Read this Man
Nathan Gwinn is writing seriously about education, faith, fatherhood - and you should subscribe
One of the great blessings I’ve enjoyed over the years of working and writing in the field of education policy and reform is meeting the often brilliant and always passionate people working in this space. I’ve especially enjoyed the chance to highlight the work of new and emerging thinkers in education over the years. And today, I get to introduce one who is also a long-time friend.
Nathan Gwinn is senior advisor for curriculum and instruction for Freedom in Education, an increasingly important national organization committed to enriching “the next generation(s) of K-12 students, both inside and outside of the classroom, by delivering high-quality standards and curriculum, equipping parents, teachers, and community members, and advocating for academic freedom, transparency and parental rights.”
I am honored to be a member of Freedom in Education’s board of advisors and pleased to work with Nathan as he helps advocate for standards and curricular reform throughout the country. But before we were Freedom in Ed collaborators, Nathan Gwinn was my student in school principal certification classes at Western Kentucky University (where I am a professor by trade). Later, he became my friend, and then eventually I was immensely blessed to be his sponsor when he entered the Catholic Church and to be godfather to his youngest child.
Nathan went on to serve for six years as an assistant principal and principal in both public and Catholic schools while also supporting Freedom in Education’s work on a part-time basis. Earlier this year he joined them full-time and to my great delight, Nathan has launched a Substack where he’ll regularly be sharing his thoughtful insights on the intersection of education, faith, and fatherhood.
I encourage you to check out Nathan’s Substack and subscribe to get regular updates. In his first post, The Ghost in the Classroom: Why We Stopped Truly Teaching (and How to Start Again), Nathan discussed how direct instruction, perhaps the most tried-and-true method for reaching the maximum number of students, fell out of fashion and the role school leaders played in the process. And he provides a useful checklist of questions to ask your child’s teachers and school leaders to assess how serious they really are about student learning.
In his second post, The Truth About Principals and Parents, Nathan diagnosed the unnecessary tension between schools and families and again offered a checklist of questions for school principals about key elements of effective school leadership.
Nathan tackles all these topics through the lens of a father with four school-aged children who he is also trying to form into faithful Catholics. He is smart, funny, and deeply passionate about school improvement.
I look forward to more of Nathan’s writing, and to see his continuing contributions to the larger field of leadership, curriculum, and standards-based teaching. Give him a read.