Monday’s announcement made by the Education Commission of the States about the election of Gov. Some Mississippians have started to search for more information about Phil Bryant, the chairman of the Education Commission of the States. This non-partisan, nonprofit group was created to assist governors, state legislators, and state education officials in developing policies at the state level that will improve education quality. It is widely recognized as an impartial source of data, trends, and information on education policy. Each two-year cycle, the commission has a Republican or Democratic governor to head its organization. Montana Gov. From 2013-15, Steve Bullock was a Democrat. Since becoming governor in 2012, Bullock has championed equal pay for all and increased funding for public education. He was also responsible for the tuition freeze at Montana’s colleges and universities. Jeremy Anderson is the president of the commission. He directs the staff and works closely with state officials and members of the commission. Anderson was previously the director of government, political affairs and administration for Kansas Governor. Kathleen Sebelius. Anderson was instrumental in passing the largest K-12 funding bill ever passed in Kansas history, preventing schools from being shut down earlier this year. Governor Sam Brownback signed the bill into law, increasing state funding for poor districts by diverting funds from other areas of the state budget. In July, Sam Brownback signed the bill into law. Bryant stated on his Facebook page that his victory is “credit the progress Mississippi has seen in recent decades with our education system.” Mississippi’s National Assessment of Educational Progress, the nation’s report card about public schools, showed the most significant gains. The Commission gave the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation to Mississippi earlier this year for its education reform that focused on early-childhood literacy, expanding charter schools, and implementing a new accountability system for schools. According to the commission’s website, this award is given to states that demonstrate education improvement that can be replicated in other states. It also recognizes “bold and brave” policies as well as programs and policies that have bipartisan support. In the mid-1960s, James Bryant Conant’s idea for a commission sparked it. Conant proposed an interstate agreement on education policy that would allow states to exchange ideas and interact with each other. This approach was proposed by Conant to counter the increasing number of federally-funded initiatives that address education issues. John W. Gardner, the president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, joined forces with Terry Sanford, former North Carolina governor. The Compact for Education was created by Terry Sanford. The Education Commission of the States is the operating arm of the Compact for Education. It was established in Denver in 1967. The steering committee includes Laurie Smith (the governor’s education policy advisor) and Bryant.