Former Washington D.C. School Leader and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Dr. Kerri Briggs to direct the Bush Institute's Efforts in...
Former Washington D.C. School Leader and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Dr. Kerri Briggs to direct the Bush Institute’s Efforts in Education Reform
Dr. Kerri Briggs, who formerly served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in the U.S. Department of Education and most recently as state superintendent of education for Washington, D.C., today begins work as the new program director of education reform for The George W. Bush Institute. Dr. Briggs brings a wealth of experience to The Bush Institute’s rapidly expanding education initiatives. She has spent nearly 10 years leading reforms at the federal, state and local levels.
“Dr. Briggs has served on the front lines of education and is well known for her relentless focus on getting results,” said James K. Glassman, executive director of the Bush Institute. “We are thrilled to add her caliber of expertise and skills to drive The Bush Institute’s efforts in education.”
During her tenure as state superintendent for the Washington, D.C. public school system, Dr. Briggs worked closely with widely respected education reformer chancellor Michelle Rhee and highly respected charter school leaders. As a member of the team that won a federal Race to the Top grant for the city, Dr. Briggs was instrumental in one of the nation’s most visible education reform efforts. She led the District of Columbia into a Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) to develop a new, state-of-the-art assessment system, stabilized the organization to focus on eliminating Washington, D.C.’s federal status as a high-risk grantee, developed a policy structure to craft critical state policies (including those focused on students with disabilities), and constructed new processes to improve and consolidate data access and collections.
“The Bush Institute’s powerful education reform agenda shows a strong commitment to students, teachers, schools and the overall system in which they operate,” said Dr. Briggs. “I am eager to join The Bush Institute’s efforts to identify the most innovative and effective methods to improve our nation’s public schools and deliver results that change the game for our nation’s children.’
During the Bush Administration, Dr. Briggs led efforts to implement the No Child Left Behind law, and successfully rolled out educational initiatives across all 50 states. Dr. Briggs will continue to seek reform-based principles of accountability and results in her work at The Bush Institute.
Education reform, as well as human freedom, global health and economic growth make up the four areas of engagement for The Bush Institute. As program director of education reform, Dr. Briggs’ joins a team of leading education scholars including Dr. James W. Guthrie, Sandy Kress, Dr. Jay P. Greene, Dr. Michael J. Podgursky, Dr. Matthew G. Springer and Beth Ann Bryan.
Dr. Briggs’ initial focus will be the implementation of The Bush Institute’s recently announced Alliance to Reform Education Leadership (AREL). Her experience managing principals is a critical component to AREL, which, when fully operational, will be the largest initiative in history to enhance the achievement of America’s children by improving the performance of America’s school principals. Additionally, Dr. Briggs will oversee the Institute’s efforts in middle school reform and education productivity, with forthcoming announcements in both areas.
About the George W. Bush Institute: The George W. Bush Institute’s mission is to unleash human potential around the world through expanding human freedom, educational reform, global health, and economic growth. In all its programming, the Institute seeks to empower women and social entrepreneurs as proven agents of change in society. The Institute is part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which includes the Presidential library, located on the campus of SMU in Dallas. For more information, please visit www.bushcenter.com.
