PIE Network

The PIE Network team is growing! We're #hiring a new Senior Analyst, Policy & Program. Apply today or share this post with your network. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and résumé to [email protected]. Applications are not available via LinkedIn.

PIE Network connects, strengthens, and catalyzes the work of education advocates across communities, states, and ideologies to transform education so every student, in every community can achieve a future without limits. This year for PI(E) Day, we are recognizing the work of PIE Network's board: Chad Aldis, David Mansouri, Denise Forte, Derrell Bradford, Evan Stone, Maya Martin Cadogan, Robin Lake, Scott Laband, and Tequilla Brownie, Ed.D. The board contributes ingredients that make the PIE Network’s recipe special. Check out some ingredients they think support the multiplying power of the Network: ?? “The three ingredients that make the PIE Network strong are a common goal, trust, and talented leaders from across the nation. Nowhere is this more obvious than during PIE's National Summit where the vibrant policy discussions and learnings make all of us better for it.” – Chad Aldis of The Thomas B. Fordham Institute ?? “PIE Network stays strong with a rich filling of diverse voices, a flaky crust of learning from those voices, and the secret ingredient—amazing PIE staff who bring it all together to support impactful advocacy for students. Happy PIE Day.” – Denise Forte of EdTrust ?? “The ingredients of PIE Network (bipartisanship, policy pillars, and carefully curated learning experiences) aren’t what make it such a powerful and productive place for advocates. The secret is the amazing team who mixes us all together. They are experts that operate with a service orientation, which is so rare. In short, the chefs are what make PIE great.” – Evan Stone of Educators for Excellence ?? “Hey, hey, hey, it's PIE DAY! The three ingredients that make the PIE Network the perfect circle are PEOPLE, POLICY, and PURPOSE aka P^3 = PIE. At our annual Summit and Execs, on Zoom, and in Leadership Institute, we bring together PEOPLE from across the country and across the aisle who believe in innovative, research-driven POLICY that advances the most important PURPOSE - every student, in every community, having the educational opportunities and experiences necessary to achieve a future without limits!” – Maya Martin Cadogan of PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) ?? “We at CRPE value the PIE network because they connect evidence-based ideas to advocacy, bring people together to learn and debate across political and ideological divides, and always maintain their focus on putting students and families first.” – Robin Lake of Center on Reinventing Public Education

With the recent release of NAEP scores, many are saddened by the sobering state of literacy in the US. As my grandmother used to say, there is no time to waste when it comes to doing important work. And the time to tackle literacy has never been better. Consider the following: ? + Over the past decade, educators have built quality curricula grounded in what works. What we offer teachers and students really matters for literacy.?And what we offer them today is a dramatic improvement over materials from 15 years ago—from CKLA, to EL Education, Fishtank Learning, and Wit & Wisdom. + In parallel, experienced educators have built organizations to support systems as they implement new curriculum.?As a field, we learned that dropping standards in classrooms without adequate support doesn’t work. Today, providers like Instruction Partners, Leading Educators, Teaching Lab, and Teaching Matters show us how to support instructional change differently. + We have a model of growth at scale.?Mississippi gained 10 points between 2013 and 2019 on the 4th-grade NAEP.?In the latest NAEP data, both Mississippi and Louisiana basically erased COVID learning gaps in 4th?grade. + Educators and researchers are leveraging AI to deliver exceptional instruction.?Quill.org?offers a writing tutor anchored on a proven instructional model, the Writing Revolution, and is scaling through partnerships with HQIM. Stanford's ROAR (led by Jason Yeatman) offers open-source assessments that can help ensure?all?kids get the tailored support they need.?Crucially, these advances are being developed in close partnership with educators. + And, critically, literacy is a unifying topic.?In a time of intense polarization, teaching children to read has broad support. Nearly all states have passed legislation to improve reading instruction. In 2024 alone, 15 passed laws doubling down on the science of reading. There is lots of work to do. Today, 1 in 50 American children head to school in my hometown of New York City. Just?under?50% of those in 3rd–8th graders pass the state test. Only 28% were proficient in reading on the most recent fourth-grade NAEP. At the Robertson Foundation, we are prioritizing literacy by partnering with educators working to make America a place where all kids learn to read—because all can.?This knowledge is both heartening and sobering, considering that disparities in literacy achievement remain and—in some cases—are widening. This is avoidable. To show what’s possible, we are dedicating 70% of our literacy funding to building?models of scaled instructional coherence—starting with NYC.?We are also investing in exceptional innovators and advocates to sustain and accelerate progress, teaming up with the Center for Public Research and Leadership, Educators for Excellence, and the PIE Network. We will go further, faster, if we work together. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or my colleagues Kelsey Credé and Catherine Chiabaut, Ph.D., if you want to learn more.

A better future for American education isn’t built by one group alone—it requires all of us working in partnership. With that goal in mind, we are proud to share our Moving the Needle report, featuring insights from five leading education thinkers actively working to shape the future. Alongside their essays, we share what parents have told us about their access to opportunities and the 2025 advocacy goals our state campaigns will pursue as a result. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gpz4bww6

Tomorrow is #NAEP24 Day. There is always so much to digest, so here's a cheat sheet. *?? The Nation's Report Card site goes live at 12:01 am ET tomorrow. *?? Along with all the data, there will be a video overview of the results from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Commissioner Peggy Carr. *?? After you've digested the data, tune in at 1 pm ET for a NAEP Data Town Hall conversation with #NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr, National Assessment Governing Board Vice Chair Marty West, and NPR's Cory Turner. (DC friends, join us in person at the Sumner School for this discussion!) Register for the online or in-person event @ https://lnkd.in/etm45T8U *?? Then join the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Governors Association, and Council of the Great City Schools for a discussion with state and district leaders about how they interpret the results and what they plan to do next. *?? As usual, there will be tons of stories published about the results after the embargo lifts, so be prepared for an onslaught of NAEP news in your clips/newsfeeds. *?? Also as usual, there will be many, many, many hot takes. Beware mis-NAEP-ery. (And revisit this great piece from my colleague LoGerfo Laura on how not to fall prey to misinterpreting the results: https://lnkd.in/e-KZraja.)

In the midst of change, we’re focused on what remains true. The need to improve opportunities and outcomes for every student has perhaps never been greater. PIE Network members continue to face challenges and opportunities with optimism and strategic advocacy across lines of difference to advance and implement policies and practices that improve student opportunities and outcomes. In 2024, PIE Network…. ?? Supported and highlighted 88 member campaigns that cumulatively have the potential to impact more than 20 million students. ?? Grew 53% in the last five years while increasing program offerings and impact. ?? Developed leaders to deepen their connections and leadership skills ??Achieved high scores for member programming – Network events received an average 4.5 / 5.0 bottom-line satisfaction score and 91% of participants said they learned something new that positively impacted their work. ??Supported advocates’ leadership development through the Leadership Institute and annual gatherings of our nearly 200 Leadership Institute alumni ??And much more. Read more about PIE Network leaders’ impact in our 2024 Annual Report: rebrand.ly/PIENetwork24.