Michael Casserly

Michael Casserly served as Executive Director of the Council of the Great City Schools, the nation's primary coalition of large urban public-school systems, from January 1992 through June 2021. Before assuming this post, Casserly served as the organization's Director of Legislation and Research for 15 years. He now serves as a Strategic Advisor to the organization. As head of the Council, Casserly unified urban schools nationwide around a vision of reform and improvement; doubled the organization's membership; convened the first education summit of Big City Mayors and Urban School Superintendents; led the nation's largest urban school districts to volunteer for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP); led multiple studies of common practices among the fastest improving urban school systems; launched national task forces to spur urban school improvement; initiated hard-hitting technical assistance to urban schools; developed a series of award-winning Public Services Announcements on urban schools and schoolchildren; led the nation's urban school districts to support the Common Core State Standards; initiated the nation's only urban school performance management system; lobbied for the targeting of federal aid on poor urban school systems; filed numerous amicus briefs before the US Supreme Court; and saw urban schools through a global pandemic. His 47 years at the Council has been devoted to boosting academic achievement in the nation's big city public schools; strengthening leadership, governance, and management; and improving the public's image of urban education. Casserly has written numerous studies, reports, book chapters, and op-ed pieces on urban schools, and he produced several television shows with several of the country's leading broadcast journalists. He has also served on numerous boards and advisory groups. His legislative work on Capitol Hill was the subject of a college textbook. He is considered one of Washington's best education advocates, and the Washington Almanac listed Casserly as one of Washington's 400 most powerful individuals. USA Today called him a crusader for city schoolchildren. He is a US Army veteran, holds a PhD from the University of Maryland and a BA from Villanova University.