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URL: https://www.aei.org/profile/john-bailey/

⇱ John Bailey | American Enterprise Institute - AEI


Experience

  • Foundation for Excellence in Education: Vice President of Policy, 2014–16
  • Whiteboard Advisors: Cofounder, 2009–14
  • White House: Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, 2007–09
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Senior Program Officer, National Initiatives, 2006–07
  • US Department of Commerce: Deputy Director of Policy, 2006; Senior Policy Adviser to the Secretary, 2005–06
  • Bush–Cheney ’04: Deputy Policy Director, 2004
  • US Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 2002–04; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Education, 2001–02
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 1997–2001; Special Assistant to the Secretary, 1995–97
Education

Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
BA, international policy studies, Dickinson College
Dickinson Center for European Studies, Bologna, Italy

Scholars

John Bailey

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Research Areas

Artificial intelligence (AI), AI applications to education, K–12 issues, Innovation policy

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Bio & Experience

John Bailey is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on artificial intelligence, education, workforce, and other innovation issues. He has served in government, philanthropy, and the private sector, where he worked on a range of issues including technology, immigration, the future of work, and economic mobility.

Mr. Bailey has spent his career working across sectors to leverage the benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing the risks. He serves as a member of Virginia’s Artificial Intelligence Taskforce for Governor Glenn Youngkin and regularly briefs members of Congress, state policymakers, and business leaders on AI’s impact and potential. He participates in early access and alignment initiatives for several leading generative AI model providers. Washingtonianhas named Mr. Bailey one of Washington’s most influential people in policy for three consecutive years (2022–24), including in the area of technology and AI policy.

His government service includes being special assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House and deputy policy director to the US secretary of commerce, during which time he worked on policies related to American competitiveness and comprehensive immigration reform. Earlier, he served as director of educational technology at the US Department of Education and as vice president for policy for Governor Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Mr. Bailey is a Pahara–Aspen Institute Fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and an alumnus of the American Council on Germany Young Leaders Program. He serves on the boards of directors of Zearn Math, the Federation of American Scientists, American Policy Ventures, and U.S. Digital Response. He also serves on advisory boards for Trustible, XPRIZE, and the Tech Talent Project. He has also served as an adviser to four presidential campaigns.

Mr. Bailey has a BA from Dickinson College.

Experience

  • Foundation for Excellence in Education: Vice President of Policy, 2014–16
  • Whiteboard Advisors: Cofounder, 2009–14
  • White House: Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, 2007–09
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Senior Program Officer, National Initiatives, 2006–07
  • US Department of Commerce: Deputy Director of Policy, 2006; Senior Policy Adviser to the Secretary, 2005–06
  • Bush–Cheney ’04: Deputy Policy Director, 2004
  • US Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 2002–04; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Education, 2001–02
  • Pennsylvania Department of Education: Director of Educational Technology, 1997–2001; Special Assistant to the Secretary, 1995–97
Education

Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
BA, international policy studies, Dickinson College
Dickinson Center for European Studies, Bologna, Italy

Latest Scholarship

Post

AEIdeas

AI Works in Education When It Makes Learning Harder, Not Easier

AI works in education when it's used not to give answers but to orchestrate the conditions for productive struggle. The result is deeper engagement and stronger outcomes.

BY John Bailey ON 23 Mar 26

Post

AEIdeas

What Using AI for My Mom’s Cancer Taught Me

Cancer isn't beaten in a single moment. It's navigated, decision by decision. AI didn't tell us what to choose. But it helped us understand what we were choosing between. In a fight measured in small gains, that clarity was its own kind of gift.

BY John Bailey ON 20 Jan 26

Post

AEIdeas

What a Year of Living With AI Taught Me

My “tech stack” includes ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Manus, Perplexity, Google’s AI Studio, NotebookLM, ElevenLabs, MidJourney, Elicit, and Claude Code. With this context, I felt it might be useful to share how I used these AI tools to tap into “expertise” this last year.

BY John Bailey ON 20 Jan 26

Post

AEIdeas

AI Chatbots Are Reshaping Political Persuasion

Recent research suggests that AI chatbots are not merely passive sources of election information; they can actively shape voter attitudes in measurable and durable ways.

