Marlon Marshall, CEO, City Fund:  The Future of America’s Schools and what it means for the Future of Our Communities

Marlon Marshall leads The City Fund, a national organization committed to ensuring that every child—no matter their zip code—has access to a high-quality public education. A veteran of the Obama White House and one of today’s most influential voices in school reform, Marshall brings both political insight and deeply personal conviction to one of America’s most pressing challenges.In this conversation, he reflects on his upbringing in St. Louis, where his mother taught in public schools and his father worked as a custodian—experiences that have shaped his lifelong belief in the transformative power of education. Marshall discusses the urgent need for accountability in our schools, the tensions between policy and practice, and the often fraught politics of curriculum and choice.Ultimately, this episode examines how public education—and those who lead within it—will shape not just the future of learning, but the future of American democracy itself.