I do a lot of public speaking, particularly in the spring, as that is when many organizations hold conferences. The variety of audiences and professions is great: real estate, project management, technology, healthcare, housewares, speakers bureaus, CEO retreats, higher ed and K-12.

Given that Shift Ed: A Call to Action for Transforming K-12 Education has just been published, I mention it in every speech and presentation. After every speech, regardless of the industry, people come up to me asking questions about “your education book.”  It made me realize that everyone is a parent, a grandparent or a citizen concerned about the future of the United States.

I was not prepared for this unanimity of response. It is clear that the need to transform K-12 education is a belief that lies right below the surface all across America. This is so good to know! Read the rest of this entry »

It was an honor to be the opening keynote speaker at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ first SCEE National Summit on Educator Effectiveness on April 22, 2011.  It was an even greater honor to have Shift Ed: A Call to Action for Transforming K-12 Education be not only distributed to all attendees but to be the actual reference point for the 50 facilitators who led all the round table discussions. Read the rest of this entry »