The inspiration for Douglas E. Wood's adult life in governmental education policy came from his days as an ordinary middle-school history teacher in Richland County.

In the past 15 years, Wood has been one of the nation's leading education policymakers, first as the executive director of the Tennessee Board of Education from 2000 to 2004, and then as the executive director of the National Academy for Excellent Teaching at the Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.

The 1990 Wofford graduate and native of Chesnee was back in town on Wednesday to be inducted into Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa. Wood, one of 28 current and former Wofford students was honored as Phi Beta Kappa at the ceremony at Leonard Auditorium, and he also gave the keynote address. He also discussed the achievement gap in education.  "One of the (Wofford) students I talked to (Wednesday) asked me how a classroom teacher can get involved in policymaking," Wood said. "My response was, 'Be a good teacher.' "

This article appeared in the April 26, 2007 edition of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070426/NEWS/704260339/1051/NEWS01

Published Monday, Apr. 30, 2007