By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

Student debt is completely out of control, right? The more than $1 trillion in outstanding college loans is front-page news and is pretty much the only educational issue the presidential candidates are talking about. Yes, ballooning student debt is causing real hardship for some Americans. But as with many educational flare-ups, the public debate is giving us more noise than signal. So before you decide to skip college based on the hysteria, here are a few things to keep in mind.

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Hope Street Group is a 501(c)3 organization working to strengthen the foundational underpinnings of our economy—education, health care, and jobs—by identifying and promoting rational methods of incentivizing better outcomes. We are fiercely bipartisan and relentlessly results-oriented. We bring together a variety of experienced practitioners, including creative business minds, nonprofit heads, and visionaries in government of all political stripes to collaborate in the pursuit of policy innovation. We then use our findings as a megaphone to influence and inform policy, and help to implement and spread the ideas that are working on the ground.

POINT OF VIEW

No economy can be robust and healthy if its structural underpinnings—education, health care, and employment systems—are weakened. We need an excellent educational system to ensure that future generations can compete in an increasingly complex global work environment. We need to realign the economics of a health care system whose unsustainable cost increases threaten both national and family budgets. And we need to make sure that we are making the right moves to successfully get unemployed workers back into jobs.

Hope Street Group believes that these broken systems can be repaired. This will, however, require directing human, political, and financial resources – both local and national – toward often-overlooked levers and voices in the debate which can more-effectively bridge the gap between policy and practice.

APPROACH

Specifically, Hope Street Group’s strategy centers around what it believes to be the point of greatest impact within these socioeconomic systems: addressing the incentives that shape behaviors that generate outcomes. Not only does HSG view these incentives as being the greatest potential levers for change, but also the pieces of the puzzle which are often, ultimately, disregarded through the process by which practice in the field and policies from the government are typically blended.

With this disconnect in mind, and through an approach it calls Policy 2.0, Hope Street Group pushes ahead at the point where others tend to hand work off to practitioners. Unlike traditional think tanks or most organizations focused on thought leadership and policy, HSG goes a step further and engages in the field by methodically uncovering and then promoting dissemination of the countless but isolated examples of sound incentives being put in place in states and cities and towns all over the country. Aided by creative and courageous people working in these sectors, the HSG team identifies what’s already succeeding in pockets of innovation across the country, captures best practices from these examples, and uses its vast network and cutting-edge technology tools to help scale what works.

Whether through its well-established bi-partisan working groups or its high-profile Annual Colloquia, Hope Street Group has convened some of the nation’s most influential leaders to build consensus around practical policy, create a shared sense of ownership for participants, and drive real change. In fact, HSG’s impact on national policy and practice has been far-reaching, more so than many people realize given the organization’s deliberately modest approach to date. Focused less on seeking credit than on driving game-changing impact, HSG was, for example, instrumental in constructing the bi-partisan and support and policy blueprint behind Race To The Top. Additionally, the organization has quietly amassed a first-rate network of people and organizations in its coalition who are among the nation’s best and brightest leaders – business innovators, public-sector mavericks, intrepid funders, creative practitioners, and others – who are deeply committed to its ambitious but hopeful cause across the education, healthcare, and labor sectors.

Despite its behind-the-scenes role, the high quality and high-touch excellence of HSG’s work has garnered the attention of the White House, board rooms, philanthropists and classroom teachers, all of whom champion Hope Street Group’s mission and are actively involved in helping to expand the coalition for reform.

EDUCATION

Motivated by the fact that the achievement gap remains unacceptably large and US students are falling behind other nations in key subjects such as math and science, Hope Street Group has chosen education as its primary area of focus for the immediate future. Recognizing the powerful role that effective teachers play in increasing student success, HSG’s Education Program’s goal is to transform the teaching profession and improve outcomes for students by spreading implementation of widely accepted and effective educator evaluation programs built with the involvement and input of teachers. The HSG Education Program is well positioned to deliver because of its track record of engaging practitioners in key states and its tested ability to influence the national conversation on reform.

Already, Hope Street Group has inspired and mobilized hundreds of teachers to make their voices heard by education policymakers through, among other means, its proprietary network of Teacher Fellows. With the goal of thoughtful, sustainable reform in every state, HSG seeks to bring more states into the fold, acting as a facilitator and curator of teacher voice, collecting and synthesizing information and successes and sharing the implications with policy makers. Notably, HSG’s recently launched signature product “The Playbook” is a high-tech, best-practices manual for teacher evaluation reform. Its purpose is to shed light on what’s working and engage teachers and policy makers in creating dynamic evaluation tools and it includes 300 pages of interviews, videos, a glossary, vignettes from policy makers and other key stakeholders. Ultimately, it provides a cutting-edge and complete road map for replicating the work that has been done on the ground in states like Tennessee and Delaware where HSG’s efforts have been the most successful.

