

Thursday, October 17th, 2019

Hi readers! Mia ThermoBEAUlis here. We’ve had a busy fall here at Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press as we prepare to go to press for five separate titles.

Out of these titles, two have been making some major headlines as of late. The first title, School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, is the new memoir from Virginia Walden Ford, a courageous trailblazer who paved the way for a complete overhaul of the education system in her local community. What began as a grassroots movement has since turned into a national organization. The Opportunity Scholarship Program now provides “scholarships for low-income children to attend private schools, while boosting federal funding for traditional public schools and public charter schools.” 

Virginia didn’t always have the influence she maintains now, however. Her movement began as an act of desperation, as she worked three jobs so she could afford a private education for her son who was failing out of a deteriorating public school in the suburbs of Washington D.C. School Choice: A Legacy to Keep is Virginia’s retelling of the years she spent fighting corrupt politicians in Congress and how she and other dedicated parents changed the face of the American education system forever.

We were thrilled when we found out the Moving Picture Institute was planning to produce a film based on Virginia’s story. “Miss Virginia,” starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Modine, is an inspiring drama that retells the true story of Virginia’s fight for educational rights. The film hits theaters this Friday, October 18th, but we were honored to be invited to attend the world premiere for the movie here in New York City.

Director R.J. Daniel Hanna, Virginia Walden Ford, and actor Matthew Modine before the premiere.

Several members of our team were present at the premiere and had the opportunity to hear from Virginia herself, as well as Modine, director R.J. Daniel Hanna, and other panelists related to the school choice cause. Nick Reid, executive producer and senior vice president of the Moving Picture Institute, moderated the panel and lead the discussion about the making of the film and the impact the school choice movement has had on families around the country.

Virginia Walden Ford, Matthew Modine, and other panelists join Nick Reid for a Q&A after the premiere.

Also present at the premiere was another Beaufort author, Andrew Campanella. As the president of National School Choice Week, Andrew has worked closely with Virginia through the years to empower parents and educate them about the different types of education available. Andrew’s new book, The School Choice Roadmap, is another upcoming Beaufort title. It serves as a guide for parents looking to find the best learning environment for their children.

Both School Choice: A Legacy to Keep and The School Choice Roadmap are available for pre-order now. School Choice: A Legacy to Keep will hit shelves on November 21st of this year, while The School Choice Roadmap will be available on January 21st, 2020. 

We’re so excited to be publishing both titles. If you’d like to support these incredible authors and changemakers, you can pre-order a copy of both books from Indiebound or Barnes & Noble.

Until next time,

Mia ThermoBEAUlis

A Book-Filled Weekend

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019
The Brooklyn Book Festival 2019

Cheers, readers! I’m Beaufort and Spencer Hill’s second intern for Fall 2019. For the remainder of the semester, I will be going by the alias Mia ThermoBEAUlis in honor of my all-time favorite author, Meg Cabot, and her most popular character to date. Growing up, Meg Cabot’s colorful, creative, and always slightly disheveled protagonists strongly resonated with me, and the fact that every Meg Cabot book I own has been read to the point of near destruction serves as proof.

It’s crazy to think I’m already approaching my 2-month mark since starting my internship with Beaufort and Spencer Hill. Fortunately, there have been plenty of exciting projects to keep me busy, which is why I’m just now getting to my introductory blog post. 

While I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, I’m considerably new to the publishing world. With the exceptions of the Harry Potter series and a few classics by Roald Dahl, it always felt like I was the only book lover among my friends growing up. It wasn’t until I stepped into my first screenwriting class my freshman year of college that I knew what it was like to be among other eager storytellers.

Moving to New York feels like freshman year all over again. It’s been equally thrilling and terrifying to be surrounded by people who live and breathe books. I finally feel at home, but every day I’m in the Beaufort office brings new challenges and reminds me just how little I knew about the publishing industry before starting the internship.

I love that each day in the Beaufort office brings opportunities to learn something new about the publishing industry, and that indoctrination continued with a few book-related occurrences two weekends ago. On Friday, while in Philadelphia, I got lost on my way to dinner and wound up at an inconspicuous used bookstore. The storefront was unmarked and from the front room, it appeared to consist of just five bookshelves stuffed with old CD’s and dusty self-help titles. I was about to ask the store owner if he had any fiction books when I saw a small entryway that opened up to another tiny room that was packed with books. Each secret room led to another, with each room getting progressively bigger and home to more obscure titles, stacked wherever the owner could find space.

At the very back of the store was one bookshelf filled with antique books. For just $10, I grabbed three different antique books, each published in the 1920s. While any bookstore is great in my book (yes, pun intended), the challenge of searching through piles of pre-loved stories makes bookstores like the one in Philadelphia a rarity that should be preserved.

A look inside the used bookstore

On that Sunday, I stopped by the Brooklyn Book Festival. If you’ve been before, you know how palpable the energy is among the authors, publishers, and festival attendees. Whether it was a Big 5 publisher, an indie from a small town in Minnesota, or a local bookstore from Brooklyn, each table was swarming with authors, publishers, booksellers, and devoted readers, all looking to discuss the transformations the publishing industry is undergoing and the new books about to hit the market. I even had the opportunity to stop by and say hello to some of the publishing professionals I’ve heard about while working at Beaufort. Going into the festival I had no idea what to expect, so to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.

If anything, this weekend reinforced my love for books and my desire to work in publishing. I can’t wait to see what the next few months with Beaufort and Spencer Hill bring!

Until next time,

Amelia Mignonette ThermoBEAUlis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia Intern at Beaufort Books.

This is a shared blog post for Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press.