Joe Murray cannot be placed in a box. His whole life - both personal and professional - is defined by following ideas, not identities. Though he is a happily married gay man, Murray has worked alongside some of the conservative movement's key players (before gay conservatives became cool). By following ideas, Murray has worked to build bridges between communities that seem divided by major rifts. It is how he, a gay Catholic from New Jersey, was able to become President of his small, Southern Baptist Mississippi town's chamber of commerce.
Murray started his professional career serving as Patrick J. Buchanan's speechwriter (during the 2000 election cycle). Murray obtained his juris doctor from Hofstra University and went on to work as an attorney for the American Family Association. During this time, Murray represented individuals that proclaimed homosexuality a sin and he did so due to his deep commitment to the First Amendment.
After the American Family Association, Murray opened his own law practice and focused on civil rights and constitutional law. He represented scores of teachers and students who allegedly had their rights violated. He challenged corporal punishment, racial discrimination, and censorship during his time in the courtroom. But teaching - Murray's true dream - always beckoned an, in 2017, he left the courtroom for the classroom.
As a teacher, Murray builds solid relationships with students, advocates for just education policy, and is working to re-invigorate public education. He has won numerous awards for his work in the classroom. Because he is not a product of schools of education, Murray offers fresh ideas to solve old problems, including, but not limited to:
- Grading
- Teacher retention
- Equity
- Behavioral problems
- Achievement gaps
- School culture
Murray recently released his second book, "Take Back Education," which put forth a plan to navigate through the culture wars and bring public education back from the brink. The book quickly became an Amazon number 1 new release.
Throughout his career, Murray's opinions have been used by USA TODAY, Washington Examiner, The Tennessean, Orlando Sentinel, Breitbart News, KFAX AM, and countless other news sources. He has also provided commentary to international outlets, such as SkyNews and The Age (AUS).