BY John Bailey + Julia Torres ON 22 Dec 25

Post

AEIdeas

Cellphone Bans, Part Two: What Discipline Patterns Reveals

Eliminating phones may help, but improvements materialize when schools also rebuild structure, reestablish behavioral norms, and support students and teachers with the tools they need to succeed. Sustained academic progress requires a strong and coherent curriculum, targeted tutoring, and high-quality instructional materials.

BY John Bailey ON 21 Nov 25

Post

AEIdeas

Discipline, Not Devices: The Real Driver Behind Florida’s Test Score Gains

What’s missing from the debate isn’t whether cellphones distract students—they do—but whether bans meaningfully improve learning. The real question isn’t about phones at all; it’s whether we’re using policy to confront the right problem.

BY John Bailey ON 4 Nov 25

Post

AEIdeas

AI Works in Education When It Makes Learning Harder, Not Easier

AI works in education when it's used not to give answers but to orchestrate the conditions for productive struggle. The result is deeper engagement and stronger outcomes.

BY John Bailey ON 23 Mar 26

Post

AEIdeas

What Using AI for My Mom’s Cancer Taught Me

Cancer isn't beaten in a single moment. It's navigated, decision by decision. AI didn't tell us what to choose. But it helped us understand what we were choosing between. In a fight measured in small gains, that clarity was its own kind of gift.

BY John Bailey ON 20 Jan 26

Post

AEIdeas

What a Year of Living With AI Taught Me

My “tech stack” includes ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Manus, Perplexity, Google’s AI Studio, NotebookLM, ElevenLabs, MidJourney, Elicit, and Claude Code. With this context, I felt it might be useful to share how I used these AI tools to tap into “expertise” this last year.

BY John Bailey ON 20 Jan 26

Post

AEIdeas

AI Chatbots Are Reshaping Political Persuasion

Recent research suggests that AI chatbots are not merely passive sources of election information; they can actively shape voter attitudes in measurable and durable ways.

BY John Bailey + Julia Torres ON 22 Dec 25

Post

AEIdeas

Cellphone Bans, Part Two: What Discipline Patterns Reveals

Eliminating phones may help, but improvements materialize when schools also rebuild structure, reestablish behavioral norms, and support students and teachers with the tools they need to succeed. Sustained academic progress requires a strong and coherent curriculum, targeted tutoring, and high-quality instructional materials.

BY John Bailey ON 21 Nov 25

Post

AEIdeas

Discipline, Not Devices: The Real Driver Behind Florida’s Test Score Gains

What’s missing from the debate isn’t whether cellphones distract students—they do—but whether bans meaningfully improve learning. The real question isn’t about phones at all; it’s whether we’re using policy to confront the right problem.

BY John Bailey ON 4 Nov 25

Report

Opportunity America

Unlocking the Future

On education, as on so many issues, there is no political consensus—no agreement about what needs to be done and no effective left-right coalition in place to drive reform.

BY Ian Rowe + Robert Pondiscio + Jessica Schurz + et al. ON 22 Feb 23

Special Feature

American Enterprise Institute

22 for 22

Voters want candidates with a vision, a thoughtful policy platform, and better, more compelling solutions to the problems facing American families and their children. That is why AEI’s Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN) has assembled this collection of 22 ideas that state leaders can champion to create a better, more responsive system of education. These ideas come from CERN reports and articles written by conservative education leaders—scholars, funders, advocates, and a college president—and cover a wide range of topics including teacher pay, education savings accounts, gifted education, and hybrid college. They encompass all levels of education, from early childhood to higher education.

BY John Bailey ON 19 May 22

Report

American Enterprise Institute

Broadband Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: A Primer

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided more than $65 billion to build out broadband networks, address affordability, and strengthen cybersecurity. The legislation’s ultimate success will depend on implementation at the state and local level, including engaging community stakeholders and anchor institutions.

BY John Bailey ON 3 Dec 21

Report

American Enterprise Institute

Education Recovery Benefits: Using Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Address Children’s Academic, Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs

State and local governments should consider establishing education recovery benefits to provide low-income families with direct financial assistance to address the inequities exacerbated by closed schools and poor-quality remote learning.

BY John Bailey ON 28 Jul 21

Report

American Enterprise Institute

Is It Safe to Reopen Schools? An Extensive Review of the Research

Executive Summary: By the end of March 2020, all public schools in the United States were closed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. More than 50.8 million children stayed home as school...

