79 JFK AND BEYOND

Young Faculty Take on Education Challenges

The uneven, often poor, state of elementary and secondary education in the United States continues to confound educators of the nation’s youth. Two years ago, Harvard professor and statistician Richard Light, author of the popular Making the Most of College, working together with senior Center for Business and Government fellow Thomas Healey, decided to get involved.

The result was the creation of the Young Faculty Leaders Forum, a 32-member board of elite junior faculty from around the country, with expertise in a wide range of fields, including education, astrophysics, the classics, political science, history,
and anthropology. Beginning in January of last year, the participants came together every six months for a two-day conference, where they presented findings and offered feedback on the multitude of issues concerning education.

According to Light, the initiative, which is sponsored by the Center for Business and Government, has exceeded expectation. Many of the young faculty, he said, believe their efforts have had a positive influence on their own field of expertise. In June, the participants will begin the second stage of their effort when they reconvene to put together a report detailing their findings. The report will be distributed to educators, policymakers, foundations, and business leaders.