E is for Education Policy
Education policy in the U.S. is at a crossroads. The federal government is closely examining how it plays a role in supporting students, families, and educators – reimagining its approach to funding education R&D, pausing much of its investment in education outside the U.S., and completely reconceiving the structure of agencies responsible for education.
Earlier this year, a cohort of eight FAS Impact Fellows working across the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development faced unanticipated changes to their fellowships. These Fellows entered government service two years ago with the hope of bringing an ARPA approach to education research funding, supporting schools in rural communities, expanding play-based early childhood education programs in low and middle income countries, and more. But sweeping staff changes at the Department of Education and the dismantling of USAID meant that the Fellows’ original projects were unlikely to move forward as originally planned. However, these seasoned policy entrepreneurs were not discouraged by the need to shift course.
In April, the Fellows came together for a two-day retreat. Through a series of blue-sky conversations on topics like the talent ecosystem, state and local opportunities, and the infrastructure to support education R&D, the Fellows emerged with a series of great ideas for the path forward in their respective fields. Following the retreat, they worked to put pen to paper, culminating in this series of policy memos.
Leveraging the expertise they built during their time in government and beyond, these proposals are designed to respond to the current policy context. They offer pathways to maintain the essential functions of programmatic and data infrastructure during federal agency reorganization, provide insight into how the federal government can better support data-driven and evidence-based decision-making in state and local education agencies, and recommend actions to ensure our education system prepares learners for a technology-driven future.
As always, we view this policy memo development sprint as the beginning of the conversation. As the federal education landscape evolves, these memos provide thoughtful, concrete approaches to better supporting students, teachers, and communities in the U.S. and beyond.
