The best policy solutions won't work if schools can't put them into practice. And sometimes the ideas of policymakers don't have much to do with the reality of how schools operate. Bridging those gaps is what I do. I've been a school board member and chair in Fairfax County, Virginia - one of the nation's largest school districts. I served for a decade as a state legislator (that's me in front of the original Speaker's Chair, which dates to the 1730s). I headed a large nonprofit organization and co-founded a small one. I've helped states, districts, corporations, and candidates put their best ideas into practice improving education for all students.