Education Policy Matters Blog – Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., PhD

Effective Instruction and High Quality Curriculum Matter, A Lot

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 Wayne D. Lewis 0

I never aspired to become a teacher, and no one had ever suggested I consider it. But there I was, at the age of 23, entering teaching through a post-baccalaureate

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Free Community College Program in Kentucky: Too Few Kentuckians are Taking Advantage

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Over the last few weeks I’ve heard the conversation about free college in Kentucky pick up steam. There’s more and more interest in tuition-free options for college in the state.

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New Academic Standards Roll Out in Kentucky: An Opportunity to Address Instructional Inequity

April 23, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Kentucky recently adopted new academic standards in reading and mathematics. Academic standards are, very simply, what teachers teach and what students are expected to learn, by subject area and by

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Robots, Automation, and the Implications for American Public Schools in the 21st Century

April 21, 2019April 22, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

In measuring the success of American public schools, a diverse array of indicators has been used. The high school graduation rate has long been one of the indicators of school

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Kentucky’s New High School Graduation Requirements: Better Aligning the Diploma with Readiness

April 20, 2019April 20, 2019 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Last week, Kentucky’s minimum high school graduation requirements changed pretty substantively for the first time in more than ten years. These changes go into effect for the high school graduating

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Reflecting on 2018 and Looking Ahead

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 0

As 2018 comes to a close and I reflect on the events of the year, I am thankful for the incredible efforts of educators, school staff, and leaders across our

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Setting the Stage for Educator Preparation in Kentucky

May 26, 2018May 27, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 0

This week I had the opportunity to sit on a panel with friends and colleagues at the Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation (KEEP) Conference. We participated in a pretty wide-ranging

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It’s Time to Focus on Children

May 21, 2018May 27, 2018 Wayne D. Lewis 5

I have now had the privilege of serving as Kentucky’s interim education commissioner for a little over a month. Understandably, I have been asked lots of questions. Most of the

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Kentucky’s Dirty Little High School Graduation Secret

May 25, 2017May 29, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

I have always loved this time of year. Commencement exercises are our opportunity to give public recognition and affirmation of the academic accomplishments of scholars. These rites of passage are significant, not

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Performance Accountability for All Kentucky Public Schools, or Just Charter Schools?

April 6, 2017 Wayne D. Lewis 0

Over the last year as Kentucky lawmakers, educators, and educational leaders have debated the merits of adopting charter school legislation, demands for accountability for charter schools from the traditional public

Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. is Dean & Professor of Education at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He previously served as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education (2018-2019), Executive Director of Education Policy & Programs in the Kentucky Education & Workforce Development Cabinet (2016-2018), and as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky (2009-2019). Prior to assuming positions in higher education and state government, Wayne worked as a public school teacher in Louisiana and North Carolina (2003-2008). He earned a bachelor’s degree at Loyola University New Orleans and a master’s degree at The University of Akron. He completed teacher training at University of New Orleans and earned a PhD in Educational Research & Policy Analysis at North Carolina State University.