James Harvey, director of the National Superintendents Roundtable. has helped shape national thinking about American schools for more than two decades. The Roundtable, a membership association of 80 school superintendents from nearly 25 states, explores the national and international pressures on American schools. He has made presentations on American education in Britain, China, Colombia, Ireland, and Japan.

Well known as an education writer, Harvey co-authored The Superintendent’s Fieldbook, summarizing ten years’ experience working with 200 school superintendents (Corwin Press, 2005). Earlier he co-authored A Legacy of Learning with David T. Kearns, former CEO of Xerox (Brookings Institution Press, 2000).

He helped write A Nation at Risk for the Excellence Commission (1983), Three Realities: Minority Life in the United States for the Business-Higher Education Forum (1989), Keeping Faith with the Student-Athlete for the Knight Commission (1991), Prisoners of Time for the National Commission on Time and Learning (1994) and Fulbright at Fifty for the National Humanities Center (1998). He also wrote The Neglected ‘R’ for the College Board’s National Commission on Writing. Harvey has participated in presenting several of these reports in the Oval Office, Capitol Hill and the National Press Club.

His earlier experience included service as: executive director of the National Commission on Jobs and Small Business (co-chaired by former presidents Carter and Ford); director of congressional affairs for the National Institute of Education; and staff director of an education subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he drafted or amended legislation providing education for disadvantaged children (Title I); student aid (Pell Grants and guaranteed loans); and educational programs for students with disabilities (P.L. 94-142).

A native of Ireland, Harvey is a graduate of Villanova University, which awarded him the Alumni Medallion in 2000, and holds a master’s degree in history from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed the Executive Education program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School in 2002 and is currently enrolled in Seattle University’s doctoral program. Married to Anne Paxton, he is the father of three children, Janet, Jamey and Patrick.