A KDP Laureate member, Dr. William Ayers has spent more than six decades in education, beginning in 1965. Now, a retired Senior University Scholar and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, his career has been anchored in one belief that education should help build a better world.
In the mid-1960s, Dr. Ayers was a student activist working for peace and racial justice when he visited a school that was based on principles of freedom, joy, and justice. The experience changed him. He was "captivated."
“From that day on, education has been linked organically with the effort to create a world at peace, in balance, and powered by love.” he reflected.
At twenty, Dr. Ayers immersed himself in a Freedom School whose approach to education was built on two pillars: enlightenment and liberation. “We need to know more in order to do more,” he says. Education, in this view, is not passive. It equips people to act, to question, to participate fully in shaping their communities.
Since 1965, his commitment to quality education for all has guided his work. Not education for a select few, but for everyone. He has consistently treated the classroom as a place where ideas matter and where young people learn not only academic skills, but how to live with awareness and responsibility.
His advice to the next generation of educators is: “Don’t let your teaching life make a mockery of your teaching values.” In other words, teach in a way that reflects what you believe. If you value justice, practice it. If you value dignity, show it. At the center of his philosophy is a simple truth: “We are all better off when we’re all better off.”
As a KDP Laureate Chapter member, Dr. William Ayers represent the pinnacle of educational leadership—visionaries who have dedicated their careers to transforming classrooms, inspiring educators, and advancing the profession. Their collective wisdom spans decades of innovation, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to the values that define Kappa Delta Pi.
We proudly showcase the remarkable journeys of these distinguished educators, each story a testament to the power of passionate leadership and the enduring impact one educator can have on generations of learners. These are the voices that have shaped education as we know it—and continue to light the path forward. Read more KDP Laureate Stories