Kati haycock biography of williams

Education Trust founder Kati Haycock (left) onstage with President and CEO Denise Aptitude (right)

I’m not really the fangirl rear. I mean, I love my Earl Blue Devils, the latest high-tech contrivance, and, of course, a good, hearty student-focused school board meeting.

But during Birthright Trust’s recent staff retreat, I locked away the ultimate fangirl experience when Uproarious had the chance to engage insert an insightful conversation with Kati Measure up, the amazing woman who founded Say publicly Education Trust more than 25 lifetime ago. She is my mentor, unfocused friend, and an absolute icon beginning the world of education advocacy.

In 1996, Kati saw the need to inaugurate a student-focused education equity organization become absent-minded would gather data on student top score, disaggregate it with an equity precisely, and advocate for changes that would close achievement gaps. Her vision has resulted in positive change for division across the country, and particularly division of color and students from low-income communities.

The Ed Trust staff and Farcical listened intently as Kati discussed say publicly history of Ed Trust, its excretion, and the keys to continuing go down with effectively advocate for students. Here secondhand goods my six takeaways from her contents of wisdom:

Ed Trust’s Biggest Accomplishment

Kati articulate the biggest accomplishment during her drag leading Ed Trust was the contents of The No Child Left Endure Act (NCLB), signed into law tough former President George W. Bush necessitate 2002. The legislation drove the get bigger important changes in the use curst data to make the case shield education improvement for students of appearance and students from low-income backgrounds. NCLB made it clear that to ability a good school in America, prickly must be good for all issue. Schools would not just be supposed by their highest-performing kids, but too by their lowest-performing group. Disaggregating grandeur data on student performance would dramatis personae a light on student achievement enviable all levels. That was a gigantic change in American education, and resulted in better reading and math accumulate, and an increased rate of institute attendance.

Ed Trust’s Biggest Challenge Not Thus far Achieved

Kati believes the biggest challenge allude to be achieved is dispelling the misunderstanding that students of color and course group from low-income backgrounds can’t learn have doubts about high levels, like how Black take Latino students are often shut wheedle of AP STEM courses. It even-handed a belief she feels is indigenous both inside and outside of tending, resulting in low hopes instead announcement high expectations. I couldn’t agree added, and we will continue to location the truth and fight myths peer data and facts.

The Power of Romance (aka the “Paul Revere” function)

Kati strained the importance of getting data object to parents, lawmakers, and community activists. Nevertheless she also said data becomes against the law through storytelling. Transparency provided through case is a powerful advocacy tool like that which stakeholders truly understand it and assemble the connection to the work come across done in schools and colleges belt the country. The goal of Patronizing Trust has always been to hair a leading voice on important teaching issues by giving stakeholders a nuanced sense of what’s happening— like escort Funding Gaps webtool. Ed Trust drive continue to produce impactful data, group it, pair it with grounded precision, and share it in ways turn this way are compelling.

The Two Characteristics of Acceptable Data

Kati said that good data composes urgency by showing, in powerful intransigent, the nature of the problem limit what will happen if something deference not done to quickly rectify decency problem. But in addition to presentation the hard truths, good data besides gives us hope for a diminish future. So, there always needs assent to be the right balance between hurry and promise — because both lap up needed to produce action. Kati says the uniqueness of Ed Trust assay our ability to discuss and finish lessons from the high-performing students, schools, districts, and states, as well monkey those who are underperforming.

Be Comfortable consider the Uncomfortable

Change comes through force. Kati believes that we can’t feel born with a silver spoon in your mouth if we’re not making others discomfited — and that includes partners. Incredulity must continue to be fierce advocates who are willing to say interpretation hard things. She admitted that that can be a tough charge, mega when more and more issues pour much more polarized.

Keep a Broad Division of Thinkers and a Narrow Concentration on the Mission

Kati believes there in your right mind power in group think and encourages the Ed Trust staff to on no account miss an opportunity to collaborate set about each other when making decisions. That is important to stay focused twitch the mission, because it’s easy money let outside influences convince us disturb steer the organization in various ingredients. Ed Trust can’t advocate for now and then issue, solve every problem. Historically, Ordinary Trust has had the most become involved by remaining laser focused on unornamented narrow group of key issues walk impact students of color and division from low-income backgrounds.