IN THIS ISSUE:

Message from The Broad Center's Executive Director: Becca Bracy Knight

Federal spending on education doubled last year through the stimulus package and there is excitement and momentum backed by real policy changes as states compete for funding through the $4 billion Race to the Top grant program. This national focus on education reform reinforces the decision made last year to place Broad Residents in the U.S. Department of Education for the first time. In this issue of Education Quarterly (EQ), we highlight the

Broad Residents and alumni in the U.S. Department of Education are playing critical roles in managing federal reform initiatives involving hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, including spearheading data and technology projects, replicating "promise neighborhoods" modeled after the highly successful Harlem Children's Zone, managing the school improvement grant process, working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and developing management processes and scorecards to track and evaluate the education funding distributed through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We encourage you to read about the work they are doing at the federal level to create a better landscape for reform for urban school districts and charter management organizations.

In these difficult economic times, we share President Obama's belief that "in the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education." For more information on The Broad Residency in Urban Education and how you can apply your private sector skills and experience to ensuring that every student in America receives a world-class education, please visit our website.

Talented Leaders Drive Bold, National Reform Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education

Too often the thought of a working in a federal government agency conjures up images of a large, lethargic bureaucracy where real change is slow and painful, if not impossible. The pace and early results of the United States Department of Education (ED) under Secretary Arne Duncan shatter this stereotype. With the support of President Obama, Secretary Duncan is moving forward with an aggressive reform agenda that is already changing the landscape of education in America. In addition, he has put together one of the most diverse and impressive leadership teams in the ED's history.

The Federal Role in Public Education
Public education in the United States is a primarily local enterprise. Federal funding represents only about 10.5 percent of what is spent nationally on elementary and secondary education. That said, the federal government can have tremendous influence on policy and practice through highly strategic regulations and funding.

The ED was created in 1980, and currently has 4200 employees and an approximately $70 billion budget. Its mission is "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access" through four overarching strategies:

Given the current economic climate, the potential of federal funding to augment rapidly declining state and local budgets has increased the ED's ability to act as a real driver of reform. This is also a significant time because the Department will be working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) during the Bush administration. This is the primary piece of legislation that sets regulations, policies, and funding for K-12 education.

Key Reform Initiatives
Two of the most innovative and promising initiatives currently underway at the ED include (source: www.ed.gov):

Race to the Top Program
A competitive grant program for states designed to advance reforms in four specific areas:

Investing in Innovation
A competitive grant program designed to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative and evidence-based practices, programs and strategies that significantly:

Bottom line, this initiative exists "to accelerate the creation of an education sector that supports the rapid development and adoption of effective solutions." Click on the links below to learn more about several other exciting reform initiatives that are top priorities for the current administration:

Bold Leadership at the U.S. Department of Education
A large part of Secretary Duncan's success to date and potential for future impact is the veritable "Dream Team" of leaders who have joined him to dramatically improve elementary and secondary education and serve as supervisors of and work closely with Broad Residents and alumni. Like Broad Residents, many of these leaders have spent significant portions of their careers in the private sector.

As current Broad Resident Kwasi Asare (see profile below) commented, "The most enjoyable part of working at the Department of Education is a combination of the incredible talent the Secretary has assembled and the stream of committed and passionate organizations interested in partnerships with the department … and the senior management team is quite simply an amazing all-star cast of stakeholders representing the education landscape. They all have a conviction to transform education and again make the U.S. the world's gold standard for excellence in education."

In addition to the on the ground experience that Secretary Duncan brings as the former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school system in the country, the senior leadership at the ED includes experienced educators such as Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, a graduate of The Broad Superintendents Academy and former California State Superintendent of the Year.

The senior leadership team also includes highly capable leaders and change agents who bring experience from other sectors, including the following four people who work closely with Broad Residents and alumni serving in the ED.

