On January 19, the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education's Center for Educational Leadership partnered with the City Club of Cleveland to host a fascinating discussion between Frederick Hess and Pedro Noguera. Although often on opposite ends of the political spectrum, the presenters came together to discuss the difficult issues affecting education in their 2021 book "A Search for Common Ground.” No topic is off limits, from school testing and diversity measures to teacher pay and the achievement gap. By engaging in open and respectful dialogue, Hess and Noguera better understand the other's ideology and even find areas where they agree. The book offers a clear path forward for improving the modern education system.

Hess is a senior fellow and the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He is also the author of several books about education and an executive editor of Education Next. A columnist for Education Week, Hess has also contributed to Harvard Education Review, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, among others.

Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. His research focuses on the effects of social and economic conditions and demographic trends on schools. Noguera is the author, co-author, and editor of more than a dozen books.

Watch the presentation here. »