Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies

Students & Alumni

POLS students are ambitious and action-oriented. They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, including teaching, school systems leadership, business, education technology, and government. What they share is a desire to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be effective leaders.

 

POLS cohorts bring together small, diverse groups of students to widen each other’s view of leadership in various domains of education. Peer learning and support form a key component of the program, modeling the connectivity and collaboration crucial to education leadership. Moreover, POLS students graduate with a network of connections that extends beyond the program year.

Our students

Peter Mills headshot
Peter Mills
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Social Emotional Learning, Mindfulness and Meditation, Performing Arts Education, Contemplative Education, Facilitation, Program Direction, Curriculum Design
Illana Zauderer headshot
Illana Zauderer
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Purpose, Connection, Neuroscience in Education, Student Emotional Health, Mindfulness, Wellbeing, Teacher Compensation and Mentorship, Transformational Leadership in Higher Education, Play and Artful Thinking in Schools, Education Policy
Amanda David headshot
Amanda David
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Lifelong learning, civic education, skills-based workforce, higher education policy & funding, women in sports
Emma Parish headshot
Emma Parish
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Education Policy, Postsecondary Access and Affordability, Higher Education Administration and Admissions, Civic Engagement, Student Affairs and Leadership

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Field project

Peace by Piece

By Nesreen Ezzeddine

Growing up in a fundamental Muslim family, my exposure to socio-political discourse and narratives of conflict from a young age cultivated a deep awareness of geopolitical tensions and the harsh realities faced by individuals caught in the crosshairs of violence. Through these experiences, I gained ...

POLS Program Report

By Tim Morris

The school of study is an Advanced Bridge into Health, Life Sciences, and other STEM-aligned fields, with. The Hub is in its second year and serves 50 high school students who travel to Mission Bay for half of their school day. As part of my 2023-2024 POLS Field Project I conducted a qualitative ...

Facing the Challenge of Hate SpeechPolicy Considerations from a Bay Area High School

By Antonio Hernandez and Jared Bynum

We built upon the work of a Bay Area High School to address hate speech on their campus. We supported their efforts by analyzing the implementation of the policy. Through interviews and observations, we identified possible elements for disrupting hate speech and provided a framework for ...

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Life after POLS

POLS graduates are well prepared to lead in a wide range of roles and contexts. Alumni work in school and district settings, higher education, education philanthropies, corporate and educational recruiting, and government. Below are a few examples of positions held by POLS alumni.

Higher education

Assistant Dean of Students, Oberlin College
Native American Liaison, Stanford Undergraduate Admissions Office
Instructor, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

K–12 leadership

Assistant Principal, Noble Network of Charter Schools
Literacy Coordinator, Harlem Children’s Zone
Academic Program Manager, Summit Public Schools

School networks, districts, government

Data Analyst, Boston Public Schools
Assistant Budget and Policy Analyst, State of Oregon
Legislative Assistant, United States Senate

Educational intermediaries and ed tech

Instructional Design Specialist, Coursera
Program Manager, Reading Partners
Education Analyst, Emerson Collective

The Graduate School of Education’s EdCareers office provides career education and counseling, job listings, career fairs and other resources to GSE students and alumni. 

Visit EdCareers