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@John_BaileyBio & Experience
John Bailey is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on artificial intelligence, education, and other innovation issues. He has served in government, philanthropy, and the private sector, where he worked on a range of issues including broadband expansion, technology, immigration, the COVID-19 response, the future of work, and economic mobility.
Mr. Bailey’s government service includes being special assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House and deputy policy director to the US secretary of commerce, during which time he contributed to the first national pandemic preparedness strategy and worked on policies related to American competitiveness and comprehensive immigration reform. Earlier, he served as director of educational technology at the US Department of Education and as vice president for policy for Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Mr. Bailey is a Pahara-Aspen Institute Fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and an alumnus of the American Council on Germany Young Leaders Program. He serves on the boards of directors of Zearn Math, the Federation of American Scientists, and US Digital Response. He also serves on advisory boards for Trustible, the XPRIZE, and the Tech Talent Project. He has also served as an adviser to four presidential campaigns.
Mr. Bailey’s writings include the bipartisan report A Blueprint for Back to School and Is It Safe to Reopen Schools? An Extensive Review of the Research, which examined 130 studies related to COVID-19, children, and schools. His book chapters include “Tailwinds and Headwinds: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Energy to Transform Education” in Educational Entrepreneurship Today (Harvard Education Press, 2016) and “Odd Man Out: How Government Supports Private-Sector Innovation, Except in Education” in Private Enterprise and Public Education (Teachers College Press, 2013). He also publishes the COVID-19 Policy Update for education leaders, philanthropists, investors, and policymakers.
He has served as a reviewer for TechStars Workforce Development Accelerator, Communities Thrive Challenge, Adult Literacy XPRIZE, the $1 Billion Wage Gain Challenge, and Fannie Mae’s Sustainable Communities Innovation Challenge.
Mr. Bailey has a BA in international policy studies from Dickinson College and attended Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Experience
- Foundation for Excellence in Education: Vice President of Policy, 2014–16
- Whiteboard Advisors: Cofounder, 2009–14
- White House: Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, 2007–09
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Senior Program Officer, National Initiatives, 2006–07
- US Department of Commerce: Deputy Director of Policy, 2006; Senior Policy Adviser to the Secretary, 2005–06
- Bush-Cheney ’04: Deputy Policy Director, 2004
- US Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 2002–04; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Education, 2001–02
- Pennsylvania Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 1997–2001; Special Assistant to the Secretary, 1995–97
Education
Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
BA, international policy studies, Dickinson College
Dickinson Center for European Studies, Bologna Italy