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Kathy Hurley: Teacher to the IndustryWhen AEP ONLINE began to pursue PLATO Learning's Kathy Hurley for an interview, which traditionally accompanies a nomination to the Educational Publishing Hall of Fame, we confronted a happy irony. Hurley was, as always, busy traveling--continuing, independent of any award, to distinguish herself. The day we reached her, she had just returned from a trip to South Africa. And in typical style, she brought back not just information about the schools she visited, but inspiration: "The poverty is unbelievable in South Africa, but so is the learning," she reported. "They have 50 kids in a class, but the discipline is right there; the kids are starving to learn." That all kids in all circumstances can learn is a truth Hurley has conveyed to the industry again and again during her 30-year, marketing-centered career with companies such as NetSchools (preceding PLATO's acquisition), The Learning Company, Skillsbank, IBM, Mindscape, Grolier and DLM (Developmental Learning Materials). Growing up in a small, New Jersey town, she had always wanted to be a teacher. After earning a master's in special education, she became an itinerant teacher-consultant for children with learning disabilities. That experience showed Hurley the importance of getting kids on track for learning while they're still young, she says. The work also gave her crucial exposure to various learning styles. "Kids learn very differently," she says. "Some are auditory, some more visual. You try to put all of that into your product." And working in special education also gave her a first step into what would become her pioneer territory: "Special ed was way ahead of the game, in educational technology," she affirms.In the early '80s, Hurley started a newsletter called the MICRO MARKET EXAMINER, one of the first for what were then called "micros" in education. In the same period she, along with Kathy Kleibacker and Carol Waugh, ran what Hurley remembers as the first conference on technology in education. At the time, she recalls that most people in the classroom had no idea of the huge impact technology eventually would have on education. Technology was fun and new, and so a great motivator. As discs gave way to CDs, however, Hurley says it became increasingly obvious that the new media would be able to accommodate bigger curriculum pieces. Working at IBM in the early '90s, she remembers having what was then a startling thought: that technology could replace the textbook. Later, moving from The Learning Company to NetSchools, she saw technology extend its reach even farther--into more classrooms, and into consideration by top educational leaders. "I had now seen the software go from supplemental--where it was in labs--to five computers in classroom (when I was at IBM), to a computer for every child, at NetSchools," she says. She notes with pride NetSchools' Georgia Wireless program, a $10 million effort in 10 schools across the state, which is now entering its third year of implementation. And with bigger investments, she adds, comes more influence: "Publishers don't segment tech anymore, and approach only the tech coordinators. Now, it's superintendents, principals, and curriculum directors, as well as governors and legislators." In her current role as vice president for education industry affairs at PLATO, she says she interacts so often with government and association sources, she's become a sort of an internal consultant. Of course, she serves on several influential boards herself, including the National School Boards Foundation, the Software and Information Industry Association Education Division, and the International Society for Technology in Education; she is a past president of AEP. Helping people learn from each other continues to be her priority: "I want to make sure educational associations understand the role of vendors," she says. "We're not just there to sell products. We've done a lot of research; we have a lot of experience nationally and internationally, which we can share. I think they have to start looking at us as part of what they do. And, I believe, in sharing our experiences, we can also learn a lot from the education associations. In the end, open communication and collaboration benefits everyone. Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
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