THE POSITION

As a rapidly growing organization serious about doing entrepreneurial work in non-entrepreneurial contexts, Hope Street Group is seeking a unique professional, one passionate about delivering measurable impact and advancing education reform using HSG’s distinct approach. For someone who shares HSG’s vision about the gap and the powerful potential in the gap between policy and practice, this role provides an excellent opportunity to engage with a diverse, cross-sector network of leaders, be at the vanguard of open innovation, interact with policy makers at all levels of government, and become a key player in ongoing national, state and local policy debates. The Vice President of Education will drive HSG’s education initiatives while building a national teacher leader network and playing a key role in advocacy, communications and policy. S/he will deepen Hope Street group’s involvement in the states by supporting the creation of “proof point” systems that will be used to identify, promote, assign and compensate effective teaching, and then share the learning with national policy makers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Vice President of Education has the responsibility for strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the education team, and will work closely with the Board, staff and funders to complete and operationalize a new strategic plan for Hope Street Group. Additional responsibilities include:

• supporting the implementation of innovative education reform strategies and ideas leading to a direct impact on education policy and practice;
• solidifying organizational objectives and identifying and executing strategies designed to meet those objectives;
• developing and monitoring an annual education budget with the assistance of the HSG accounting staff and oversight of the CEO;
• serving as in-house education specialist and providing leadership to achieve HSG’s P-12 education agenda;
• liaising with key local, state, and national policymakers and education experts to build the organization’s brand, reputation and network;
• working to expand HSG’s standing within the broader community and drive greater participation in the Policy 2.0 process;
• working with community managers to disseminate policy reports and research to diverse audiences through innovative and traditional means, including engaging members of the media, speaking at public events, drafting op-eds, posting blogs and leading briefings with educational and policy leaders;
• leading the promotion and communications campaign for HSG’s Playbook
• collaborating with HSG’s development staff to identify and secure funding opportunities to support the organization’s work, and
• organizing and leading HSG’s work on the ground in states.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will have:

• knowledge of both national and state education policy design and implementation;
• specialized expertise in one or more of the states where HSG is engaged (DE, TN, NY, FL, LA, CO);
• familiarity and credibility with stakeholders in the education policy arena;
• the ability to travel on the job to the states in which HSG is currently engaged, and to those in which a presence is established in the future;
• an understanding of public policy and the operations of state government, as well as an understanding of issues and challenges facing education reform nationally;
• commitment to taking an innovative approach to problem-solving and changing how policy is created and implemented;
• demonstrable experience at effectively advancing a political agenda utilizing and mobilizing grassroots support, including the ability to convey ideas and positions to numerous audiences;
• the ability to identify the overlapping aspects of an organization’s diverse work to identify points of synergy and reinforcement;
• the ability to work collaboratively with funders, staff, Teacher Fellows and volunteers to conceptualize, fully develop and execute projects;
• a track record as a proven and effective leader of talent and other resources;
• experience managing a geographically disbursed and skill diverse staff;
• excellent facilitation and communication skills;
• a balanced blend of organizing and operational experience; and
• passion for public service and HSG’s mission that will drive interest and commitment to a collaborative public policy model.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

The Vice President of Education will work closely with the board and report directly to the CEO. S/he will manage the current three-person education program team and have authority to add staff and shape the structure of the education organization as program needs require and the budget allows. The new Vice President of Education will also work with the Chief Organizing Officer to connect HSG’s growing grassroots movement with its broad national leader network to support implementation of education policies, and be the primary liaison to the Hope Street Group Education Policy Council, a group of nationally known and recognizable education policy and opinion makers.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Hope Street Group is a nimble and largely virtual organization. The staff of nearly ten employees maintains their own physical work spaces and conducts business from locations across the US while meeting regularly in person at points within Washington, DC. As such, HSG is a strong fit for professionals who possess strong personal drive and motivation; demonstrate exemplary professional behavior and values, and who are resourceful, responsible, tenacious, independent, and self-confident.

COMPENSATION

The salary for the role is highly competitive and organizational benefits include medical and dental insurance as well as optional 403b retirement plan and a generous vacation policy.

TO APPLY

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until June 15, 2012. Applications should consist of a letter of interest and a current resume. Applications or inquiries about the position should be directed to:

Monisha Lozier, Partner
Leslie Nair, Associate Partner
Bellwether Education Partners
leslie@bellwethereducation.org

By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

When the New York Daily News posted an article about an Aesop-inspired fable that appeared on the standardized test eighth graders in New York state had to take last month — about a pineapple challenging a hare to a foot race through the forest — all hell broke loose because the passage was so poorly written and the questions about it so incomprehensible. The fable described several animals assuming that the pineapple must have a trick up its sleeve that would enable the immobile fruit to win the race, and when they discovered that it didn’t, they ate it. Test-takers were asked: Why did they eat the pineapple? The correct answer: because the animals were annoyed. And who was the wisest of the animals? An owl that was never mentioned in the passage. Anti-testing activists responded with fury that this set of questions showed why standardized testing is worthless. New York officials quickly turned tail and tossed out the pineapple passage, declaring that they would not count it on this year’s test and would not use it in the future.

