Ted Mitchell
American Council on Education
Denver, CO USA
"What’s education for? For me, it’s this joy of using education to free oneself to create opportunities and paths."
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Ted's work combines: Education, Politics, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
The aspects and processes of education that we choose to celebrate and perpetuate have turned the educational journey into a race where we create winners and losers. That's not how we should be looking at education. I myself completed my undergraduate through doctoral degree without any breaks. Looking back, I wish I had taken a gap year at some point. As a society, we need to focus on thinking about creating more common resting points between objectives.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
History and Economics
Stanford University
Graduate Degree
Master's Degree
Stanford University
Doctorate
Doctoral Degree
Stanford University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in a small suburb of San Francisco, guided by my father's role as a high school principal, which shaped my view of education.
2.
I started college wanting to become a math teacher but quickly realized that wasn’t right for me, so I shifted to history and economics.
3.
I didn’t take any breaks throughout my college career and ultimately completed my Ph.D. by the age of 23.
4.
My dissertation on post-Civil War education for formerly enslaved people inspired a lifelong passion for equity in education.
5.
As a professor, I studied the connection between educational access and economic outcomes, sparking systemic change.
6.
Moving into leadership roles, I bridged academia with K-12 policy, tackling inequities and fostering impactful collaborations.
7.
Joining the Obama administration as Undersecretary of Education allowed me to implement transformative policies nationwide.
8.
Now I lead the American Council on Education, where I focus on making lifelong learning accessible and impactful for all.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Educational success means taking as many AP courses as possible, getting the highest degree possible, completing everything the fastest, etc.
How I responded:
The aspects and processes of education that we choose to celebrate and perpetuate have turned the educational journey into a race where we create winners and losers. That's not how we should be looking at education. I myself completed my undergraduate through doctoral degree without any breaks. Looking back, I wish I had taken a gap year at some point. As a society, we need to focus on thinking about creating more common resting points between objectives.