Meet GreatSchools: Jim Daly

Going forward we'd like to introduce you, one by one, to the stellar GreatSchools team. We all have different, often personal reasons for wanting to join the GreatSchools movement — to close the achievement gap by the power of parents like you.

To start, we'd like to welcome Jim Daly, our editorial director who recently joined the ranks of published authors last month. His book, 2030: A Day in The Life of Tomorrow's Kids, provides an entertaining, intelligent way for children to imagine the world they may inhabit as adults. Jim's a pragmatic leader, with a keen eye to develop GreatSchools as a medium for educating parents. Thanks to his contributions, technical vision, content ideas and promotion strategies, GreatSchools' editorial team has made significant progress in advising parents to raise healthy, engaged children. Now, we've got three questions for him:

What inspires you about the GreatSchools mission?
Jim: The great rattling journey of parenthood is, at various times, exciting, draining, inspiring. But it's always confusing. GreatSchools rallies the energies and insights of one of the greatest educational resources — parents — into a concise package that's highly useful. When I’m confused about a parenting issue, it's where I go. When I'm looking for a little motivation, it's where I go. Even when I just want to check on what other parents are thinking (just to see if I'm crazy), it's where I go.

Who in your childhood most inspired your love of learning?
Jim: My parents. My father was a voracious reader, who showed me the great journey that books could lead you on. He was barely out of high school when he joined the army to become a foot soldier in World War II, but that never stopped him from always looking for new ways to learn. Likewise, my mother showed me that learning was fun. She was a child of the Depression who often reminded me that education 'was one thing they can't take away from you.' She was raised during a time when homes, careers, and lives could easily disappear. An education, she reminded me, could never be removed.

What's the best parenting advice you've heard?
Jim: Take the long view, and enjoy the journey. Children are the people we create who in turn recreate us. Sometimes those changes are very hard to adapt to, but all reveal great things about yourself. Those changes can be subtle, but they are always profound. So take a deep breath and enjoy the ride. Before you know it, their childhood will be gone.

Kelsey: Thank you, Jim! In these uncertain times, your mother's advice is especially profound.

Comments

[Eva Kauffman on April 08, 2009 at 10:17 AM]

Looks like the picture above does not correspond with the person being interviewed?

[Ivan Peter on April 15, 2009 at 02:18 AM]

how do get to be a student of the great school?

[Kelsey Parker on April 17, 2009 at 09:58 AM]

Thanks for the inspiration, Eva! Here's a photo of Jim to go with his interview.