There was just one problem: much of the uproar was based on bad information.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

According to a recent poll, 67 percent of registered voters in swing states said education was “extremely important” to them in this year’s election. Parents of high schoolers and college students are particularly worried (or they should be) that the interest rate on federally backed student loans is set to double in July, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Meanwhile, only 8 percent of low-income students even make it out of college by age 24. Business leaders agree America needs to do a better job educating its kids if we want to remain competitive globally. Yet despite all that, President Obama and Mr. Romney aren’t talking about education’s hard questions. They aren’t even talking up their own successes. Why? Because education reform doesn’t fit well with the overall argument either candidate is making about why he should get to sit in the Oval Office next January.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

It’s an exciting time for students who got into one of their top-choice schools. But what about all the kids who didn’t? At 18, that kind of rejection can be devastating. And perspective on how the college you go to doesn’t determine the rest of your life takes a few years to kick in. Tom Brokaw has said publicly that his rejection from Harvard helped him realize that he needed to party less and study more. He got a degree from the University of South Dakota and ended up becoming one of the most highly regarded household names in America. Warren Buffett didn’t get into his first choice for business school, and he’s done alright too.

Brokaw and Buffett’s paths to impactful careers offer a basic and important lesson: Your first act isn’t your last. In that vein, here are three pieces of practical advice for dealing with college rejection.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

The new documentary Bully, which opens in theaters tomorrow, is powerful stuff. Try to get through even just the opening sequence without tearing up. Hopefully it will wake up parents, teachers, and school administrators. But let’s also hope they respond thoughtfully to this searing film. Because too often in our rush to address a problem, American educators and politicians have a well-intentioned overreaction that minimizes commonsense in favor of blanket solutions.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

When a little girl, who I’ll call Tina, arrived in a pre-kindergarten program in Washington, D.C. she was unable to recognize any sounds or letters. By the time she left for kindergarten she knew all her letters and more sounds than D.C.’s standards require. Now, six years later, Tina’s teachers say she’s “on a roll” in school.

There are plenty of legitimate debates about what works in education, but the importance of early-childhood education is not one of them. High-quality early-childhood programs help kids in school and in life. Why? Research shows that good programs can improve a variety of outcomes and University of Chicago economist and Nobel Laureate James Heckman points out that dollars invested early are higher leverage than later remediation. But it’s also common sense. Tina’s teachers say that until she learned behavioral and participatory skills she was simply unable to engage with and benefit from instruction at school. It’s good for parents, too, because good programs teach them about how to be involved and advocate for their child’s education.

So why aren’t we ensuring that more students and families at-risk of school failure get this sort of support? A forthcoming report from the National Institute for Early Education Research

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

Barbie turned 53 this month. She’s now several years into an AARP membership and yet wisdom has apparently not come with age. She’s still driving parents like me up the wall with her vapid sexuality. My daughters are in the prime demographic for Barbie and other dolls. Thankfully, at least from where I sit, they’re more excited by American Girl dolls than by Barbies. Both brands are owned by Mattel, yet only one moves beyond tired stereotypes. American Girls manage to teach kids history and resilience and, even with their thick waists and sturdy ankles, the dolls look pretty — and pretty normal.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

Fallujah probably isn’t the first place you’d go for ideas about how to improve our schools. It was the scene of some of the toughest fighting during the Iraqi War. But the city’s successful recapture by the United States highlighted why the Marines Corps is such a respected fighting force. In that battle, as in others, 19- and 20-year-old Marines were trusted to make extraordinary split-second decisions in an environment more dangerous and confusing than most of us can imagine. Yet back home in American schools, we still haven’t figured out how to give our teaching force – whose members are college graduates, more than half of whom have advanced degrees – autonomy and accountability in a far less dynamic workplace. In school districts and state capitals, we veer between giving teachers insufficient training and oversight and giving them almost no autonomy at all.

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By Andrew J. Rotherham for Time Magazine

If your child’s school is lousy, would you want the option to band together with other parents and take it over? That’s the idea behind “parent trigger” legislation that enables parents in low-performing schools to vote to change the governance of their children’s school — and remove teachers and the principal if they want to. Although only four states have enacted such a law (California was the first to do so in 2010), legislators in Florida are debating this week whether it should become the fifth, and similar bills are pending in a dozen states.

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