PERSONAL MISSION

Harnessing business concepts to social purpose to achieve quality, scale and sustainability in public education via market-oriented solutions.

CURRENT POSITION

President, New Education Economy, LLC, Alexandria, VA

Editor, School Improvement Industry Weekly at www.siiwonline.com
- Web-enabled information service covering supply, demand, politics and regulation in the marketplace created by No Child Left Behind
- First issue published in January 2004.
- Editorial podcast at http://siiwonline.libsyn.com
Editor, School Improvement Markets Report
- Weekly hyperlinked report of federal, state and district school improvement RFPs
President, ThinkingEdge consulting
- Specialties in strategy, expansion and support for boards.
- Fees based on results
- Past clients
  - National Education and Knowledge Industry Association (strategy)
  - Center on Reinventing Public Education (product development)
  - Align to Achieve (for profit spin out planning)
  - The RAND Corporation (publication)

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY IN K-12 EDUCATION (highest position)

1984-1997: Senior Social Scientist, The Rand Corporation, Washington, D.C.

Authored reports and guides on charter school law, implementation, authorizing criteria, business issues, and technical support at joint Rand/University of Washington Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Contributed to drafting of federal charter legislation for the District of Columbia, drafted Washington state Business Roundtable's charter school legislation proposal.
Developed long-term plans for successful transition of eight New American Schools’ (NAS) grant-based Comprehensive School Reform (SCR) “design teams” to fee-for-service providers of technical assistance to schools.
Drafted NAS Memoranda of Understanding with a dozen major school districts to create internal markets for NAS design teams and other fee-for-service CSR providers.

1997-2002: Chief Operating Officer, New American School (NAS), Alexandria, VA

Transitioned this nonprofit corportation's grant program to a lending activity in 1997; the organization's first internal fee-for-service operation.
Selected and managed integrated strategic planning/market research support for borrowers.
Represented NAS in negotiations to “spin out” design teams from parent organizations, including financing, retention of NAS rights, and financial interests/compensation.
Authored report on first design team dismissed by NAS for lack of quality.
Oversaw subsequent formal “quality review” process to bring new teams under NAS umbrella.
Assumed COO function after resignation of President during budget crisis.
With new President, conceived and managed cuts and rebuilding of budget ($3-10 million), staff (10-30), organizational structure and programs.

1999-2002: President, Education Entrepreneurs Fund (NAS subsidiary), Alexandria, VA

Institutionalized the concept of scaling promising education programs with loans, equity, and joint venture finance instead of grants.
Formed $15 million social investment program and developed core staff.
Built a “virtual” bank operation; outsourcing support functions to national banking (Riggs), law (O’Melveny and Meyers) and accounting (BDO Seidman) firms, and financial (Education Capital) and market (Schoolhouse Partners) advisors.
Made final investment recommendation to Fund’s investment committee (including former Goodrich CEO John Ong and former Xerox CEO David Kearns).
Led the development of business advisory and on-line grant locating services for investees and other NAS/Fund clients.
Built overall staff for these operations from one to twelve, plus 3FTE consultants.
Developed portfolio of thirteen early-stage for profit and fee-for-service nonprofit school improvement service providers.
100% success rate – no defaults or losses, all investments repaid, all investees actively engaged in the market today (including Success for All, Modern Red Schoolhouse, TeachFirst, Co-Nect).

2003: President/CEO, National Charter School Alliance, Washington, D.C.

First President of membership organization succeediing Charter Friends National Network - offered position by unanimous consent of the board.
Developed fee-based business plan approved by unanimous consent of board within 90 days of taking office.
Responsible for opening office, staff hiring, membership development, press relations, inter-organizational relations, public speaking, government relations and lobbying.

