Member Since 2010


Tucker is managing director of of Education Sector and is responsible for managing its day-to-day operations, including oversight for all administrative, human resources, financial, legal, communications, strategic planning, and program functions. In his policy work for Education Sector, he focuses on technology and innovation--specifically virtual schooling, assessments, and data systems. Tucker is a social entrepreneur who has founded and led both nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies. His expertise ranges from finance to strategic development and technology, he has extensive knowledge of the nonprofit sector, and he has led the growth of several organizations; in 2000, he co-founded SmarterOrg, Inc, an e-learning company, and sold it in 2002 to the Isoph Corporation, a provider of specialized e-learning software, services, and content development. Through 2005 he served as Isoph's chief knowledge officer, co-managing the company's operations and advising organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Land Trust Alliance, and the National Wildlife Federation on organizational learning strategies and business models. Prior to graduate school, Tucker managed the training, conference, and publishing operations at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, the nation's largest provider of management and technical training to nonprofit organizations.

Published Articles & Media

Why Stanford Online High School Matters (and two ways it could matter more)

Sunday’s New York Times story broke the news that Stanford University, one of the world’s most prestigious research institutions, is putting its brand squarely behind a full-time, degree-granting online high school program. It’s just one more reason to set aside the silly debate about whether online education can possibly be effective for high school students.

The Nation’s Online Learning Omission

The Nation’s recent online learning expose, How Online Learning Companies Bought America’s Schools, in its zeal to connect various dots into a narrative of a corporate public education takeover, makes critical errors. It falsely equates K-12 online learning with privatization, leading to an incomplete and flawed political analysis. More importantly though, the article makes a credibility-killing factual omission.

Rhode Island’s Landmark Pension Reform

Last night, by overwhelming margins, the Rhode Island legislature passed what may be the nation’s most comprehensive state public employee pension reform ever.

Review of New Fordham Digital Learning Papers

Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction and School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era, two new working papers in the Fordham Institute’s series on digital learning, are welcome additions to the often narrow debates around online learning.

Educators Answer Questions About the Flipped Classroom

I’ve received a number of questions and comments on my recent article, The Flipped Classroom. Most gratifying have been the rich exchanges in comment threads and on twitter, primarily from educators explaining their experiences, challenges, and discoveries from “flipping” their classrooms.

The AT&T Teacher Retention Strategy

Let’s stop relying on financial handcuffs and design teachers’ roles so they want to stay.

Standardized Testing’s Foreign Aid Problem

Spend any time listening to talk radio and you’ll hear countless stories about “billions wasted” on foreign aid. Politicians seizing on painless ways to cut the deficit reinforce this perception of massive spending, and Americans believe them: In surveys, they estimate that as much as one out of four dollars spent by the federal government goes to foreign governments.

Laura Johnson’s Unhappy Online Learning Journey

If we are going to offer students new options — and we should — policymakers must first do whatever they can to mitigate the risks borne by students.

The Flipped Classroom

Online instruction at home frees class time for learning

State Online Learning Reports Reveal Growth, Concerns

Two new reports, from Minnesota and Colorado, offer additional insights into online learning’s rapid and rocky growth. These reports, combined with data from bothPennsylvania and Ohio, reinforce the necessity for policymakers, educators, and online learning advocates to pay as much attention to quality as they do to expansion.

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