Columnists

Nancie Atwell, winner of the Varkey Foundation’s first Global Teacher Prize, recently spoke to CNN’s “New Day” show about receiving a $1 million award that she subsequently handed over to her school, the school she founded, the Center For Teaching and Learning. I admire Ms. Atwell and all her work. I am sure she is a great teacher, but I have a problem with any teacher, even me, being called the best Global Teacher and winning an award of $1,000,000.

Lord James Knight, formerly the Minister for Education in England and current Managing Director of Online Learning at TSL Education, took time to answer questions about the state of online and blended learning in education across the globe. Lord Knight’s response to my last question about the future and expanse of online learning speaks,

Dr. Stephen Fink is the executive director of the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership (CEL), and affiliate associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies in the University of Washington College of Education.Dr. Fink is co-author of Leading for Instructional Improvement: How Successful Leaders Develop Teaching and Learning Expertise.

Richard Gerver, former educator and principal from England, shines a bright light on educational leadership and vision. I first met Richard after I had interviewed his mentor, Sir Ken Robinson, on Facebook. I was immediately surprised at his giving nature to someone he had yet to meet. We Skyped and shared email conversations about our visions for education.en.

Aimee Rogstad Guidera from the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), a national, nonprofit organization leading the effort to empower educators, students, parents, and policymakers with the information they need to make the best decisions to improve student outcomes. Aimee believes that data have the power to transform education to ensure every child in this country is prepared for success in college and careers.

I had the opportunity to spend time with NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia. We spent almost an hour talking about everything from her roots in education to the upcoming election cycle and the opportunity education has to inform future directives.

S teven Hodas, the former Executive Director for NY city’s iZone or Office of Innovation and current Practitioner in Residence at CRPE.org shares his views on innovation in the face of K-12 bureaucracy.

By Francey Hakes

Jessica Lahey has steadily become one of this country’s preeminent voices bridging educational experiences with parenting and the community. You have probably read her work in the New York Times and The Atlantic. We went down the hall with Lahey to discuss her new book and its place on the bookshelves of school-based leaders. Dr. Berger: Your upcoming book The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed  (Harper Collins) could be used as the basis for a number of topics in global education.