This month, I had the distinct privilege of attending the Yass Prize Accelerator in Miami, Florida. The Yass Prize, established by Jeff and Janine Yass, celebrates and rewards education innovators who lead organizations that embody four core principles: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless. Born out of a desire to supercharge schools and organizations that were serving students in innovative ways during the 2020-2021 COVID era, the Yass prize has impacted over 14 million students across 43 states, with over $50 million awarded in grants to education innovators in the last five years. This year, my organization, GuidEd, was one of the 23 finalists selected.
The educators and innovators I met in Miami were diverse in background, geography, and mission, and yet all the leaders committed their careers to serving the unique needs of the students and families in their respective communities. Their views were optimistic, their work ethics were tireless, and their visions were clear: to provide children with the highest quality education that meets their unique needs. Among them was Jeff Skowronek, leader of Pepin Academies, from my own community in Tampa, Florida. Over three campuses, Jeff serves the community’s neurodivergent students, providing them with the highest quality education from elementary through high school. Skowronek works tirelessly to ensure all students have a college or career path regardless of their differences.
And then there was TMac Howard, head of schools at Delta Streets Academy, a Christian school that teaches boys from third through twelfth grade in the Mississippi Delta. Howard describes his career path as a calling—not just to educate young men as followers of Christ, but to break down the racial divide that has plagued the Delta region for decades. Howard’s school has grown from serving 14 students in 2012 to serving over 100 students today.
The Yass Finalists held a powerful perspective on how education policies affect real people. Skowronek was able to articulate why a 1- to 2-point change in the IQ threshold for children with unique abilities affects who he is able to serve. Peter Homstrom, head of school at Summit School in Waco, Texas, artfully explained why so few Texas private schools are likely to accept or be eligible for state scholarship dollars in the first year of the program’s rollout.
Policies affect students and families in a profound and meaningful way. They have the potential to offer life-changing opportunities for America’s most vulnerable youth—or to keep opportunity just out of reach. Unfortunately, there has been too much of the latter in recent years, and I know far too well that there is a dangerous knowledge gap between our country’s policymakers and the education reform boots on the ground. I straddle the line between these roles as a Florida State Board of Education member and an education innovator. I left Miami thinking deeply about how to build bridges and communication pipelines to better inform education policies in their earliest stages.
I am thankful for the profound sense of optimism that the Yass Prize Accelerator left me with. America is filled with committed and patriotic leaders who are permissionless in serving the needs of their communities. There are educators in all corners of our great nation who identified a need, created a solution, and bootstrapped their way to delivering the solution to kids and families who need it the most, strengthening their communities along the way. Beyond being education innovators, the Yass Prize finalists are a shining example of American entrepreneurship and civic engagement, epitomizing where philanthropy, public policy, and civic leadership intersect for ultimate impact. I am humbled and proud to be a member of this distinguished group.