Abigail Swisher, Rural Impact Fellow at FAS, served in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. She was part of the team who developed the policy strategy, Raise the Bar, Lead the World.
We are pleased to announce the release of three new policy briefs from the U.S. Department of Education: Raising the Bar for Rural. These briefs outline key policy levers that state and local education leaders can use to make a difference on critical issues for rural students, as well as highlighting bright spots from rural communities nationwide. Organized around the Department’s Raise the Bar, Lead the World agenda, the briefs cover strategies to accelerate learning, end the educator shortage, increase access to comprehensive & rigorous coursework for all students.
- Accelerating Learning for Every Student
- Comprehensive and Rigorous Education
- Eliminating the Educator Shortage
These ideas aim to advance the detailed policy solutions needed to foster public trust and implement fairness in the adoption of AI across diverse domains, from healthcare and government benefits to rural access, education, and worker protections.
The evidence is clear: algorithmic pay-setting is established in app-based work, and payroll/timekeeping failures show how software can produce systemic wage harm at scale
While a few states have taken steps to implement decision-making mechanisms for certain AI systems, too many leaders are simply accepting narratives about AI’s purported public benefit at face value – jumping to the “how” of AI implementation before thoroughly vetting potential systems and deciding whether they are appropriate to use at all.
When properly structured — with specific numeric targets, secured financial obligations, independent monitoring, and meaningful enforcement — CBAs transform data center deals into durable community partnerships.