Decades of parent mindset research have revealed that nine in ten parents (regardless of income, race or geography) believe their child is at or above grade level. However, data shows that academic performance of our nation’s students has reached historic lows with less than one-third of our students being proficient in reading and math. This huge disconnect is due in no small part to “good grades.” How do we build a public education system that nurtures parent teacher partnership and equips parents to advocate for their child’s learning needs?

Cindi Williams is the co-founder of Learning Heroes – a leading education nonprofit researching parent and educator mindsets, providing solutions for meaningful parent engagement at the state, district, and school levels – and the CEO of Waypoint Education Partners. As a mom and evangelist for the power of meaningful parent engagement, Cindi works to ensure each parent has an accurate picture of their child’s academic progress to fully engage as an informed advocate for their child’s learning.

Mrs. Williams’ insights are grounded in decades of experience in research, advocacy, and communications as a senior official in the White House, US Department of Education, US House of Representatives, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and a leading public policy firm, HCM Strategists. At Learning Heroes and Waypoint Education Partners, she and her partners work alongside leading nonprofits and state leaders to make our public education system more effective and equitable.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx