Ed on the Edge

In this episode of Ed on the Edge, Michael Moe sits down with Chris Whittle.Chris Whittle is a pioneering education entrepreneur who has founded multiple influential companies over his career. As CEO of Whittle Communications in the 1980s, he grew it into a major media firm. Whittle founded Channel One, a national in-school television news program first anchored by Anderson Cooper, which reached eight million students daily in 12,000 schools. In 1992, Whittle founded Edison Schools and helped launch the charter school movement by opening over 100 schools serving 60,000 students. He later founded Avenues: The World School in New York City in 2012, which became one of the city's largest private schools. In 2015, Whittle founded Whittle School & Studios with the vision of creating a global system of private schools. As Executive Chairman of Baret Scholars, Whittle's most recent venture offers a global gap year for students transitioning from high school to college. Through his various education ventures, Whittle has aimed to innovate and transform K-12 schooling. He is an influential figure in bringing business principles and models to education reform.

In this episode of Ed on the Edge, Michael Moe sits down with Tom Vander Ark.Tom is an advocate for better learning for everyone. As the CEO of Getting Smart, he provides advisory services to schools, districts, networks, foundations, and learning organizations, guiding them on the path forward. With a portfolio of over 50 books and papers, including notable works like "Getting Smart," "Smart Cities," "Smart Parents," "Better Together," and "The Power of Place," Tom has established himself as a prolific author and co-author. He brings valuable experience as a former public school superintendent and the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Tom's dedication to education is evident through his involvement on the boards of nonprofits such as Education Board Partners, 4.0 Schools, Digital Learning Institute, eduInnovation, and his advisory roles with One Stone, Teton Science Schools, Whittle School & Studios, and the Mastery Transcript Consortium.

In this episode of Ed on the Edge, Michael Moe sits down with John Katzman. John Katzman is the founder and CEO of Noodle. Prior to Noodle, he founded and ran 2U, which is also involved in online learning, and The Princeton Review, which helps students find, get into, and pay for higher ed.‍Katzman is the co-author of five books, and has served as a director of several for- and non-profits, including Carnegie Learning, Renaissance Learning, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, and the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.‍

In this episode of Ed on the Edge, Michael Moe sits down with Jon Hage. Jon is one of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs committed to improving education. He founded Charter Schools USA in 1997 and as CEO, built it into one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. with 10,000 team members educating 83,000+ students in over 150 schools throughout the United States. Jon worked with then-Governor Jeb Bush to write charter school laws that ultimately served as the blueprint that much of the country would use in the decades that followed. With a commitment to putting students first, Jon was named the 2013 Floridian of the Year by Florida Trend magazine. An Army veteran, Mr. Hage served in the U.S. Special Forces/Green Berets and holds degrees from the University of Colorado and Georgetown University.