The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education: 7 Steps Toward 21st Century Schools and Districts

Ken Kay is the Chief Executive Officer of EdLeader21. Ken has been the leading voice for 21st century education for the past decade. He co-founded the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in 2002 and served as  its President for eight years. As executive director of the CEO Forum on Education and Technology, he led the development of the StaR Chart (School Technology & Readiness Guide), used by schools across the country to make better use of technology in K–12 classrooms. Ken spent 28 years in Washington, DC, where he gained a national reputation as a coalition builder on competitiveness issues in education and industry―particularly policies and practices that support innovation and technology leadership. He founded a landmark coalition of U.S. universities and high-tech companies focused on research and development issues. He also was the founding Executive Director of the premier CEO advocacy group in the U.S. computer industry.   Ken is a graduate of Oberlin College and the University of Denver, College of Law. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson, Ollie. They live in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona, with their golden retriever, Bisbee.     Valerie Greenhill is the Chief Learning Officer of EdLeader21. Valerie leads EdLeader21’s capacity building work. She is currently focused on supporting district leaders in their efforts to integrate the 4Cs–critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity–into assessment and curricula systems. She leads member work in key national initiatives such as the PISA-Based Test for Schools pilot, 21st Century District Criteria, and 4Cs Rubrics. From 2004―2010, Valerie served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Skills), where she established and led work to integrate career and college readiness skills into standards, assessments, curricula, instruction, and professional development. She focused extensively on the assessment of 21st century skills, developing numerous tools and resources to advance the organization’s goals.   Valerie earned an M.Ed. in educational media and computers from Arizona State University and a master’s in English from the University of Arizona. She is an honors graduate of Vassar College. Valerie was raised in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and has made Tucson, Arizona her home since 1993; She is active in her community, currently serving as Board President of the Children’s Museum Tucson. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and a very cool but high-maintenance Tibetan Terrier.