Policy Leaders

Today, more than 60 LEE members are serving as senior advisors to elected officials and senior leaders in policy organizations and public agencies. These members are transforming the policy context locally and nationally. In the next five years, LEE aspires to double the number of LEE members affecting policy change at local, state and federal levels. There are many opportunities for LEE members to make an even bigger impact. In 2011 alone, hundreds of elected and appointed officials will take on local, state, and federal legislative roles, providing many opportunities for LEE members to have an impact as their policy advisors.

See the list of LEE policy and advocacy leaders.

Peter Kannam Takes Teaching Skills to the Policy World
Peter currently is the Executive Officer of Government Relations and Public Policy at New Leaders for New Schools. New Leaders for New Schools is a non-profit organization with ten nationwide locations that provide support and structure to former and current teachers who want to become principals at urban schools. Peter works with local and state governments to pass and implement education reform .

De’Shawn Wright Advises Mayor Cory Booker
Two years ago, De’Shawn Wright had a problem. Two problems, actually. His boss, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, knew that improving education was hugely important to the large-scale transformation of Newark, which he had promised during his campaign. But, (problem #1) the mayor had no control over the schools.

Alec Ross shares how Teach For America Shaped his path to the State Department
When Alec Ross was a brand new teacher teaching social studies at a low-income school in Baltimore (not far from where he lives to this day), he had 25 year old text books. His students, essentially, were missing a quarter century of information. “That ought not be the case today,” he says.

Race to the Top: Claire Robertson-Kraft Releases Book on Teacher Quality
Often when discussing improving teacher quality, many will suggest small steps; piecemeal legislation and policy. Not Claire Robertson-Kraft, her co-editor Theodore Hershberg, or any of the contributors of A Grand Bargain for Education Reform: New Rewards and Supports for New Accountability.

Led by Tim Daly, The New Teacher Project Releases The Widget Effect
This study asserts that “our school systems treat all teachers as interchangeable parts, not professionals. Excellence goes unrecognized and poor performance goes unaddressed. This indifference to performance disrespects teachers and gambles with students’ lives.” Strong words, but TNTP is trying to make up for lost time: “These problems existed and the information was out there, waiting to be collected.  But, it did not happen,” said TNTP president Tim Daly.

Joy Silvern on Advising the Education Senator
In a surprising move that has earned him the nickname of "Education Senator," former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools Michael Bennet was appointed to the Senate to take Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s former seat. As Bennet’s point person on pressing issues, Silvern will call upon her experience in the classroom, her years as a community organizer,  and her work as a field and policy director for the Obama campaign to keep him on task.

Governor Schwarzenegger Selects Peter Wright for Executive Fellowship
Wright was placed with the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor in a growing department with over 150 employees. The reach of the California Homeland Security department even extends into education.  “One of my favorite projects was serving as the lead on a project to direct a state-wide school safety initiative.”

Ryan Enos Examines Racial Segregation and Voting Patterns
“My experience as a teacher made me interested in the systemic causes of the problems that public policy is attempting to solve,” he said. His research on racial segregation in American cities and its impact on voter choice and participation led him to the conclusion that many political scientists have overlooked an important aspect of voting behavior.

Four’s a Crowd
A group of young, committed NYC LEE members are staying in New York after their time in the classroom to work in a different environment: Rob Hatfield, Mary Kate Zukiewicz, John Moore, and Keith Vigraham (pictured) are all employed by members of the New York City Council.


© 2011 Leadership for Educational Equity