If you’ve been paying attention to the education news lately, you know that american boys are in crisis. After decades spent worrying about how schools “shortchange girls,” the eyes of the nation’s education commentariat are now fixed on how they shortchange boys. In 2006 alone, a Newsweek cover story, a major New Republic article, a long article in Esquire, a “Today” show segment, and numerous op-eds have informed the public that boys are falling behind girls in elementary and secondary school and are increasingly outnumbered on college campuses. A young man in Massachusetts filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S department of education, arguing that his high school’s homework and community service requirements discriminate against boys. A growth industry of experts is advising educators and policymakers how to make schools more “boy friendly” in an effort to reverse this slide.

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Sara Mead 

Is a member of the Education Sector K20 Task Force and a principal with Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit organization working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. At Bellwether, she writes and conducts policy analysis on issues related to early childhood education and K-12 education reform and provides strategic advising support to clients serving high-need students.

Mead has written extensively on education issues including federal and states education policy, charter schools, teacher effectiveness, and early childhood education. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Today, and she has appeared on CBS and ABC News and on NPR. Earlier in her career, Mead directed the New America Foundation’s Early Education Initiative, and previously worked for Education Sector, the Progressive Policy Institute, and the U.S. Department of Education. She serves on the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board, and on the board of Democrats for Education Reform. The daughter, granddaughter, and sister of public school educators, she holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Vanderbilt University.