We can all agree that in order for education reform to be impactful, policymakers need to learn from practitioners and practitioners need to hear from researchers. But YEP Voices: A Report on and By the Next Generation of Education Leaders, a new survey of emerging education leaders across the country, shows opportunities remain rare for them to cross that policy-practice divide.
The survey, the first-ever of its kind, illustrates that even from the beginning of many young education professionals’ careers, bridging that gap between what happens in the classroom and what gets made into law isn’t made a priority. Only about 14 percent of survey respondents said they get regular opportunities to work with and learn from other sectors in education, although more than 99 percent of them agreed it was critical for the future of reform.
It’s a disappointing finding, particularly in this chaotic time of change in education reform from new teacher evaluations to more rigorous standards and assessments. If we’re not encouraging our young education professionals to reach across the divide and learn from their colleagues in other places, how we will break the cycle of policy, practice, and research working in conflict rather than in harmony?
The survey, the first-ever of its kind, illustrates that even from the beginning of many young education professionals’ careers, bridging that gap between what happens in the classroom and what gets made into law isn’t made a priority. Only about 14 percent of survey respondents said they get regular opportunities to work with and learn from other sectors in education, although more than 99 percent of them agreed it was critical for the future of reform.
It’s a disappointing finding, particularly in this chaotic time of change in education reform from new teacher evaluations to more rigorous standards and assessments. If we’re not encouraging our young education professionals to reach across the divide and learn from their colleagues in other places, how we will break the cycle of policy, practice, and research working in conflict rather than in harmony?
YEP-DC conference March 22. (Credit: Jeremy Meredith) While Young Education Professionals (YEP), the organization that conducted this survey, hosts regular events that bring these diverse education leaders together to discuss key issues of the day and learn from each other’s experiences, there is a clear role for employers, the philanthropic community, and other non-profits to build more and ongoing opportunities for practitioners, researchers, and policy influencers to share their perspectives and craft collaborative solutions to today’s biggest challenges in education.
YEP hopes the survey findings inform the industry to help better prepare this next generation of education leaders. While we may be young now, in the next decade, we will be master teachers, school leaders, non-profit executives, education entrepreneurs, and key policymakers. We will be the agenda setters and the decision makers.
Only by understanding where these professionals are in their career path today, and where they want to go, can the field adapt to ensure this next generation of education leaders has the skills they need to be successful to the benefit of our kids, our economy and our society.
Kate Blosveren Kreamer, guest blogger, is co-founder of Young Education Professionals and one of its local chapters, YEP-DC. Reach her via email or Twitter.
YEP hopes the survey findings inform the industry to help better prepare this next generation of education leaders. While we may be young now, in the next decade, we will be master teachers, school leaders, non-profit executives, education entrepreneurs, and key policymakers. We will be the agenda setters and the decision makers.
Only by understanding where these professionals are in their career path today, and where they want to go, can the field adapt to ensure this next generation of education leaders has the skills they need to be successful to the benefit of our kids, our economy and our society.
Kate Blosveren Kreamer, guest blogger, is co-founder of Young Education Professionals and one of its local chapters, YEP-DC. Reach her via email or Twitter.
RSS Feed