Rick Hess

Rick Hess

Board Member

Senior Fellow & Director, American Enterprise Institute

As the resident scholar and director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Rick Hess studies a range of K-12 and higher education issues. As an educator and political scientist, Rick has authored influential books such as Common Sense School Reform, Revolution at the Margins, and Spinning Wheels. He is also the author of the popular Education Week blog, “Rick Hess Straight Up.”

Rick also serves as the executive editor of Education Next, is a faculty associate with Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance, and sits on the review board for the Broad Prize in Urban Education.


Most Recent Posts
NACSA’s 2024 Change Makers
Each year we highlight a few Change Makers—people in and around authorizing who are working tirelessly to meet the needs of students, families, and communities. Their commitment to high-quality education...
Impact, Accountability, and Innovation: Reflecting on Charter School Authorizing in 2024
As we close out 2024, I am filled with gratitude and purpose. Gratitude for the extraordinary work happening across the charter school sector to advance a defining truth about our...
Here’s What Innovation Looks Like in Schools
The prevailing narrative about the pandemic and innovation is incomplete. Did the pandemic force America’s hand and finally propel innovation in schools? Did schools suddenly embrace new technology and begin...