Nicholas
Kurian

Education is missing something. We build it.

Twenty years in NYC classrooms, teaching mathematics from algebra to data science and history from ancient Rome to economics. Four curricula built from scratch. Three continents.

Presented at

SXSW EDU  ·  NCTM  ·  NCTE  ·  NYSAIS

Current work
Curriculum  ·  2009 to present
Rebel to Ruler
College and career readiness curriculum built on Stoic philosophy, modern psychology, and twenty years of classroom research. Used in NYC public schools and internationally.
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Platform  ·  SXSW EDU 2026
Mentorful
A co-mentoring learning operating system for schools, built around Collective Teacher Efficacy, the highest-impact factor in student learning (d = 1.57).
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Data literacy  ·  13K followers
Data Science & Education
Teaching data literacy, spotting terrible visualizations, and arguing about education on TikTok. Part of the creator fund. Occasionally serious.
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Background
Nicholas Kurian

I have taught mathematics, from algebra through calculus to data science, and history, from world history through American history to economics, in NYC schools for over twenty years. I built both the data science curriculum and a history curriculum from scratch, presenting the data science sequence as a model at a national conference.

I have built four curricula from the ground up: Rebel to Ruler for college and career readiness, SAT Genius for test preparation, a peer mentoring platform and training program for Mercy University and BMCC, and the data science sequence I still teach today.

The common thread: finding the gap between what institutions teach and what human beings actually need, then building something for it. Usually before anyone else thought it was necessary.

I have led professional development for NYC schools, taken curricula I built in the Bronx to Zhengzhou, China and to South Africa, and presented at SXSW EDU, NCTM, NCTE, and NYSAIS.

20+
Years teaching in NYCMathematics, history, data science
4
Curricula built from scratchRebel to Ruler, SAT Genius, peer mentoring, data science
3
ContinentsNYC  ·  Zhengzhou  ·  Johannesburg
13K
TikTok followersData literacy and education commentary
CTLE
Credits availableThrough partner programs for Rebel to Ruler and Mentorful training
Speaking & Professional Development

"If you are not teaching courage, you are not teaching."

Seneca

Available for keynotes, workshops, and professional development engagements for schools, districts, and education conferences. All sessions are CTLE-eligible through our partner provider.

Topics draw from twenty years of classroom practice, curriculum research, and data science. If you are a school leader or conference organizer, reach out below.

Data literacy for educators: reading research, spotting bad statistics, making good decisions
Building curricula from scratch: the design principles behind Rebel to Ruler and Mentorful
Collective Teacher Efficacy: what the research says and how to build it
College and career readiness beyond the checklist
The psychology of learning: what actually works in classrooms
Co-mentoring and peer learning: professional development that sticks

Stay in touch.

New work, writing, speaking dates, and the occasional argument about education data.
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