Duke Sanford School to team up with Hunt Institute to improve education policies

The James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy has begun a partnership with the Sanford School of Public Policy, the University announced Thursday.

The Hunt Institute—whose mission is to improve public education—will team up with the Sanford School to advance education policy through research, educational partnerships and events.

“This partnership between the Sanford School at Duke and the Hunt Institute unites the legacies of two of North Carolina’s most transformative governors and creates new opportunities to connect research and practice in the most vital areas of education policy,” said President Richard Brodhead in a Duke Today release.

The partnership will work to create a national conference on early childhood education and policy as well as briefings for state and national policy leaders on research findings related to education.

“We could not be more excited about the possibilities for engagement and collaboration with Duke University and the Sanford School of Public Policy,” said former Gov. Jim Hunt, chair of the Hunt Foundation Board, in the release. “It was Terry Sanford’s advocacy and commitment to improving public education for all that’s always been a driving force for me. It’s the same commitment that the Sanford School brings to education today and why this alliance is a perfect fit.”

The Hunt Institute—led by Judith Rizzo—is dedicated to informing policymakers and educational leaders about the development and implementation of strategies to transform public education. It was established by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 2001 and recently became an independent, nonprofit entity.

The organization has facilitated annual education retreats for North Carolina legislators and established a national fellowship called the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows which helps provide future political leaders with the knowledge to create education agendas.

“Given the Sanford School’s historic strengths in education policy research and the Hunt Institute’s reach with policymakers, we anticipate our affiliation will open the door to many exciting new collaborations,” said Kelly Brownell, dean of the Sanford School, in the release.