INTRO / STEWARDSHIP

This moment is asking something different of leaders—and not everyone has adjusted.

It has been a little over a year since I left my role as Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), at the U.S. Department of Education.

In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work across states, districts, and national organizations navigating increasing uncertainty.

Shifting federal signals.
Less predictable resources.
Growing pressure on public systems.

And a quiet but important realization:

The conditions have changed.
But much of the work has not.

When I left federal service, I didn’t leave with a fully formed plan.

I spent time listening.
Paying attention.
Trying to understand what this moment actually requires.

What became clear is this:

Moments like this don’t call for louder answers or faster solutions.

They call for steadier leadership.

They call for stewardship.

Over the past year, that realization has shaped the work I now do through Apokrisis—

Working alongside states and districts,
and alongside nonprofit organizations working to ensure their strategy, messaging, and advocacy are aligned with what this moment actually requires.

Not as a departure from public service, but as a continuation of it.

Stewardship, especially in moments like this, is not about having all the answers.

It’s about making intentional decisions
when certainty is in short supply.

Over the next few posts, I’ll share what stewardship actually requires in a moment like this.