Askwith Education Forum Askwith Essentials: Who is Jeb Bush? Five things you should know about the former Florida governor before his appearance at the Askwith Forums. Posted October 11, 2016 By Bobby Dorigo Jones At the Askwith Forums on Thursday, October 13, the founder of the Foundation for Excellence in Education will draw from his experience in Florida to address how state leaders can capitalize on opportunity afforded by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to reshape their education systems. Here’s what you should know before the forum:Governor Jeb Bush has been a strong supporter of the state role in education reform. “Every state is on the journey. Some really slow and some far more advanced. But ultimately this is a state-driven kind of enterprise,” Bush has said (ABC). He also founded Chiefs for Change, which partners with state education leaders to adapt to the loosened accountability requirements of ESSA.As governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007, Bush raised proficiency standards for the state’s “FCAT” assessment. He pushed for education accountability systems and expanded choice, legislation that was labeled the “A+ Plan.”The education platform of his 2016 presidential campaign reflected his state focus, calling for more state flexibility in designing their own accountability systems. He also advocated that states either accept the Common Core State Standards or draw up equally rigorous ones of their own. He advocated for state databases containing college and career outcome information of public school graduates, so parents can see the life outcomes of former students of their children’s current or future schools.Through his Foundation for Excellence in Education, Bush has advocated at the state and national level for choice, innovation, and accountability. Since postponing his presidential campaign, he has resumed leadership of the foundation.Last month, Bush was appointed a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Education Policy and Governance. He will serve as a guest lecturer for the program and participate in a fall colloquia series on education policy and research.Event details:Thursday, October 13Askwith Hall, Longfellow Hall13 Appian WayCambridge, MA, 02138NOTE: Seating is first-come, first-seated. For a chance to win a reserved seat to the forum, enter the drawing on the Ed School's Facebook page. Askwith Education Forum Bringing innovators and influential leaders to the Harvard Graduate School of Education Explore All Articles Related Articles Askwith Education Forum An Afternoon with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren This season’s Askwith Forums series kicks off with the Honorable Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has long focused on critical issues in education including college affordability and student debt. Askwith Education Forum Elizabeth Warren Visits the Askwith Forum U.S. Senator for Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren talked higher education, student debt, and the importance of reform at the Askwith Forum on September 18, 2015. Askwith Education Forum Where Are All the Teachers of Color? While a majority of kids in American public schools today are students of color, more than 80 percent of teachers are white. On Nov. 2, a panel explores how and why this imbalance persists and identifies policy levers to to help correct it.