What is HB3?

HB3 is shorthand for “HayBarBiBo” - reflecting the major inspirations in my life, my two dogs Haylee and Barlow plus my incredibly supportive wife. They each drive my work in their own unique ways.

Why HB3?

I founded HB3 Consulting and Advisory in order to provide direct support to the entities that I care about most. This includes school districts who are lacking current capacity to make data-informed decisions, charter school founders who need high-level curriculum support, microschools who are trying to define high-quality learning experiences at the local level, cultural institutions who want to ensure their programming is relevant, and state education agencies who need research briefs on current issues of importance or maybe a critical friend to review the details of a new proposal.

Who is HB3?

My name is Matt Borek, and with over two decades of experience in the education sector, I have navigated education change from the perspective of a teacher, university-based teacher educator, policy analyst, researcher, consultant, and director of programs. I witnessed the shift from standards to standardization as the field moved from Goals 2000 to No Child Left Behind. And now I’m hoping to help states, schools, and cultural institutions capitalize on the unrealized flexibility contained in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The education reform landscape is shifting as we speak, and I want to help those with innovative ideas succeed and lead this next phase of education policy.

I’m an “old fashioned” expert in education reform, in that I spent a significant amount of time studying reform and policy, then applied that knowledge to projects in state agencies, higher education, and schools. I have led projects and teams, in-person and remotely, in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. My background and experience are described below.

Experience:

Curriculum development, mapping, and alignment

Member of an international team who developed K-12 standards and benchmarks for American curriculum schools located overseas.

Designed and led multiple interdisciplinary projects in various schools settings.

Designed and taught original graduate-level coursework.

Compliance reporting in higher education to confirm programs aligned with teaching and content standards.

Designed two fellowship programs for teachers.

Program development and scaling in cultural institution.

Education Policy

Helped with the design of a new, performance-based professional-level licensing system. Explored the use of micro-credentials as a complement to existing licensing frameworks.

Have written and presented on: strengthening the educator pipeline; addressing teacher shortages; teacher retention; teacher leadership models.

Drafted multiple summary reports for State Board of Education and Commissions.

Produced policy briefs, memos, landscape analyses, and 50-state scans on numerous topics, including the use of entrance exams for teacher preparation programs, metrics used in statewide program approval processes, teacher career ladders and performance-based compensation structures, use of performance assessments in K12 and higher education, variations in implementation for Profile of a Graduate models. and Integrated arts / interdisciplinary curricular models.

Testified before state legislative body on education reform issues.

State-level content expert in educator evaluation systems.

Led state agency technical support sessions on modernizing accountability frameworks.

Strategic Planning

Developed higher education recruitment and communication plans.

Member / leader of various grants teams, with over $300M awarded; designed evaluation and implementation plans.

Led multiple 40+ member stakeholder convenings (identifying stakeholders, determining group membership, facilitating working sessions, producing materials, setting agendas, communication, reporting, etc.).

Have worked with multiple agencies and organizations on developing theory of change and using logic models.

Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Design and Analysis

Developed original observation protocols and provided calibration training for reviewers.

Developed interview and focus group protocol, and conducted hundreds of interviews and focus groups across multiple states.

Review and analysis of metrics for usage in accountability frameworks, licensure systems, and evaluation programs.

Professional Development

Approved all statewide professional development, and designed a new rubric for PD approval.

Designed and delivered original professional development in areas such as interdisciplinary planning, assessment development including the design of rubrics for performance assessments, arts advocacy and policy, and aligning programs with historic trends in education reform and policy.

Education

Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction (concentration in education reform and policy), Boston College

M.Ed., Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation, Boston College

B.Music, Music Performance and Music Education (dual degree), Ithaca College