Ed on the Edge 🎙️ Ep. 53 · Peter Bezanson | CEO of BASIS Education
Aug 21, 2025
Peter Bezanson, CEO of BASIS Education, shares his unique journey from academia to K-12 education. He discusses the charter school landscape, contrasting the strategies of BASIS and Great Hearts, emphasizing academic excellence and innovative curricula. The conversation dives into mastery learning, addressing financial disparities in education. Bezanson also explores teacher recruitment strategies post-COVID and the evolution of Arizona's charter system. Fun rapid-fire moments cap off the chat, revealing his favorite books and local pizza spots.
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From PhD To Middle School Teacher
- Peter Bezanson left a PhD in philosophy to teach middle school after homeschooling a student in Africa for two years.
- That experience hooked him on teaching and later on growing schools into networks.
Backwards Plan From College Outcomes
- BASIS backwards-plans from college outcomes and builds curriculum to reach that end.
- They make primary like middle school, middle like high school, and high school like college to produce college-ready graduates.
Stretch AP Courses And Incentivize Teachers
- Stretch AP and college-level content across two years or a full year to raise mastery and reduce failure.
- Pair teacher incentives tied to AP results to concentrate top teaching talent on rigorous courses.
