By: Sarah Summer
Texas boasts a graduation rate of 90 percent, but only 54 percent of students are truly prepared for life beyond high school, whether it be college, the military, or the workforce. For Robbye Kirkpatrick, a mother, teacher, and business leader, that gap reveals a deeper issue within the state’s education system, and it’s a challenge that fuels her daily drive.
Kirkpatrick’s perspective on education is unique. She is not a career politician or a lobbyist’s voice; instead, she brings the insights of a former teacher, a parent of children with special needs, and a business professional. Having worked across several sectors, she describes her approach to education reform as a “360-degree view” of the system. This comprehensive understanding of schooling is what has made her one of the distinctive voices in the Texas education landscape today.
Before she became entrenched in education, Kirkpatrick’s early career was in real estate. In Los Angeles, she worked on a project with the LA Unified School District, where her team helped consolidate five administrative sites into a single location. Despite the district’s seven-billion-dollar budget and the rapid construction of new high schools, the dropout rate remained shockingly high. This contradiction stuck with her as a reminder that money alone doesn’t guarantee success.
Eventually, Kirkpatrick transitioned to the classroom, teaching English at a Title I middle school in one of the nation’s challenged districts. Many of her students were foster children, English learners, or children with learning disabilities. Undeterred, she raised private funds, brought Shakespeare and debate into her classroom, and watched reading scores improve significantly. “When you give kids real literature, real skills, and real attention, they flourish,” she has said. Her impact on the classroom is a testament to her conviction that students can thrive when they are provided with meaningful learning experiences.
In 2010, Kirkpatrick and her husband adopted three siblings out of foster care, which brought them back to Texas by 2015. Once again, she faced familiar issues, this time as a parent. Even in suburban schools with good reputations, she noticed that reading, writing, and math were not being taught to mastery. The frustration only deepened her commitment to making a difference.
Kirkpatrick’s belief in education as a powerful force for change fuels her advocacy for an education system that works better for students, families, and educators. Her vision is clear: to make education a priority, with a focus on teacher quality and student success.
In her conversations about education, Kirkpatrick approaches the topic with the clarity of a business leader. School districts, she points out, are often multi-million or even billion-dollar entities, yet they are frequently led by people without formal training in management or infrastructure. To her, the missing pieces are strong leadership, a commitment to culture, and a focus on data.
One of her notable comparisons is to the story of Moneyball, in which Major League Baseball was changed by focusing on data. “Texas already collects mountains of school data,” she points out, “but we don’t make it transparent to parents or taxpayers. We can rank quarterbacks in football magazines, but we don’t do the same for teachers, principals, or superintendents. The data exists; we just have to make it accessible.”
This straightforward approach has made Kirkpatrick a trusted voice in the field of education reform. Reporters frequently turn to her for clear, unscripted takes on education policies and practices. She is a strong advocate for recognizing and rewarding teacher excellence—not just seniority—and for offering better training, certification, and classroom conditions as integral to improving the quality of education.
Kirkpatrick also champions the use of clear and actionable data. In one of the current education debates, she emphasized the importance of not only splitting the high-stakes STAAR exam into shorter tests but also providing clearer insights into student progress. “Parents need more than a passing score,” she argues. “They need data that shows exactly where their child stands and how much they’ve grown.”
Her goal is to create an education system that elevates teachers to the status of professionals, with compensation and recognition commensurate with their impact. “Teachers should be the highest-paid professionals in the school building, just like surgeons in a hospital,” she says. She firmly believes that teachers are the number one school-side determinant of student success, and if the education system truly wants to improve, it must prioritize its teachers.
Though the challenges are significant, Kirkpatrick’s determination is unwavering. “I believe that Texas has faced huge challenges before and come out stronger,” she says. “If we can direct that same energy toward education, we can transform the outcomes for five and a half million kids.”
Kirkpatrick’s work continues to inspire change and spark conversation. By keeping her focus on the classroom, student success, and empowering educators, she remains steadfast in her belief that the future of Texas’s children is worth fighting for.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article reflect the subject’s personal experiences and insights on education. This content is for informational purposes and does not endorse any specific policy or political position.
