Education: The Great Equalizer—Why Students Must Stay at the Center

I didn’t begin college with teaching in mind. Math was always my strength, and I initially set out to be a CPA. But after one summer coaching a Little League baseball team, everything changed.

I discovered my calling—working with kids, sparking growth, and helping them discover their own potential. A high school teacher encouraged me to pursue education, and from the moment I stepped into my first classroom, I was hooked.

That passion carried me through more than 35 years in public education—teaching everything from first grade reading to high school math, serving as a literacy coach, and eventually leading as a superintendent.

Every step of the way, the question was the same: How can I make sure students are at the center of every decision we make?

Relationships Above All

As a teacher, I gravitated toward students who were hardest to reach. I wanted to make my teaching relevant to my students’ daily lives. My math lessons weren’t just equations on a board; they were budgets, car payments, and rent checks. I wanted my students to see themselves in the work.

I quickly learned that teaching was never just about academics. It was about knowing each child’s story. Some of my first graders had to get younger siblings ready for school each morning before ever stepping into my classroom. For them, education wasn’t just learning—it was survival. My job was to believe in them until they could believe in themselves.

Even as a superintendent, that belief guided me as I moved into administration. As superintendent, I even kept an empty desk in our boardroom to remind our team that every decision, whether about curriculum, budgets, or policies, belonged to the students first.

Education as the Great Equalizer‍

I'm a first-generation college student.‍

Education changed the trajectory of my life and my family’s life, and I’ve seen it do the same for countless others. Public education is, to me, the great equalizer. It gives every child—regardless of background—a fair chance to succeed.

I’ve seen this play out in real ways. When we launched a phlebotomy program in my district, one student discovered her dream of becoming a nurse. She came from a single-parent home where college seemed out of reach. But through that program, she graduated with a certification and a $25-an-hour job in a lab. That opportunity gave her a pathway into continuing her education—and the ability to help support her family.

Stories like hers prove that when students are given access, they find a way forward. That’s what makes public education so vital to both individual lives and the health of our democracy.

A Global Perspective

Several years ago, I traveled to Zambia on a mission trip. I’ll never forget walking into classrooms where students crowded around a single book, cherishing even the smallest supplies. We brought red pens—an afterthought for me at the time—and the teachers cried with gratitude because they stood out against the newspaper pages they used to write on, making them perfect for lessons.

That experience opened my eyes to the universal hunger for education.

I went on to establish L.E.A.R.N. Global, Inc., a nonprofit that supports education and ministry and has built a school there, complete with dorms for girls to ensure they could continue their studies safely.

Today, some of those students are now in university training to be teachers themselves. It’s a reminder that education, whether in Texas or Zambia, has the power to break cycles of poverty and transform entire communities.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Education today faces complex challenges. Social media and technology shape our classrooms in both positive and troubling ways, contributing to isolation, distraction, and rising mental health struggles. Polarization and division have made teaching kindness and collaboration more urgent than ever.

At the same time, opportunities abound. High school redesign, career and technical pathways, and earlier exposure to career options are helping students graduate more prepared than ever before.

We’ve shifted away from a one-size-fits-all push toward college and recognized the value of skilled trades, certifications, and passions that look different for every student.

The key is balance—embracing innovation without losing sight of the human relationships that matter most.

Why Education Advanced

When I retired from the superintendency, I wasn’t done with education. I was looking for a way to keep supporting teachers and districts when I connected with Education Advanced.

What drew me in was simple: this is a company with the heart of an educator.

Our tools—Pathways, TestHound, and Evaluation—don’t replace people. They give them back their time. No one enters education to do paperwork, manage compliance, or track spreadsheets. They do it to change lives. By streamlining the tasks that weigh educators down, we allow them to return to their purpose—focusing on students.

And what sets us apart is that many of us have sat in those seats.

We know the pressure of deadlines, evaluations, and student tracking firsthand. That perspective shapes everything we build.

Looking Forward

For me, it always comes back to relationships and purpose. Education is about believing in kids until they can believe in themselves. It’s about keeping them at the center of every decision, even when it requires us to change.

I firmly believe public education is the foundation of our democracy. It’s the melting pot where we learn we have more in common than we think, and where every child gets an equal chance to thrive.

At Education Advanced, that’s the future we’re working toward—giving time back to educators so they can do what matters most—help students discover their purpose and succeed.

In the end, it always comes back to the students, and making sure they are given every opportunity to have a choice in their future.