Happy New Year and Welcome Back to the Education Policy Hotlist!
Let’s make 2025 a great year of growth, insight, and connection
Dear readers,
Happy New Year! As we enter 2025, I’m thrilled to reconnect with you and relaunch the Education Policy Hotlist. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are newer to this community, I’m grateful to have you along for this journey. With over 1,600 of you subscribing, it’s clear there’s a shared commitment to staying informed and shaping the future of education.
Who I Am
I’m Christine Toribio Pitts, a former third-grade teacher and reading specialist, education policy enthusiast, nonprofit leader, mom to four kiddos, and advocate for excellence and equity in American schools. Over the past six months, I’ve been immersed in a new role as Interim President and CEO at Open School Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing mentoring, tutoring, and wraparound services to students in Portland, Oregon. This role has re-ignited my passion for improving our work to support students and staff in transformative ways locally.
Why Relaunch Now?
Reflecting on the past year, I realized how much I missed connecting the dots between data, research, policy, and practice through this newsletter. Reading articles and writing helps me refine my thinking, stay on top of key trends, and spark conversations with incredible people—like you! It’s also a way to amplify stories and ideas that might otherwise go unheard in the churn of the media cycle. Across the country, we see the same power dynamics perpetuating the same voices and conversations shaping education structures. The Hotlist is here to challenge that. Our work should not feel like “inside baseball”; every family, business owner, taxpayer, and advocate should be able to understand and act on the latest data, research, and policy efforts. That’s why the Hotlist is your go-to resource in 2025!
What to Expect in 2025
The Education Policy Hotlist will continue to spotlight:
Timely Insights: Breaking down the latest news, research, and trends shaping education policy.
Bold Questions: Exploring the tensions, challenges, and opportunties that surface as we work to improve our schools, communities, and social systems.
Actionable Ideas: Sharing strategies and practices that can make a difference for students and educators.
You can also look forward to new ways to engage and stay informed:
Follow on LinkedIn: I’ll post daily insights and updates on LinkedIn, so be sure to follow me there for more frequent reflections and actionable ideas.
Curated Summaries: The Hotlist newsletter on Substack will shift to less frequent, more focused updates — expect thoughtfully curated summaries in your inbox every other week or monthly, depending on the volume of critical news. These summaries will highlight what you need to know and do based on the latest research and policy developments.
This Week's Actionable Education News
Here are four important updates from recent education headlines, along with actions to consider:
Helping Children Make Choices and Set Goals (New York Times)
What to know: Encouraging children to set meaningful goals can foster independence and resilience. Research shows that when children are given the tools to make decisions and pursue their objectives, they develop essential socio-emotional skills that prepare them for life.
What to do: Share this article with parents, caregivers, and educators to start a conversation about integrating goal-setting into daily routines at home and in the classroom.
The Challenges of Algebra-for-All in Eighth Grade (Hechinger Report)
What to know: Mandating Algebra I for all eighth graders can backfire if supports for struggling students aren’t in place. The policy in Minnesota led to declining math achievement overall.
What to do: Advocate for math pathways that are related to students' readiness and look upstream to understand why students aren't ready for Algebra by eighth grade. Explore automatic enrollment policies like those highlighted in The March Mathness Tournament that prioritize student readiness and gradual transitions over one-size-fits-all mandates.
Credit: Patience Zalanga for The Hechinger Report
The Role of Parents and Caregivers in Early Learning (The 74 Million)
What to know: Parents and caregivers are central to children’s early learning and development. Caregivers who participated in the 3Ts home visiting curriculum, with twice-monthly visits, were significantly more knowledgeable about early childhood development and engaged more with their children in the conversational turn-taking that builds language.
What to do: Partner with local organizations to provide resources for families and consider how schools can better engage caregivers in early literacy and math efforts. For deeper insights, encourage caregivers and educators to explore resources like the Zero to Three event on early childhood education professionals' health, mental health, and well-being.
New Accountability Policy in Oregon (LinkedIn)
What to know: A new draft accountability policy in Oregon falls into the habit of mediocrity over excellence, sparking challenging but critical conversations about how to measure success in schools.
What to do: Review the policy and consider how Oregon could learn from approaches applied in your state or district to promote higher standards and better outcomes for all students. If you have ideas, please reply and share!
Credit: All4Edu Photos
Stay connected to new insights and news by following us on Linkedin!
Let’s Connect
I’d love to hear from you! What are the education issues on your mind as we kick off the new year? Hit reply to share your thoughts, suggest topics, or say hello.
Here’s to a year of learning, leading, and making an impact together. Thank you for being part of this community—your engagement and insights make this newsletter meaningful.
Dr. Christine Toribio Pitts is a nonprofit leader, education policy enthusiast, and mother to four children living in Portland, Oregon. She currently serves as Interim President and CEO at Open School Inc., where she champions innovative strategies to support students and families.
Learn more about her work and connect with her here. For regular insights and updates, follow the Education Policy Hotlist on LinkedIn.