Jay Mathews

Jay Mathews is a Washington Post education columnist and creator of the Jay Mathews Challenge Index list, the oldest high school rankings in the country. He has won several prizes, including the Benjamin Fine Award for Outstanding Education Reporting for both features and column writing, and is the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestseller Work Hard. Be Nice, about the rise of the KIPP, the nation's largest charter school network. His latest book is An Optimist's Guide to American Public Education, which reveals the three most effective school reforms to survive the pandemic. He has spoken throughout the country on the need to bring challenging lessons to all students and release the untapped potential of low-income American children.