BY John Bailey ON 11 Mar 21

Report

American Enterprise Institute

Parents and the Pandemic: A Comprehensive Analysis of Survey Data

.post-type {display:none;} It has been a little over a month since we released initial data on parents’ opinions and concerns during an unprecedented pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. In the intervening month, Americans have been...

BY John Bailey + Olivia Shaw ON 30 Jun 20

Event

When AI Feels Human: The Promise and Peril of Digital Empathy

Join us for a candid, forward-looking conversation at the crossroads of technology, empathy, and human connection. We will convene leading voices in research, education, and health care to unpack the promise and peril of AI empathy, exploring how we can harness its potential for good while guarding against its dangers.

BY John Bailey ON 3 Sep 25

Event

America’s AI Action Plan: Analyzing the Strategy for Global Leadership

Join us as a panel of AI experts, industry leaders, and researchers will examine the plan’s potential impact on innovation, the economy, and society at large.

BY John Bailey + Will Rinehart ON 22 Jul 25

Event

School Rethink 2.0: Shaping the Future with Personalization, Mastery Learning, and AI

In this web event, Kristen DiCerbo of Khan Academy, Scott Ellis of MasteryTrack, and Beth Rabbitt of The Learning Accelerator will join AEI’s John Bailey and Michael B. Horn of the Clayton Christensen Institute to discuss what it looks like to put into practice forms of teaching and learning that are aimed at meeting all students’ needs.

BY Michael B. Horn + John Bailey ON 12 Feb 25

Event

Education Technology’s Broken Promises: Can AI Break the Cycle?

Education technology has a history of overpromising and under-delivering. For decades, tools such as personalized learning, programs like One Laptop per Child, interactive whiteboards, and even “Zoom school” have found their way into the classroom.

BY Robert Pondiscio + John Bailey ON 20 Dec 24

Event

Charting the Course for Generative AI in Education

Join AEI scholars and a panel of experts for a discussion of the potential benefits of AI in the classroom, strategies for maximizing those benefits while minimizing AI’s risks and potential harms, and ways policymakers should respond.

BY John Bailey + Michael Brickman ON 2 Nov 23

Event

Digital Platforms and American Life: A Conference on Technology and Government

Please join AEI for a series of panels on how the experts’ findings can help us think more clearly about the future of our digital century.

BY Yuval Levin + Daniel Lyons + Brent Orrell + et al. ON 13 Sep 22

Podcast

The 74

Class Disrupted: How AI is Democratizing Access to Expertise in Education

On this episode, John Bailey, who advises on AI and innovation at a number of organizations, including the American Enterprise Institute, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and more, joins Michael B. Horn and Diane Tavenner. They discuss...

BY John Bailey ON 14 Feb 25

Podcast

John Bailey on AI and ChatGPT

John P. Bailey joins Phoebe and Robert to discuss artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and the future of technology. John is a nonresident senior fellow at AEI. His experience has spanned government, philanthropy, and the private sector...

BY Robert Doar + Phoebe Keller + John Bailey ON 18 Apr 23

Podcast

The Innovative Heartland of the United States (with Angie Cooper)

In this episode of TechEnabled, John is joined by Angie Cooper, Chief Program Officer of Heartland Forward, a “think and do tank” aiming to reframe the narrative about Middle America and improve economic performance in the center of the US. She joins the podcast to discuss the renaissance occurring in the heartland and how Heartland Forward is supporting the next generation of innovation and entrepreneurship.

BY John Bailey ON 12 Sep 22

Podcast

American Enterprise Institute

Is the Pandemic Over? A Conversation with John Bailey

We are now entering the fourth school year that will be affected by COVID-19. What can we expect? What have we learned so far? And does anyone still care? What should we be keeping our...

BY Nat Malkus + John Bailey ON 24 Aug 22

Podcast

“From Reopen to Reinvent”: Ushering in Post-Pandemic Education (with Michael B. Horn)

TechEnabled: Episode #14 The COVID-19 pandemic monumentally disrupted the American education system. The pandemic can be a catalyst for something better or it reinforce the status quo.  On this episode of TechEnabled, John is joined by...

BY John Bailey ON 8 Aug 22

Podcast

The Future of Online Education at the Khan World School (with Salman Khan and Amy McGrath)

TechEnabled: Episode #13 With students returning to the classroom, the toll the pandemic has taken on our education system has only become more apparent. Students have fallen behind academically and teachers are overstretched. But the pandemic...

BY John Bailey ON 6 Jun 22

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