On January 10, TC alumni, friends, and students in public service gathered in Washington, D.C., for a special reception featuring faculty and alumni experts at the forefront of U.S. education policy. .
At a critical time for education and at the beginning of an election year, the recent TC Education Policy Conference was a major event dedicated to the challenging quest for more effective and equitable education policies for all students in America. This was an important opportunity to bring together a wide range of knowledge.
“Our definition of success, or our victory lap, is seeing the difference that TC graduates make in the world,” said Kellyanne O’Meara, vice president for academic affairs, provost and provost. O'Meara, TC's president, professor of higher education, and distinguished scholar, spoke about today's challenges to effective and equitable policy and how TC, our talented students, staff, and faculty feel about change right now. He also reflected on his sense of crisis.
See below the key takeaways from the latest top-level meeting held in America's capital.
Meaningful policy change is not for the faint of heart.
TC's Sharon Lynn Kagan (Ed.D. '79), who teaches students the inner workings of D.C. each year as part of a Federal Policy Institute (FPI) course, wants to prepare them to become policymakers. getting a degree is much more complicated than getting a degree. Answer correctly. It's more important to ask the right questions.
“Our job is to provoke thought, provoke active inquiry, and address some of the deep-rooted, but very real, policy challenges facing this country,” said this year’s student group. Kagan explained that he connected with 35 key policy experts working across government agencies. Associations, political parties, and professional organizations that aim to immerse students in the complexities and realities of creating lasting educational change.
A founding leader in the field of early childhood policy, Mr. Kagan is TC's Leonard Marx Professor of Virginia and Early Childhood Family Policy and co-director of the National Center for Children and Families. Since the late 1990s, FPI has offered “hands-on, serious experiences,” where “the theories we've been researching are actually tested in practice,” Kagan explained.
And while Kagan and her students got some insight from D.C. insiders about current policy (don't expect much change between now and Election Day), she still has hope. She said: “Policy can be our most powerful tool to achieve our aspirations on behalf of children and families.”
[Learn more about how to get involved with TC alumni here.]
Dedicated and hard-working people can make a difference in policy.
While interviewing TC alumnus Jessica Cardition (Ph.D. 2003) for his first job on Capitol Hill, Sen. Bernie Sanders sat down with her for an hour to discuss the nuances of education policy. We talked. She said, “If I hadn't gone to teacher's college, I wouldn't have been able to have the conversations I had with him. [he] They took a chance on me,” Cardition recalled. He currently serves on the White House Domestic Policy Council as special assistant to President Joe Biden on education issues.
After working as a classroom teacher for several years, Kardition has spent more than a decade working in education policy in the public sector and research institutions. And while the authorities' interest in her deep knowledge of policy launched her career, it also gives her hope for the future of her education.
“[Policymakers] 'What do the research show?' And if that's a starting point, that's really helpful,” Cardition said, adding that officials he's worked with are focusing on the research. He especially emphasized his gratitude.
After speaking, Ms. Kardition touched on what she believes are the big issues of today (school funding inequities, social and emotional health, and policies that threaten inclusion), and then engaged with alumni and TC students. I did.
“There's still a lot of work to do, but I think we're making progress,” she said. “I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've had at Teachers College. It's been really foundational for me personally and professionally.”
Photos (from left to right: Matthew J. Camp (PhD '21), Director of Government Relations and Community Relations, Sharon Lynn Kagan (PhD '79), Virginia, Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood Education; Family Policy, Kellyanne O'Meara Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Provost and Dean, TC Director Jay Erwitz, Senior Fellow, American Council on Education, Jessica Cardishon (Ed. 2003), Special Assistant White House Domestic Policy Council President Joe Biden speaks at the meeting (Photo: TC Archives)
TC alumni, students, and friends have met new people who share their passions.
The DC gathering was one of the first opportunities for the TC community to connect in the new year.
“There are more than 90,000 TC graduates around the world who are making a real difference across education, psychology, health, and, of course, policy,” said Matthew J. Camp, Ph.D., director of government relations and community relations. '21) said. “This is what this is all about, coming together with people who share the same passion for justice and equity and discussing important issues in education policy.”
TC's Office of Alumni and Community Engagement is highlighting opportunities for members of the TC community to get involved, from participating in Civic Education Week and Impact Day this spring to helping with voter registration as part of the All-In Campus Democracy Challenge. I called out.
Mr. O’Meara reminded the audience that working together to make the world a better place is part of the essence of TC, and reflected on his desire to join TC last summer, saying, “TC’s history of leadership , the mission of social justice, and the wonderful people I was attracted to.” People who passed through those halls and went on to make an impact,” and the stakes at hand today.
As part of his work, O'Meara works with leaders and the community to help TC consider the core issues relevant to its efforts through ongoing community dialogue, which will help map the university's future. will help you draw.
“With that talent and the profound legacy given to us by such an important institution in the world, I know even better days are ahead,” O'Meara said. “We look forward to connecting with you as we want to hear your ideas on how to put our promise into practice and the opportunities we create over the next five years.”
