On April 7th, Michael Kirst, President of the California State Board of Education and Stanford Emeritus Professor of Education and Business Administration received the prestigious James A. Kelly Award for Advancing Accomplished Teaching. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) bestows the award to individuals who have demonstrated a passionate commitment, expertise and unwavering dedication to improving education for teachers and students. According to James A. Kelly, Kirst’s “career has been dedicated to improving schools and, in turn, making life better for their students.” An NBPTS statement further describes an expansive dedication to the improvement of American education, including his two terms as president of the California State Board of Education; role as an educator in education and business administration; and countless other contributions related to school finance, curriculum politics, and intergovernmental relations and education reform policies. Past recipients of this award include President Bill Clinton and Linda Darling-Hammond.