Peter Fishman
Vice President of Strategy
Overview
Peter Fishman serves as the vice president of strategy for Deans for Impact. Prior to joining Deans for Impact in 2015, he worked on teacher development in Colorado. Earlier in his career, Pete worked for a national education nonprofit, as a high school teacher and at a state education agency. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
The work of preparing great teachers is essential to making our country more just, equitable, and democratic.
When/why did you start working in education?
If you think of education as learning and helping others to learn, then I feel like I’ve been working in education my entire life. But my first job in education was my junior year in college as a substitute history teacher at a local public high school. I was awful, but I loved working with students and wanted to figure out how I could get better at helping others to learn. I’ve been on that journey ever since.
Why were you excited to join Deans for Impact?
The field of K-12 education is plagued by tired debates and false dichotomies. I’m inspired by the deans who make up Deans for Impact because they want to see beyond the rhetoric and get to work ensuring that every child in this country, regardless of ZIP code, has access to great educators who believe in them and their potential. That work of preparing great teachers is essential to making our country more just, equitable, and democratic.
Why do Deans for Impact’s guiding principles ring true for you?
The instances of greatest organizational improvement that I’ve experienced in my career have been defined by a high degree of internal accountability to outcomes; a commitment to learning transparently from data; and a foundation of trust and humble collaboration. These are principles that unite the deans in Deans for Impact.
What’s your favorite food truck and why?
Saigon Le Vendeur — the banh mi is incredible.