Coming to Terms with Dusty Content

(This entry is cross-posted here via Georgetown University’s Program in Education, Inquiry, & Justice Praxis Blog and here via Arizona State University’s University Innovation Fellow Blog.)

When I first started the Beyond the Classroom blog while still in law school, I hoped to share my insights into how my legal education better prepared me for a career in education policy. Since then I’ve had a few breakthroughs but it is only just recently that I have begun to understand how my law school experience prepared me for my current job and for future jobs I hope to pursue after my University Innovation fellowship.

I moved to Arizona 5 weeks after taking the Maryland Bar Exam. I found it emotionally and professionally challenging to begin a nontraditional legal career after dedicating so much of my time and energy to the intricacies of the law. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my job and wake up each morning with enthusiasm and commitment to the mission of the New American University. In fact, I entered law school with a clear end goal to “think like a lawyer” with my sights set on a “policy career.” I am living the dream. That’s why I am SURPRISED by the stirring feelings that occasionally well inside of me usually in the form of questions: Do you think you will ever actually practice law? What do you enjoy about legal work – the ultimate mission of being a public servant and advocate and/or the actual duties, day-to-day tasks and responsibilities? Are you going down a path that will prohibit you from practicing law in the future? Are you living up to the goals you set for yourself when you made the decision to attend law school? Should I aim to stick to those initial goals (and not “lose sight of my original dreams”) or would it be better (for me and for the communities I hope to work in and with) to identify new goals?

I have a vivid memory of laying the foundation for these “original goals” during my senior year at Georgetown at a public lecture hosted by the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership and the Center for Social Justice entitled From Passion to Profession: Making a Career That Matters. Although all 4 of the speakers were incredible, I was most inspired by Wendy Kopp, President and Founder of Teach for America, and Chris Murphy, then Executive Director of City Year, Washington, DC. Chris explained his path from traditional legal practice to his current job as a nonprofit leader and spoke with me after his presentation about how law school improved his problem solving methods and enhanced his analytical and writing abilities. With this in mind, I embraced the challenge to refine these skills and actively pursue other opportunities for professional development.

Over the course of my 3-year journey including coursework and intensive bar preparation with a primarily content-based orientation (except for my clinics and externship), I lost sight of my primary goal to acquire SKILLS. As a result, I feel an obligation to leverage the CONTENT I so diligently mastered. I close my eyes and imagine large piles of knowledge sitting in my brain collecting dust: the 4 parts to a negligence claim, the intricacies of evidence law, holdings of cases. I attribute my frustration tinted with guilt about this unused content to the content-based evaluation that dominated by law school experience and certainly my months of flash card memorization during my bar exam studies. Of course, an exemplary law school exam evaluates students’ skills, rather than the information they can regurgitate. However, there exists a need to orient students to skill-based learning by allowing students to search for courses based on the skills they will acquire rather than simply the topics on the syllabi.

As my work at Arizona State University progresses, I have a deeper appreciation and understanding of Chris’s reflection about how law school prepared him for a “career that matters.” For example, I am more aware of how law school shaped my written communication style. The memos and emails I write aim to be logical, deliberate (I try to carefully outline step-by-step processes without leaving gaps), mindful of potential counter arguments, and efficient. (Why use 10 words when 3 will convey the same point?)

I am appreciative of my realization that my struggle to come to terms with nontraditional legal practice is based on the tension between valuing an education based on content vs. skills. My reflection fuels my fire to dedicate a significant portion of my career to creating a widespread shift towards experiential and skill-based instruction in K-12 and higher education.* Up until recently, it’s not that I didn’t understand the need to shift education towards skill-based learning, but rather that I didn’t take the time to understand the effect that my content-based education has had on me.

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* The Carnegie Foundation produced a report, “Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law,” that describes the need to re-think the methods of instruction in professional education.

 

Georgetown’s Newest Education Blog

At the end of November, Georgetown’s Program in Education, Inquiry & Justice announced its first cohort of Praxis Fellows.  Praxis Fellows include current undergraduates, yours truly as an alum representative, and a faculty member.  In my first post,  I reflect about the value of  experiential learning opportunities as both a former student and teacher.

 

Research Internship

The Council of the Great City Schools, coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, is seeking a part-time Research Intern. Interns are primarily responsible for maintaining and organizing data on urban school districts.

