Talent in Action

At EP, we’re always impressed by our Pioneers. The work they do, their commitment and dedication to changing outcomes for underserved students—that’s the stuff that keeps us at EP doing the work we do to help support and grow their careers.

Jacqueline Greer (2006 EP Fellow) has built an impressive career in education. Now serving as the Executive Director, DC for Urban Teachers , Jacqueline’s expertise in human capital has enabled her to lead a team that has supported over 300 teachers who reach over 9,300 students in 53 Washington, DC schools. In this Q&A she shares her insights on human capital in education.

In this Pioneer Profile with Christie Imholt (Program Manager, Teacher Leadership & Career Pathways at Denver Public Schools and 2015 EP Fellow, Denver), she talks about why the leaders who inspire her most have both an aspirational vision and a strategy to realize it; what it was like to be in the room with President Obama and hear him talk about education and work she contributed to; and why teaching—which requires an exceptional level of knowledge and skill—should be a profession to aspire to.

Last week, the spring 2016 cohort of Pahara Institute's NextGen Network was announced--and two EP Alumni, Lisa Ahn and Jelani McEwen were selected. This week on the EP blog, we revisit a Q&A with EP Alumna Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili, Director of the Pahara Institute’s NextGen Network. Idrissa talks about what Pahara looks for in leaders, why diversity in the most senior levels of leadership in education is crucial for excellence and equity in education, and why all education leaders must have a “heart and mind for listening and learning."

About a week ago, a handful of Education Pioneers Fellows and Alumni had the opportunity to participate in an “Agents of Change” dinner in New York’s Financial District. At these annual local events, Education Pioneers brings together leaders from across education organizations to share their perspectives, insights, and experiences from their work in the field. As an EP Fellow and someone who is relatively new to education, I appreciated the opportunity to learn from seasoned change-catalysts about what helped them excel. Four must-knows I learned about entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

Paris Woods is just getting started. As a low-income student attending St. Louis public schools, Paris overcame steep odds to succeed. And along the way, she grew more and more determined to change the system for other kids like her.

I have been working full-time in education for a grand total of 102 days. And as actual education experts can probably empathize with, I am (already) immediately asked two questions every time I tell someone from “the outside” that I now work in education: “What is the one thing you would change that would fix all of this? Is there a silver bullet?” I smile, I look around at the cake and dancing (because I am inevitably at a wedding reception during this conversation), and I shake my head.

I suspected that becoming an EP Fellow would be critical for my career, but I didn’t expect to be in a meeting alongside my personal heroes just a few weeks in. So how did I wind up in the same small room in the White House as Marian Wright Edelman (founder of the Children's Defense Fund), Education Secretary Arne Duncan, John King (Secretary Duncan’s deputy, a former commissioner of education for the State of New York, and current Acting Secretary), Stacey Stewart (President/CEO of United Way-Americas), Michael Smith (head of the President's My Brother's Keeper Initiative), and Roberto...

Two years ago, during EP’s 10th anniversary celebration, a brave high school freshman named Tomicia stood at a podium in front of hundreds of people and talked about dissecting a cow’s eye. She also talked about learning debate skills, going on an outdoor education trip, and meeting inspiring mentors. The educational experiences she’d had—including attending a top, college-preparatory high school—were because of Breakthrough San Francisco and its executive director, Andy Shin.

Technology holds tremendous potential to engage students in the classroom, ignite their curiosity, and connect their outside-of-school experiences with those at their desks.