Gretchen Morgan: Public Assets, Private Interests

In Episode 12 of Season 2, Gretchen Morgan, Managing Partner at the Center for Innovation in Education, shares her insights from decades of work across classrooms, state agencies, and national education initiatives. This episode explores the current challenges facing public education, the historic roots of standardized testing, and the widening debate over the value of public assets in American society.

Gretchen unpacks the concept of systemic symmetry: the idea that everything from curriculum to teacher support must align with how we expect learning to happen. She critiques the rise of national voucher programs and the potential erosion of public education as a shared societal investment, pointing to how privatization can reinforce social and racial inequities rather than solve them.

Despite the weight of these issues, the conversation remains grounded in possibility. Gretchen shares stories of hope from initiatives like Colorado’s Homegrown Talent Initiative and local coalition-building in places like Kentucky, Mississippi, and Vermont. She highlights how community-driven processes, when rooted in inclusion, empathy, co-creation, and reciprocity, can rebuild trust between schools and the communities they serve.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how public education reflects broader societal values and how intentional, human-centered change is both necessary and possible. This episode is essential for educators, parents, policymakers, and anyone invested in the future of equitable, responsive learning environments.

Guest Information:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-morgan-0145634/

References:

Center for Innovation in Education (CIE) – https://www.innovationed.org

Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI) – Led by Colorado Succeeds and the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI)

CareerWise Colorado – Youth apprenticeship system

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Credits and Acknowledgements:

Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Heather Pridemore. https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-pridemore-mba/

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