• About Us > In the News

    Gene Wilhoit Joins Student Achievement Partners as Partner

    Next Chapter for Former Executive Director of CCSSO Includes Deep Ongoing Commitment to the Common Core State Standards

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    January 29, 2013

    NEW YORK CITY - Gene Wilhoit, who helped spearhead the historic state-led effort to develop the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for K-12 education, has joined Jason Zimba and Susan Pimentel as a partner at the nonprofit Student Achievement Partners (SAP), the organization announced today.

    Working closely with chief state school officers and urban superintendents, national teacher unions, foundations and business leaders, Wilhoit will directly support SAP’s core mission of helping teachers successfully implement the Common Core.

    “Now that states have made a commitment to college and career-ready standards, there is much to be done to ensure that teachers are set up for success. We must implement the Common Core State Standards well. I can’t imagine being in a better organization than Student Achievement Partners to focus on this work,” said Wilhoit. “I have a very deep respect for the partners of the organization and look forward to joining such a highly dedicated and talented team.”

    “There is no single person who has worked harder on behalf of the Common Core than Gene. He has been essential to this effort since the beginning. Given the breadth and depth of his experience, across every facet of our public education system, his leadership will be invaluable in the months and years ahead,” said Pimentel, founding partner of Student Achievement Partners. “To Gene, it’s all about what’s good for our kids. We are honored and excited that Gene will be joining us in the vital work of implementing these standards in classrooms around the nation.”

    “Gene understands the challenges of implementation in a very profound way. He will help Student Achievement Partners interact with leaders throughout the field to ensure that our work remains relevant and useful and involves many voices at the district, state and national level,” noted Zimba, founding partner of Student Achievement Partners.

    "Student Achievement Partners is a key contributor to the effort to ensure that U.S. students experience a world-class curriculum,” noted Dr. Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education in Massachusetts. By partnering with Gene Wilhoit, SAP gains the expertise and experience of one of the most respected educational leaders in the nation. This partnership bodes well for states and districts that are upgrading curricular programs to prepare students well for success in today's world."

    “The education landscape is far different today than when Gene assumed the reins of the Council of Chief State School Officers and we are all better because of his work. Without the quiet, but determined leadership of Gene Wilhoit, the historic state-led effort of Common Core State Standards still would be just a well-intentioned concept. I’m glad Gene is continuing this historic effort with Student Achievement Partners,” said Bob Wise, chief executive officer, Alliance for Excellent Education.

    In addition to his work with SAP, Wilhoit will continue to play a leadership role in the development of the next generation of school models and personalized digital learning tools as well as serve on the boards of several organizations committed to implementing the Common Core State Standards.

###

Student Achievement Partners is a non-profit organization that assembles educators and researchers to design strategies based on evidence that will substantially improve student achievement. Student Achievement Partners was founded by David Coleman, Susan Pimentel and Jason Zimba, lead writers of the Common Core State Standards, and views the changes brought by the college and career readiness focus of the Common Core State Standards as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for kids of all backgrounds and ability levels to better fulfill their potential.

Student Achievement Partners works closely with teachers on all the tools it develops, and the organization supports teachers by making all resources available on www.achievethecore.org for anyone to use, modify or share. For more information on Student Achievement Partners and free Common Core-aligned tools for educators, please visit: www.achievethecore.org.

Contact: media@studentsachieve.net