Tony Miller, Deputy Secretary, had been an operating partner since 2007 with Silver Lake, a leading private investment firm with over $15 billion in capital prior to joining the ED. From 2003 to 2006, Miller was executive vice president of operations with LRN Corporation, a market-leading provider of governance and compliance software, and legal research services. Prior to LRN, he worked for 10 years at McKinsey & Company, where he was a partner specializing in growth strategies, operating performance improvement, and restructuring for companies throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. From 1984 to 1990, Miller worked for Delco Electronics, a subsidiary y of GM Hughes Electronics, where he managed regional channel marketing. He holds an MBA from Stanford University.

Margot Rogers, Chief of Staff, worked for more than 15 years for foundations and non-profit organizations on issues of education policy and practice. Most recently, she served as the special assistant to the director of education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In this position she managed and co-led the development of the foundation's five-year education strategy and staff realignment, and served on the education division's investment committee and strategic leadership team. Rogers has also served as an attorney at the Center for Law and Education in Washington, D.C., as a program officer at the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation in Washington, D.C., and as an independent consultant to clients, including New American Schools, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement, came to the ED from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he served as a program director in the education division. Shelton has also been a partner and the East Coast lead for NewSchools Venture Fund and co-founded LearnNow, a school management company that later was acquired by Edison Schools. Earlier in his career he spent over four years as a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company and holds an MBA and M.Ed. from Stanford University.

Joanne Weiss, Director, Race to the Top, managed a portfolio of investment ventures at the NewSchools Venture Fund, a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm for eight years prior to joining the ED. Previously, she was CEO of Claria Corporation, an e-services recruiting firm, a senior vice president of product development at Pensare, an e-learning company that created business innovation programs for the Fortune 500 market, and co-founder, interim CEO, and vice president of products and technologies at Academic Systems, a company that helps hundreds of thousands of college students prepare for college-level work in mathematics and English.

With leaders like these driving the kinds of reform initiatives described above, the ED is poised to make dramatic improvements in public education in our country. The stars have truly aligned for the federal government to make changes that will set the stage for the reinvention of public education in America, and deliver on the dream that all children, regardless of race, gender, income level or zip code will have access to a world-class education that will prepare them for college, careers, and citizenship.

Broad Residents and Alumni Serving in the U.S. Department of Education

Broad Residents on the Move

Daniel Chang
Daniel Chang, Broad Residency Class of 2007-2009, was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of MLA Partner Schools, a nonprofit organization working to improve schools and empower neighborhoods in Los Angeles’ most disenfranchised communities. Chang most recently served as Vice President of New School Development for Green Dot Public Schools. Read more.

Beverly Ross Denny
Beverly Ross Denny, Broad Residency Class of 2005-2007, was recently appointed Executive Director of Boston Connects, a school-based, systemic collaboration among Boston Public Schools, community agencies, and Boston College designed to alleviate barriers to learning in elementary school students. Previously, Denny served as Deputy Director of Human Resources for Boston Public Schools. Read more.

Monique Epps
Monique Epps, Broad Residency Class of 2003-2005, was recently named Director of iDesign Schools for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Previously, Epps served as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer for UrbanEd Solutions, a non-profit education organization that consults with district, school and community leaders to develop leadership skills and organizational capacity. Read more.

Jon Schwartz
Jon Schwartz, Broad Residency Class of 2006-2008, was recently named Vice President of School Operations at Achievement First, a network of charter schools serving over 4,800 students. Schwartz previously served as Director of Operations for Envision Schools, a charter management organization that brings high quality college preparatory education to underserved communities. Read more.

Sabrina Skinner
Sabrina Skinner, Broad Residency Class of 2006-2008, was recently named the ZOOM Data Source Director for the California Charter Schools Association, the membership and a professional organization serving charter schools in California. Skinner previously served as Senior Director of Strategy and Accountability for the New York City Department of Education. Read more.

Laura Smith
Laura Smith, Broad Residency Class of 2003-2005, was recently appointed Assistant Commissioner for External Partnerships and Research for the New York State Department of Education. Previously, Smith served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chancellor for Strategy and Innovation for the New York City Department of Education. Read more.

Find Us on the Web

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