There is high demand for skilled educational policy experts in both state and federal government agencies, and these jobs closely align with the jobs available with an education and public policy degree. A relatively new program in both the education industry and public policy itself, this degree is designed for students who have a passion for making education better. This is not a program that leads to classroom teaching or leadership work in public schools. Instead, the education and public policy program is designed to create the next generation of government officials overseeing standardized testing, classroom policies, and regulations that improve all schools. As a result, the jobs available exist largely within the public policy industry, rather than within traditional academic settings.
Work as a Lobbyist for Educational Interests
Many educational policy experts put their passion to work with an education industry lobbying firm or union, including groups like the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, according to US News and World Report. In this role, it is the public policy expert’s job to understand what educators need in order to perform their job at the highest level. Then, they’ll take this understanding of the educator’s role and use it to help lawmakers draft, consider, and pass legislation that benefits the entire education industry. Policy experts who work with unions and lobbying firms must be tough and ready to fight for their beliefs, especially in an economic environment that has gotten increasingly tough on school budgets and the educational process altogether. These jobs may be tough, but they’re considered among the most rewarding and the most important by educational policy experts throughout the United States.
Help Draft New Federal Education Policies
The Department of Education is one of the largest and most important federal agencies, and those students who have attended an undergraduate or graduate degree program in educational policy will be able to get their foot in the door. The Department of Education is centrally responsible for determining levels of academic achievement at each grade level, overseeing improvement programs for struggling schools, and issuing budgetary or academic guidelines for new curriculum in schools across the country. A policy expert would spend most of their time studying the existing educational landscape and determining whether new programs and policies are budget-friendly, practical, and bound to make a measurable difference in the lives of students and their teachers in all sorts of classroom environments.
Help Guide New State Policies to Success
Educational policy experts also work in state-level government jobs, typically as state lobbyists or within the state’s Department of Education. In this role, they help to develop state standards for all types of curriculum that are subject to standardized tests. They also work to develop and administer standardized testing programs, aligning them closely with state standards, teaching styles, and student expectations. They may act as a representative for the state’s educational interests, discussing the merits of policy shifts or new programs designed to enhance the teaching and learning processes in public schools.
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Three Excellent Opportunities for Educational Policy Experts
A degree in education and public policy is one way to change the future of education without being at the front of a classroom each day. This new program is preparing a new generation of leaders who will rethink educational standards, state testing, and the numerous ways to foster student achievement. As a result, there are jobs available with an education and public policy degree at all levels of government and even outside the government itself.
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