People We Love :: Chris Goodman

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by Kim Nochi

posted Jul 07, 2009

In Defense of a Good Education

They say knowledge is power. For Chris Goodman, a little tutoring in math empowered him to take on Maryland’s public school system.

Goodman was a high school student enrolled in a peer tutoring program called the Baltimore Algebra Project (BAP) when he became aware of inequities in education funding. He noticed his school suffered from overcrowded classes, teacher shortages, and dilapidated buildings. Goodman and his peers in BAP decided to organize sit-ins, traffic blockades, and other public demonstrations demanding better funding. BAP says the state of Maryland has repeatedly promised more money to the school system, but then slashed the budget for education. They estimate the state owes schools more than $1 billion.

Now a college student, Goodman has been recognized as Best Young Activist by the Baltimore City Paper.

Read Goodman’s article on happiness beyond the classroom

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Kim Nochi wrote this article as part of The New Economy, the Summer 2009 issue of YES! Magazine. Kim is a former editorial intern at YES! Magazine.

YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps. Nochi, K. (2009, May 07). People We Love :: Chris Goodman. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from YES! Magazine Web site: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/the-new-economy/people-we-love-chris-goodman. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License