Major responsibilities include:

• Maintaining, organizing and analyzing assessment and demographic data for Beating the Odds, an annual report tracking student performance trends and achievement gaps on state assessments;
• Reviewing assessment and demographic data to assure accuracy;
• Editing graphs and tables in Microsoft Excel

Additional tasks and responsibilities will be assigned as the research needs of the organization evolve. Ideal candidates will be undergraduate/graduate students in a social science field (e.g., education, sociology, public policy, political science, etc.), with a background and/or interest in education issues. Candidates should also have experience conducting basic statistical analyses. In addition, candidates should also be highly organized and detail oriented. The best candidates will be comfortable in a small but dynamic work environment. Proficiency in Excel and other statistical programs such as SPSS preferred.

This position is part time only – 20 hours per week for $12/hr.

To apply, please email or fax a cover letter and resume to:

Candace A. Simon

Research Specialist

Council of the Great City Schools

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Suite 702

Washington, DC 20004-1758

 

Phone: (202) 393-2427

Fax: (202) 393-2400

 

Email: csimon@cgcs.org

 

Step 1: Inspire. Step 2: Engage.

(I also posted this entry as part of my ASU fellowship blog.)

On Tuesday, October 20 at 5pm in the Memorial Union, Jonathan Kozol delivered an inspirational speech about educational inequality in the United States.  The event, hosted by Canon Leadership Program, drew a full house of students, faculty, staff, and local teachers and principals.

I am not one to fawn over celebrities.  However, I left the Memorial Union on Tuesday evening with tears in my eyes.  Not only had I met one of my heroes, but I also shook his hand and got his autograph…on my business card.  Why ask Jonathan Kozol to sign my business card?  Why not one of his books? In fact, two of his books are in my University Initiatives Box mentioned in my first blog entry.  I first read Savage Inequalities as part of an education policy course in 2004; it opened my eyes to the alarming discrepancies between the public schools in Camden and Cherry Hill, New Jersey – MY STATE.  I read Rachel and Her Children in law school as I was beginning to immerse myself in issues related to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. More than the pages and pages of legislative materials I reviewed, it was Kozol’s narrative that kept me inspired and helped me understand the many faces of homelessness including families who are “doubled up” (living with multiple families under one roof).

When I asked Jonathan Kozol to sign my business card I explained the reasoning behind my request: “Hearing you speak today is a culmination of a 5-year journey I’ve been on since I heard you speak at Georgetown University in 2004.  Based on my experiences discussing and writing about educational policy in the classroom, working with students and parents in DCPS, and listening to your moving presentation, that semester I decided to pursue a career in education law and policy.  Since that day in 2004, I continued to volunteer within DCPS, taught a Street Law course at Ballou Senior High School, and graduated from law school in May.  Now I am working at ASU because it is an institution that I believe is taking steps to reduce the inequalities you discussed today. In 2004 you planted a seed; to me, my fellowship at ASU – reflected on this business card – is my first professional attempt to watch the seed grow.”

Although the crowd of anxious audience members continued to swell, each person hoping to have a minute with a hero, Mr. Kozol asked me questions about my journey and commended me for remaining committed to serving the public interest.

At this point tears started welling in my eyes – not just because I had met my hero but also because I thought about all of the new journeys that were simultaneously being launched just like mine had been in 2004.  Step 1: Inspire.  CHECK.

Step 2: Engage.
By engage I refer to two parts of the definition:  1) “to occupy the efforts of another” and 2) “to become involved.”  In an article written by The State Press, Veronica Jones describes how Kozol inspired Sherry Padlan, a freshman at ASU, to become an education major.  As part of her secondary education coursework, Sherry will certainly put effort towards a future career and through her student teaching and ultimately full-time teaching will become directly involved in efforts improve public education.

However, the university has as responsibility to engage all students – not just those who choose to become education majors.  Moreover, students can start engaging NOW; they do not need to wait to graduate.

ASU helps students engage by connecting them with hundreds of opportunities through databases like Community Connect. In addition, students with an interest in education partnerships between the university and public schools can participate in an Americorps program through the Office of the Vice President for Education Partnerships, volunteer through The Community Service Program,  or enroll in a service learning internship.

On October 31, as part of Homecoming, ASU will launch a campaign that is sure to INSPIRE. The Challenges Project demonstrates ASU’s commitment to creating local solutions that will have global impact.  A important question remains: How will you ENGAGE?

 

Praxis Fellowship in Education, Inquiry, and Justice

The Program in Education, Inquiry, and Justice is thrilled to have received support and enthusiasm from the Georgetown community for their newest initiative, the Praxis Fellowship in Education, Inquiry, and Justice.

The Praxis Fellowship offers a select group of Georgetown University students, faculty, and alumni the opportunity to come together in an online forum in which they will reflect about core issues related to education. Fellows will serve as the official authors for Praxis, the official blog of the Program in Education, Inquiry, and Justice (PEIJ).