EDUCATION

1974-1978 B.S., School of International Service, American University

1978-1980 Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

1991-1994 J.D., George Washington University Law School

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

1996 Outward Bound, Cascade Mountains

1997 Negotiations Workshop, Harvard Law School

1998 Outward Bound, Outer Banks

1999 Strategic Alliances, Wharton School of Business

2001 Information-Based Strategy, Wharton School of Business

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Education Industry Leadership Board
Licensed to practice law in Virginia and District of Columbia

EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Preventing School Failure Under No Child Left Behind: An “Indications and Warning” Perspective, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington (Seattle). Publication expected in the winter of 2005.

Where's the Supply? Increasing High-Quality Education Options for Public School Students, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington (Seattle). Publication expected in the winter of 2005.

“Leveraging the Market to ‘Scale-Up’ School Improvement Programs: A Fee-for-Service Primer for Foundations and Nonprofits,” Chapter 16 in Expanding the Reach of Education Reforms), Thomas Glennan and Susan Bodilly, editors, RAND Education (Santa Monica) 2005.

"How do we grow the movement...How much growth is enough?" in From Margins to Mainstream: Building a Stronger Charter School Movement, conference essays, Andrew Rotherham, editor, Progressive Policy Institute (Washington).

With Keith Collar and Renee Jacob, “Social Investing for our Children’s Future,” in the Handbook for Educational Leadership and Management, Brent Davies and John West-Burnham, editors, Pearson Education (London), 2003.

With Paul Herdman, Are Charter Schools Getting More Money into the Classroom: A Micro-Financial Analysis of First Year Charter Schools in Massachusetts, Program on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington (Seattle), October 2000.

A Guidebook for Charter School Applicants in the District of Columbia, District of Columbia Committee on Public Education, Charter School Resource Center, District of Columbia Committee on Public Education, Federal City Council (District of Columbia), Summer 1998.

With Robin Lake, Supplying a System of Charter Schools: Observations on Early Implementation of the Massachusetts Charter School Statute, UW/RAND Program on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington (Seattle), June 1997.

A Guidebook for Chartering Agencies, DRU-1545-ED, RAND, November 1996.

A Nonprofit Technical Assistance Activity for Charter Applicants in Pennsylvania: Mission, Functions, Capabilities and Plans, DRU-1491-IET, RAND, September 1996.

What it Takes to Start a Pennsylvania Charter School: A Guide for Applicants, DRU-1492-IET, RAND, September 1996.

Autonomy, Accountability, and the Values of Public Education, UW/RAND Program on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington (Seattle), September 1996.

With Robin Lake, So You Want to Start a Charter School? Strategic Advice for Applicants, RAND/University of Washington Program for Re-Inventing Public Education (Seattle), October 1996.

Draft Model Charter School Legislation, RAND/University of Washington Program on Re-Inventing Public Education (Seattle), July 1996.

With Paul T. Hill and Robin Lake, “Charter Schools: Escape or Reform?,” Education Week, June 5, 1996.

With Paul T. Hill and Robin Lake, A Comparison of Washington’s School Choice Proposals: Charter Schools, Initiative 173 and Initiative 177, Point Paper, RAND/University of Washington Program on Re-Inventing Public Education (Seattle), February 1996.

How Does The Washington State Education Code Compare With The "Charter School" Statutes of Other States?, RAND/University of Washington Program on Re-Inventing Public Education (Seattle), August 1995.

What Are Charter Schools?: An Introduction to the Concept and the Statutes, RAND/University of Washington Program on Re-Inventing Public Education (Seattle), April 1995.

Autonomy, Accountability, and the Values of Public Education: A Comparative Assessment of Charter School Statutes Leading to Model Legislation, DRU-930-LE/IET, The RAND Corporation, December 1994.

With Paul Hill, Dealing With Potential Union Opposition to NASDC Designs, DRU-681-NASDC, The RAND Corporation, December 1993.

Negotiating the New American School: State Law on the Scope of Collective Bargaining in Public Education, MR-387-NASDC, The RAND Corporation, November 1993.