Dear John,

Today we're announcing the 2023 cohort of 50CAN's National Voices Fellowship.

Now in our fifth cohort of the program, the National Voices Fellowship was initially imagined to be one in which passionate advocates, educators and thinkers from different geographies, political affiliations and backgrounds, could come together to discuss and debate their ideas for the future of American education, while sharpening their communications skills and working across political and ideological differences.

I hope it’s obvious to everyone that this work has never been more important. Following the disruptions of the pandemic we see that America's students have immense needs and their parents maintain a strong desire for a personalized and customizable education system.

For our kids to recover and for this system of the future to emerge we need leaders who will spark and garner public support for new ideas and new choices, and the policies that help them take root.

At their best our fellows do two things: spark ideas in the world through their media appearances that raise questions for parents over how education could be better, and that instill excitement over the possibilities for the future, and demonstrate that it is possible to navigate the divisions that inhibit policy and culture change. In both cases, they show there is a better way to make sure all children reach their fullest potential.

So this year, our fifth cohort is our largest yet, reflecting both the need for more voices in this moment as well as the high degree of interest to participate in the National Voices Fellowship. For this we are grateful. While this level of interest has increased the difficulty assembling our cohorts, we are struck by the vast number of emerging leaders across our sector that are raising their hands and speaking up as we work to build the future of education in our nation.

Please join me in welcoming the 14 voices you'll be hearing from throughout the year. I think you'll agree that they are a truly exceptional group. We're excited to see the ideas they spark throughout 2023 and beyond.