The Eddies—annual, advocate-nominated and voted awards—feature strategic advocacy that is driving impactful policy change.
This Eddies category honors an individual local, state, or national leader who embodies the “give and get” spirit of PIE Network. Recipients of this award consistently work to build and strengthen the impact of the Network and the sector. This category recognizes individuals who are super connectors, working behind the scenes to share ideas, resources, and strategies and to support, connect, and amplify the policy and advocacy work of their peers and intentionally support the leadership of other advocates. This category was previously called Network MVP.
See a complete list of 2024 nominees in all Eddies categories. Staff at PIE Network members and partner organizations, check your inbox for a link to vote in each category. Don’t see it? Email [email protected].
Suzanne Kubach Network Weaver of the Year Nominees
Vice President of Policy, A+ Education Partnership
SUMMARY
Corinn O’Brien has embodied the give-and-get spirit of the Network by acting as a steady champion for numeracy policy and being incredibly generous with her time and expertise, consistently jumping at the opportunity to inform programming and lend her experience and wisdom to support other PIE Network members’ work on high-quality math instruction and professional learning for educators.
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OTHER PIE NETWORK MEMBERS
Alabama passed The Alabama Numeracy Act in 2022 to create a comprehensive plan to improve math achievement, coupled with a historic state investment to support implementation.
Corinn has been a consistent partner with PIE Network members actively engaging in the Network’s Math Multipliers programming and serving on the Math Multipliers steering committee, helping plan for in-person opportunities for this group to gather in the fall. Corinn frequently shares the story of the Alabama Numeracy Act and what implementation looks like, including during the Math Multipliers Series: Math Policy – State Levers.
A+ Education Partnership’s work on numeracy has inspired and informed many Network members who have taken up this policy, and Corinn has been giving in her time and expertise to help others make gains in their state, including E4E-NY’s successful advocacy for NYC Solves and NPU’s NY math bill.
BRINGING THE PIE NETWORK COMMUNITY AGREEMENT TO LIFE
Corinn embodies the Community Agreement because connection is the foundation of PIE Network, and she has been living that out by making herself available for partnership with Network members and community members. She continues to share her truths regarding her organization’s policy positions, challenges, and wins. Corinn is a trusted confidant for her peers in Leadership Institute Cohort 8, including supporting other work behind-the-scenes and co-planning the Network’s first-ever, multi-day Leadership Institute reunion. Personally, she is an ongoing advocate for Alabama families, leading new coalition efforts during the 2024 legislative session.
RESOURCES
- More on the Alabama Numeracy Act: Op-ed
Nominated by: Lasana Tunica-El (Educators for Excellence-New York)
Former Executive Director, The Education Trust in Tennessee
SUMMARY
Gini Pupo-Walker has embodied the give-and-get spirit of the Network by launching Southerners For Fair Funding to support other PIE Network members’ work on fair school funding and resource equity
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OTHER PIE NETWORK MEMBERS
Last year, Gini and the Ed Trust TN team launched Southerners for Fair Funding, a new initiative supporting new and existing education advocacy coalitions across the South fighting for fair funding and resource equity. Over the last year, Gini and the Southerners for Fair Funding team have mentored and supported the A+ Education Partnership as we launched the Every Child Alabama Coalition. With Gini’s help, Every Child Alabama has recruited over 30 organization partners, launched the Every Dollar Counts virtual learning series, and prepared coalition partners to advocate for school funding reform in Alabama. We would not have been able to accomplish all of this without her!
BRINGING THE PIE NETWORK COMMUNITY AGREEMENT TO LIFE
With deep gratitude, we nominate Gini Pupo-Walker for the Suzanne Kubach PIE Network Weaver of the Year. Renowned for her ability to navigate complex political environments while remaining steadfast in her commitment to students and the pursuit of educational equity, Gini Pupo-Walker is a living legend. After two decades of work as a teacher, administrator, and non-profit leader, Gini launched Ed Trust Tennessee, which has successfully advanced student-centered policy and accomplished game-changing victories for Tennessee’s students. In 2018, she was elected to the School Board for Metro Nashville Public School.
In 2021, Gini and the Ed Trust TN team launched the Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education, a coalition that has grown to 85 civil rights, social justice, and education organizations and advocates working to promote educational equity for underserved students. With Gini at the helm, TAEE was an integral partner in passing the Tennessee Investment in Students Act (TISA) in 2022, mobilizing hundreds of advocates across the state to champion and ensure equity-based policy principles were embedded in the legislation. TAEE partners engaged in a multi-session learning series about school funding reform, put out a signed public statement in support of TISA, and advocated directly with legislators across the state.
