Why Creativity Isn’t a Priority in Education Policy with Dr. Henry Smith

What can the challenges of the public schooling system teach us about re-prioritizing creativity in education?

Season 11 of Fueling Creativity in Education launches with Dr. Henry M. Smith, EdD, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education under President Clinton. Co-hosts Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett dive into the realities of America’s public schooling system—its entrenched challenges, how those challenges influence what we prioritize in classrooms, and the consequences for creative teaching and teaching creativity.

Together, they consider why creativity so often feels absent from the system itself and explore whether alternative models, such as school vouchers and independent schools, might offer more fertile ground for innovation. At the same time, they grapple with the tough equity questions these alternatives raise, asking how educators and policymakers can support creativity without widening existing gaps.

About the Guest 

Dr. Henry M. Smith is a professor of education policy and leadership at the Johns Hopkins School of Education. With a diverse background spanning university administration at Tufts and Johns Hopkins, consulting for NGOs, and significant governmental roles—including mayor of Dover, NH, state director of public transit, and Assistant Secretary of Education in the Clinton administration—Dr. Smith brings unique insight into the intersection of policy and practice. His multi-disciplinary approach to education research and leadership, coupled with decades of firsthand experience, positions him as an influential voice on how policy can drive or stifle creativity within educational systems.

 

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