I’m honored to share that I am a “soon-to-be” fellow of the New York Educational Policy Leadership Program at the Fordham University Graduate School of Education. 

The New York Education Policy Leadership Program (NYEPLP) is a unique, yearlong professional development experience that focuses on educational policy, leadership, and networking. The program explores timely education policy and leadership issues at the macro, strategic level through immersive experiences and virtual, interactive sessions. NYEPLP Fellows gain a broad view of policy issues and implications, and better understand the dynamics of strategic leadership.

We participated in two very immersive activities in both Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C., along with 7 meetings on Zoom, where we had the honor of engaging with educational leaders, including NY Education Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., and many others. 

In Gettysburg, we visited all of the strategic battlefields of the Civil War and learned a great deal about how every leadership decision can cause a scaffolding chain of events and consequences. We also visited the Army War College and learned about how the military selects its officers and how they train them. 

In Washington D.C., we participated in a congressional election simulation that was very eye opening. We were faced with challenges, constituent opinions, earmarks for legislation, budgeting campaign funds and more, and we had to practice the thinking necessary to strike a balance between keeping our voters happy and staying true to our mission and values. We had meetings at two different policy Think Tanks (Cato Institute and The Century Foundation), where we listened to their staff explain how they, along with lobbyists, push legislation that follows their values and mission. We also visited some of the Capitol Building area offices and met with one of the lead staffers of our NY Senator, Chuck Schumer, to share our thoughts on what we believe are the most important issues facing education today and hear his beliefs on what should be done. 

This program has proven to be so much more than I thought it would be. I had no doubt that I would gain additional leadership skills and knowledge that would serve me well as I move into school administration. But in reality, I gained that and then some. The conversations and activities have all been motivational for me as a future school leader, and the collective love for all areas of education and children that is apparent at every meeting is contagious, and I will strive to carry it with me as I move on in my career. 

We are not done yet! Each fellow has been assigned to a group to work on a policy project, where we either research and look to make recommendations on an existing educational policy, or we create recommendations for new policies. These final projects are due in May, and I cannot wait to see what everyone came up with. I know each one will be not only interesting, but designed to impact the future of education, because that is what drives us all. 

Thank you to Dr. Robert Feirsen and Lisa Davis, our program coordinators, for arranging such a wonderful learning experience for us all.