William J. Mathis is the managing director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder and the former superintendent of schools for the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union in Brandon, Vermont. He was selected, along with Kevin Welner, as the Horace Mann League’s national outstanding educator of the year. He was a National Superintendent of the Year finalist and a Vermont Superintendent of the Year. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Vermont State Board of Education. He has published or presented research on finance, assessment, accountability, standards, cost-effectiveness, education reform, history, and Constitutional issues. He also serves on various editorial boards and frequently publishes commentary on educational policy issues.