There are countless examples of Gini living out the PIE Community Commitments over the years. She has built trusting relationships with many network members, partners, and allies across the country, mentoring many policy advocates throughout the PIE Network and providing sage counsel and encouragement during challenging times. She never hesitates to share her hard-earned political expertise and knowledge. Gini truly embodies the spirit of the Suzanne Kubach PIE Network Weaver of the Year!
RESOURCES
Op-Eds:
- Tennessean Op-ed: “TISA is a big win for students. Let’s make it the best it can be” (June 14, 2022) Authors: Gini Pupo-Walker and Zahava Stadler
- Clarion Ledger Op-ed: “Tennessee education advocates watching debate over INSPIRE Act in Mississippi. See why” (April 16, 2024) Author: Gini Pupo-Walker
- The Daily Yonder Op-Ed: “Commentary: The Voucher Question in the South” Author: Gini Pupo-Walker
Interviews:
- Tennessee Voices: Episode 148 (Feb 19, 2021) – Gini Pupo-Walker interview about pandemic-related challenges
- Tennessee Voices (Jan 31, 2024) – Gini Pupo-Walker interview about the voucher debate in TN
Awards
Equal Chance for Education awarded Gini as one of their 2024 Champions of Education Equity
Nominated by: Corinn O’Brien (A+ Education Partnership)
Vice Presidents of Partnerships, Murmuation
SUMMARY
Gregory Hatcher has embodied the give-and-get spirit of the Network by lending his time, expertise, and thought partnership to support other PIE Network members’ policy and advocacy work across policy pillars as well as creating additional opportunities for leaders to build community.
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OTHER PIE NETWORK MEMBERS
If you email Gregory, pay attention to his out-of-office reply because he frequently lists the sector event he’s joining, and in many cases, he’s traveling across the country to support the work of a PIE Network member. Gregory shows up, both in-person and in relationship, to ask strategic questions of his peers looking for thought partnership and then search for solutions, either within Murmuration or by making connections between PIE Network members (often independent of the PIE Network team) to help address challenges.
He is resourceful and focused in his interactions and problem-solving.
BRINGING THE PIE NETWORK COMMUNITY AGREEMENT TO LIFE
Upon wrapping up our last Leadership Institute Cohort 8 meeting, we all expressed how much we hoped to stay in touch and connected. Gregory took that to mean that we should have something on the calendar ASAP, and corralled Cohort 8 members to co-plan a Colorado retreat focused on networking and learning—as much as it focused on restoration, rejuvenation, and reconnecting. Not only did he work hard to secure the space, but also engaged cohort members to lead on the programmatic work. It was truly an amazing reunion, one that would not have happened without his persistence and proactiveness.
Nominated by: Lana Skelo (Tennesseans for Student Success)
Director, Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)
SUMMARY
Robin Lake has embodied the give-and-get spirit of the Network by connecting, advising, counseling, and sharing her expertise to support other PIE Network members’ work on topics ranging from learning loss recovery to artificial intelligence in education.
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OTHER PIE NETWORK MEMBERS
Robin has supported so many PIE Network members on many of the most important policy priorities for the Network. In particular, she has been dogged in understanding, advancing, and advocating for effective learning loss recovery strategies and continues to be a leading voice across the country on the continued impact of the pandemic on student outcomes. Robin has been particularly instrumental in making the case for efforts like tutoring to help students get caught back up. Robin is also a leading voice in the conversation about AI policy, and her perspective and advisement will play a critical role in shaping the policies that states and districts move forward with.
BRINGING THE PIE NETWORK COMMUNITY AGREEMENT TO LIFE
I think Robin most exemplifies the commitment to build brave spaces to learn together, challenge our thinking, and move forward in the best interest of students. She is an expert and engages methodically and thoughtfully, sharing her perspective and being generous with her time and expertise. Importantly, she isn’t afraid to push the Network’s thinking or challenge network members to approach their work in new and different ways.
RESOURCES
- 10 Predictions about Learning Recovery, Innovation in Public Education in 2024 – The 74
- It’s Time to Launch a National Initiative to Create the New American High School – The 74
- Scathing new report says American schools are ‘failing the COVID generation’
Nominated by: David Mansouri (State Collaborative on Reforming Education)