This session featured a spirited Oxford-style debate to argue the statement: Resolved: Entrepreneurs and systems must partner in order to achieve widespread improvement. The panel and audience examined whether partnerships with districts and states are necessary for the success of entrepreneurial education organizations and ideas. Are these partnerships critical for the system-wide advancement of entrepreneurial innovation, or can engagement of a large, potentially bureaucratic system dilute the impact of those same innovations? Do partnerships help spur further innovation, or dot they lead to reversion to the status quo?

*Due to technical issues, the second half of this breakout session is unavailable.

Speakers:

• Mashea Ashton, Chief Executive Officer, Newark Charter School Fund (moderator)
• Chris Gabrieli, Co-Founder and Chairman, Massachusetts 2020 Foundation
• Rick Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
• John King, Senior Deputy Commissioner for P-12 Education, New York State Department of Education

Part 1: In this video, moderator Mashea Ashton introduces the debaters and statement to be debated. John King argues in favor of the proposition that entrepreneurs must partner with districts and states in order to achieve widespread improvements to the U.S. education system.

Part 2: In this video, Rick Hess offers his arguments against entrepreneurs/district and state partnerships. Next, moderator Mashea Ashton takes questions from the audience. Then, Chris Gabrieli offers counterarguments to Hess’s positions.