Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess is an American educator, political scientist, and author. He is a resident fellow and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. In addition to his blog "Rick Hess Straight Up" at Education Week, he is also a regular contributor to Forbes and The Hill, and executive editor of Education Next. His books include Spinning Wheels, Letters to a Young Education Reformer, Cage-Busting Leadership, and A Search for Common Ground.

Hess' research focuses on K-12 and higher education issues. Hess studied political science at Brandeis University, graduating summa cum laude. Upon graduating, he enrolled at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he earned his M.Ed. in teaching and curriculum. He began his education career as a high school social studies teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

After gaining first-hand experience in the classroom, he returned to Harvard for an M.A. and Ph.D. in government. His dissertation examined education reform in 57 school districts and the "spinning wheels" of rapid short-term improvement in urban schools. It eventually became the first of his many books, published in 1998 by the Brookings Institution Press.

Hess joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in 1997, teaching as an assistant professor of education and politics. In 2002, he published a paper, entitled "Tear Down This Wall," arguing for a "radical overhaul of teacher certification" in order to create competition for teaching positions and to help troubled districts fill their staffing gaps with qualified teachers.

In an interview with Harvard Ed Magazine, Hess remarked that fallout from his paper was one of the reasons for his eventual departure from the University of Virginia. Despite the controversy, as former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Chester Finn explained, the paper enhanced his reputation as an "education renegade" and helped position Hess at the forefront of the education reform movement.

In 2002, Hess became the founding director and resident fellow of the education policy studies program at the American Enterprise Institute. While at AEI, Hess has hosted public events with policymakers to discuss their visions for reforming American education. He has hosted conferences and research events on topics including the future of education philanthropy, civics and citizenship education, Common Core state standards, and ed policy lessons from the Bush-Obama years of education reform. 

He's also hosted events with keynote speakers across the ideological and political spectrum including Success Academies Charter School Founder Eva Moskowitz; Secretaries of Education Arne Duncan, Betsy DeVos, and Rod Paige; controversial historian and pundit Diane Ravitch; and American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten.