Lisa Graham Keegan
Encyclopedia
Lisa Graham Keegan is an American education reform
Education reform
Education reform is the process of improving public education. Small improvements in education theoretically have large social returns, in health, wealth and well-being. Historically, reforms have taken different forms because the motivations of reformers have differed.A continuing motivation has...

 advocate.  Since 2010 she has been the CEO of the Education Breakthrough Network.

A former Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, she served as a senior policy advisor to Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

's presidential campaigns on education. At the 2008 National Republican Convention in St. Paul, MN she was a vice chairman of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 political platform committee, for which she wrote policy statements on education issues.  

Keegan has advocated for comprehensive education reform, including emphasis on standardized testing, school choice
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...

 methods such as school vouchers, tuition tax credits, charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...

s, and open enrollment. Politicians for whom she has worked include Governors Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...

 of Florida, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 of California, Jan Brewer
Jan Brewer
Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...

 of Arizona, and Chris Christie of New Jersey, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....

.

Education consultant and reform advocate

Lisa Graham Keegan founded Education Breakthrough Network, a coalition of organizations and individuals for school choice. Additionally she is actively involved with the Education Equality Project with Joel I. Klein, former Chancellor, NYC Public Schools, Dr. Michael Lomax
Michael Lomax
Dr. Michael Lucius Lomax is, since 2004, the president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund of the United States. Lomax is the son of Lucius W. Lomax, Jr...

 of the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...

, Janet Murguia
Janet Murguía
Janet Murguia is a prominent civil rights leader in the United States. She grew up in Kansas City, Kansas but now lives in Washington, D.C. and works as a renowned advocate for the Latino community...

, CEO, National Council of La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...

 (NCLR)

Keegan has authored articles on education for Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....

's magazine  Education Next and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...

 Liberating Learning, and other conservative groups including the Manhattan Institute
Manhattan Institute
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is a conservative, market-oriented think tank established in New York City in 1978 by Antony Fisher and William J...

 and the Pioneer Institute
Pioneer Institute
Pioneer Institute, is an independent, non-partisan, privately funded think tank founded by Lovett C. Peters in 1988, a major contributor to conservative candidates and foundations such as the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity. James Stergios is Pioneer's Executive Director...

, as well as the Arizona Republic. She has appeared as a speaker to think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...

s, such as the Hoover Institute Board of Governors, Institute of Economic Affairs
Institute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs , founded in 1955, styles itself the UK's pre-eminent free-market think-tank. Its mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social...

 at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

, Empower America, Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...

, Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...

, and the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...

. Columnists such as George Will
George Will
George Frederick Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winner best known for his conservative commentary on politics...

 of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

, David Brooks
David Brooks
David Brooks may refer to:* David Brooks , American actor and stage director and producer* David Brooks , Australian author of short stories and co-editor for Southerly...

 of the Weekly Standard, and Clint Bolick
Clint Bolick
Clint Bolick , is an American attorney and the director of the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation in Phoenix, Arizona....

 of National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...

have featured Keegan's reform agenda.

Keegan is on the board of the Century Council in Washington, D.C. Previously she served on Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics (Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...

), Empower America, Foundation for Teaching Economics
Foundation for Teaching Economics
The Foundation for Teaching Economics is an organization founded in 1975 that promotes economics education by hosting free workshops for high school students and teachers, and by providing educational resources to teachers....

, GreatSchools.net, Alliance for School Choice
Alliance for School Choice
The Alliance for School Choice is the largest organization in the United States promoting school choice programs. The Alliance for School choice supports the creation and expansion of school voucher, corporate tax credit, and other school choice programs...

, and Children First America. She is the past-president of the school board of New Way Learning Academy, a school for special needs students. Keegan co-authored the education chapter of Ginrich's 2010 book To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine.

McCain campaign

During John McCain's Presidential Campaign
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a...

, Keegan served as senior policy advisor on education issues to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 nominee John McCain as well as vice-presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

. She helped to write the campaign's education policies and often served as McCain's surrogate in debates, on panels, and on radio and television where these issues were discussed.

As a vice chairman of the 2008 Republican Party political platform committee, Keegan wrote national policy statements on behalf of the party.  She was a prime time speaker at the convention and was the principle spokesperson for on education issues throughout McCain's campaign. She regularly debated a variety of political advisors to Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

’s campaign on national media outlets such as Fox News and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...

on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

.

Professional background

Lisa Keegan was Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1995 to 2001. Prior to becoming state superintendent, she served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...

 in 1991 to 1995 where she was chair of the Education Committee. She was first elected as the Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1994 and reelected in 1998. This election marked first time in the history of the United States that all five of the top
Fab Five
Fab Five may refer to:* Fab Five , the 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball freshman recruiting class* The Fab Five, a 2011 documentary on the above group.* Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal, a 2008 movie...

 elected executive offices of a state were held by women: Jane Dee Hull
Jane Dee Hull
Jane Dee Hull was the second woman to serve as Governor of Arizona, the first female Republican governor of the state, and the first woman to be elected to the position.-Biography:...

, governor, Betsey Bayless
Betsey Bayless
Betsey Bayless was the Republican Secretary of State of Arizona from September 5, 1997 until January 6, 2003. She was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Jane Dee Hull...

, secretary of state, Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...

, attorney general, Carol Springer, treasurer, and Keegan, superintendent of public instruction. 

As superintendent, she was the director of the Arizona Department of Education, the state education agency
State education agency
A state education agency , or state department of education, is a formal governmental label for the state-level government agencies within each U.S...

, and oversaw the state's charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...

 program.

As a legislator and Arizona's chief educational official, Keegan helped enact Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards
Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards
Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards is a standardized test administered by the state of Arizona. AIMS is a standards based assessment aligned to the Arizona Academic Content Standards.-Test contents:...

, which sets standards for math, reading, writing, and science students must meet for graduation. In response to criticism, Keegan took all phases of the test and posted her passing scores. She continued to resist, often unsuccessfully, political pressure to compromise the AIMS standards. Additionally, she helped the School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Bill become law. The bill created a tax-exempt funding source for funding of scholarships at private schools and enrichment programs at public schools. This law was the first time such a measure had been passed in the United States.

Keegan served on Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...

's Restructuring Team for Florida Department of Education
Florida Department of Education
The Florida Department of Education is the state education agency of Florida. It governs public education and manages funding and testing for local educational agencies . It is headquartered in the Turlington Building in Tallahassee.The Florida Commissioner of Education manages the day-to-day...

 and on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

's Education Policy Transition Team. She was an education advisor to candidate George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 and a member of the administration transition team, and one of two candidates interviewed by then President-elect George W. Bush to be Secretary of Education.

In 2001, Keegan became the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Leaders Council (ELC), a non-profit, conservative education reform organization Keegan and other state school chiefs had founded in 1995. Under Keegan’s leadership, ELC gained federal funding for its project, Following the Leaders, to implement the reform policies of the new federal education law. However, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education initially suggested that ELC did not comply with federal regulations for the funds it was expending, and federal procurement standards.  A final audit, however, showed that ELC’s financial and administrative management had actually undercharged the Department of Education and outstanding grant funding was ultimately paid to the ELC and its spin-off organization, Following the Leaders by the Department of Education. Keegan’s original three-year contract was extended to September 2004, after which she became an independent education and public policy consultant.

From 2001 to 2004, Keegan contributed to implementing education policies and programs which include the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Following the Leaders School Implementation Program, American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, founded in 2001 via a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, dedicated to recruiting, preparing, certifying and supporting teachers...

,  Washington DC School Choice Program. In 2003 she was a member of Education Secretary Rod Paige
Rod Paige
Roderick Raynor "Rod" Paige served as the 7th United States Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2005. Paige, who grew up in Mississippi, built a career on a belief that education equalizes opportunity, moving from classroom teacher to college dean and school superintendent to be the first African...

's Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...

 Commission.

In 2006, Keegan became a consultant to Maricopa County, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 and eventually assistant county manager for community solutions and innovation. She left her job in May 2008 to join the McCain presidential campaign as education policy advisor.

Personal background

Keegan has a bachelor's degree in linguistics from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

 (1981) and a master's degree in communication disorders from Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...

 (1983). In 1998, she received the Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...

 Foundation Award for free enterprise innovation in education. She received the Athena Award from Athena International, and was named Education Leader of the Year by the national Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 in 1999. The Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...

 Award for Economics Education was presented to her in 2000.

In 2011 the Arizona Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...

 and Industry recognized Keegan's efforts to reform education by presenting her with Milton Friedman Transformational Leader Award.

Keegan is a former senior warden in the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...

. In 1977, she won the title of National Champion by the International Arabian Horse Association. Keegan briefly served as the acting governor of Arizona in 1996 when Governor Jane Hull and other officers were absent from the state.

In 2009, Lisa Keegan was selected for the World Leadership Award by the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 council of the Girl Scouts of America. The award was to recognize her “contribution to the community and (her) testament to the Girl Scouts’ code of honor.”  video interview

Keegan is a mother of five adult children. She is married to John Keegan, a retired judge of the justice courts in Arizona.
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