Mary Lowe is the cofounder of Families Engaged. Mary and I attended an event in September hosted by the Women of St. Michael called “BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: A 5-part lecture series addressing structural divides in America.”

She and I gave a play-by-play of the details of the event. The live recording is on Facebook. Learn about the nuances of failed reforms championed by former US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and her interview with Commit founder Todd Williams. Spellings was appointed by George W. Bush. Williams was chosen to be the education advisor of former Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings and was appointed to four boards and commissions under Governor Greg Abbott. 

These two controversial education reformers have had enormous influence on public education policy over the last decade. How’s it working for us? Todd Williams said, “Data gives a voice to a child.” Mary and I believe parents and teachers give a voice to a child.

Spellings is on the board of Amplify Education where they were awarded a $50 million contract with the Texas Education Agency. Outcomes-based education is not the answer to public education. The best solution is to return to time-tested reading strategies and a classical education rooted in academic knowledge. Data-driven reforms reduce students and teachers to datapoints while edtech vendors and venture capitalists get rich.

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