ASU grad to visit White House, meet with education secretary

Matthew Binford, (Class of 2011), will meet with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other senior policy advisors at a policy briefing organized by Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) on Aug. 16, in Washington, D.C. Binford will have the opportunity to discuss local, state and federal educational policy initiatives with national leaders and fellow educators.

“This will be an incredible opportunity to share our successes here in Arizona, while also looking at various solutions to some of the challenges we are facing,” Binford said. “I am excited to use my legal experiences and education from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law to advocate for our state and continue to make Arizona a better place for children.”

Before attending law school, Binford was a Teach For America corps member in Watts, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev. As a law student, Binford remained involved with education issues as a member of the Youth Mentoring Board and as a Teen Court coordinator. He currently is a member of the American Bar Association’s Public Education Committee and a mentor for the National Hispanic Bar Association.

At the policy briefing, Binford will have the opportunity to collaborate with other leaders from across the country, and share his experiences working with youth in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The event is a unique opportunity for a select group of Teach For America alumni to hear from and engage with the nation’s top education leaders on the current state of education policy in the United States and its future.

Leadership for Educational Equity is a nonprofit organization that inspires, trains and supports Teach For America alumni and corps members in their pursuits of public leadership. Teach For America recruits and trains outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunities.

The D.C. event is one of LEE’s many efforts to engage leaders at all levels of government, and to influence them to be deeply committed to a path that helps provide excellent education for all children.

“This will be a unique opportunity for our members who have shown leadership in education policy,” said Sen. David Schapira (D-Tempe), LEE’s vice president of political programs. “Our members are looking forward to engaging with the nation's top education leaders on the current state and future of education policy in the U.S.”

Binford and others will visit the White House in the morning, followed by meetings at the U.S. Department of Education with Secretary Duncan and other senior administration officials.

Janie Magruder, Janie.magruder@asu.edu
Office of Communications, College of Law
480-727-9052