The Education Policy & Practice Group

01/30/2026

Let's Start a Conversation

Leadership gaps don’t usually appear overnight.They form slowly, through burnout, early exits, and systems that promote people faster than they’re prepared t...

12/13/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LGgapQ5W9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Who’s with us! Jenifer, Dawn, and I are so grateful for each one of you.

11/17/2025

568 Followers, 1,970 Following, 345 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Josh Caruso ()

10/23/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kate-anderson-foley-phd-6803b856_who-is-guarding-the-guards-gutting-the-activity-7387190382033379328-KLKb?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAAvOOMABlgdiW3nDXLWEzv3EPSaU6XIjGGw

Who is Guarding the Guards? Gutting the Offices of Special Education and Civil Rights will have a generational impact on students and society. In my official capacity as a public servant, it was my responsibility and moral imperative to protect and advocate for students who were pushed to the margin...

10/14/2025

This is an all call 📣
I’m looking for people to collaborate with amplifying the impact of losing the Offices of Special Education and Civil Rights!
Direct message me ASAP

Students are counting on us!

09/26/2025

Think of this as an operating manual.

08/11/2025

I have been accepted as a Professional Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, McLean, and Harvard Medical School.

My interests include leadership/executive coaching at the individual and organizational levels.

I am committed to making a large, positive, and global impact on the collective well-being of individuals, leaders, teams, organizations, and communities.

Send a message to learn more

06/23/2025

In just one week I'll be presenting at the ASCD Conference in San Antonio on Monday, June 30!

I’ll be sharing insights from my new book, Radically Excellent School Improvement, and talking about:
🔹 What “daring to dare” looks like
🔹 Evidence that actually moves practice
🔹 Practical resources to close the ambition gap
🔹 How to lead bold school improvement—without waiting for permission

06/19/2025

End of Year Pondering: “Did every student in your school grow?”
That’s the guiding question I brought into every district and classroom visit this year.

When the answer is unclear—or uncomfortable—it’s time for bold, systemic action.

That’s why I created the Equity Audit, a five-part framework that helps education leaders look at:
1️⃣ Who is being served?
2️⃣ How are practices supporting all students?
3️⃣ Are resources aligned to need?
4️⃣ What’s getting in the way?
5️⃣ Who’s responsible—and who’s accountable?

This lens is now at the center of my work—and the focus of my session at the ASCD Conference in San Antonio on Monday, June 30, at 10:30am.

📚 Learn more in my latest blog: https://www.edpolicyconsulting.com/blog/did-every-student-grow-reflecting-on-a-year-of-progress-in-our-schoolsnbsp

06/18/2025

🚨 Big news: I’m presenting at the ASCD Annual Conference in San Antonio on Monday, June 30, at 10:30am.

📘 Session: Radically Excellent School Improvement: A Bold Blueprint for Equity and Growth

If your school or district is still leaving out:

Students with disabilities
English learners
Kids furthest from opportunity
…it’s time for radical change.

We’ll talk about:
🔹 What “daring to dare” looks like
🔹 Evidence that actually moves practice
🔹 Practical resources to close the ambition gap
🔹 How to lead bold school improvement—without waiting for permission

06/17/2025

We need to turn the page, and start writing a new chapter on Special Education being taught through an equity lens.

What happens when future principals and superintendents are taught special education law through a lens of equity—not just compliance?

Answer: They start seeing the system differently.

They see:

-That students with disabilities are general education students first.
-That federal law isn't a limitation, it’s a lever for opportunity.
-That politics and power structures often block the changes our kids deserve.

In my recent chapter, Learn How to See in Barbara Smith's "Urgent Care for Schools", I reflect on designing a graduate-level law course that challenged leaders to align their values, practices, and responsibilities for ALL students, including those furthest from opportunity.

Because once you know the truth—you can’t unknow it.

06/12/2025

📚 BRAVO to Barbara Smith on the release of her new book, Urgent Care for Schools.

👏 Barbara has done it again! She expertly shows schools how to put students at the center of their learning. This book is a must-have for all district leaders who champion student agency.

I was so happy to also be able to contribute to this book, by writing a chapter about a transformational graduate course on special education law for aspiring principals and superintendents that I had designed.