The deadline for student and alumni applications for the Praxis Fellowship is Tuesday, October 13 by 5:00 p.m.

For more details on the application submissions, e-mail to peij@georgetown.edu.

 

Links

Sometimes the Internet overwhelms me.  There is so much information out there and it’s easy to fall into a black hole.  One click quickly turns into twenty and pretty soon I find myself reading an article that is completely unrelated to the task at hand.  Lately I’ve been trying to learn from my clicking patterns by noting the path I take from site to site.  I wonder, “Is there a method to my madness?”  If so, perhaps my “explore the Internet time” will become more efficient by following a routine (selecting certain web sites to monitor on a regular basis).  On the other hand, sometimes I think I get some of my most creative ideas because of “free for all” exploring.

Here are some highlights from my most recent web surfing:

• “The New York City-based Foundation Center has announced the launch of a national initiative to engage foundations and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.”  (Full article here.  I found this article via Twitter.) > This initiative reminded me of Bridgespan’s article about creating large-scale impact by following a “strong field framework.”
• Idealist web site about demystifying grad school for public interest careers — Great idea, but law school resources are sadly absent (perhaps making a blog like this one and a career data base like this one more relevant?)
• Equal Justice Works has a public interest law blog! > The most recent post is about Service Nation, “a campaign to inspire a new era of voluntary service in America.” > I think to myself, I wonder how this effort ties into my role as University Innovation Fellow and the promotion of social embeddedness. > I wonder if Idealist and EJW have thought about partnering together to produce educational content.  Seems like a good fit given Idealist lacks information about law school and EJW specializes in public interest law.  Who will make it happen?

As a law student I sometimes felt guilty about my random search time on the Internet (“Shouldn’t I be reading a case??”).  However, looking back, I realize what I considered to be “proscrastination” actually helped connect me to reality and grounded my studies in current issues.  So, there you have it.  This blog entry justifies your choice to read this blog instead of doing your homework.

 

Back to School

This year marked my first Back to School season that did not involve me going back to school … as a student.  On September 8 I started a one-year Fellowship in University Innovation at Arizona State University.  I work in ASU’s Office of University Initiatives with a dynamic team of Fellows and colleagues who promote ASU’s efforts to become a New American University.  In the future I will write more about the 8 principles (known as design aspirations) that guide the university’s institutional makeover.  For now, I want to emphasize how exciting it is to design programs, shape communication strategies, and implement policy changes related to issues I deeply care about and studied in policy and law courses (i.e. access, excellence, and impact).

On my ASU blog I will offer my thoughts on institutional innovation and social embeddedness.  On this Beyond the Classroom blog, I will reflect on the role my law degree played in shaping my goals and work-related endeavors.

During my 3L year I realized that there is no clear path to launch a career in education law and policy.  Although I am just starting my first job, I am now in a position to reflect upon my law school experience and perhaps offer some advice along the way.  I gained a tremendous amount of insight into my career goals by talking with alumni and other practitioners, and created a web site to share these interviews.

One of the questions I asked most of the alum I interviewed was: how did you get your current (or first) job?  Now I will respond that question: A classmate in a higher education policy module offered at Georgetown’s Public Policy Institute sent me an email with the job posting.  I had a first round videoconference interview with my now boss and then a second-round phone interview.  Although several of the other new hires to the Fellow program started working in May and June, I requested a later start date to devote my summer to studying for the bar exam.

Without getting into too many details, I think it’s important to note that I found 3L year to be emotionally draining because for the first time in my life I felt a lot of uncertainty about my next career-related steps.  To the current students who are reading, I want to acknowledge that choosing the first state where you want to practice can be very difficult, particularly if you think you might end up taking a policy job that does not require a license to practice law. You might also find yourself juggling financial concerns, fellowship applications, and a tight job market.  I hope that connecting with like-minded students and professors, perhaps electronically through a network that I hope we can create together, will make this experience less daunting for you.

A couple weeks ago I was at a mini-family reunion and my uncle asked me, “What will you be doing out in Arizona?”  Cue elevator speech.  His incredulous response, “That’s not really legal at all, is it?”  My response: actually, it is. As I mentioned, in this blog I will explore how my J.D. prepared me for my current position.  I share the anecdote to make the point that pursuing an “alternative path” with your J.D. can be confusing and intimidating. (Particularly when even your family expresses doubt that while not meant to be hurtful, can cause you to doubt your choices.)  However, with the right support, you might land an “alternative” job that turns out to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

Careers in Education Law and Policy

Check out Georgetown Law’s new web site with information about careers in ed law and policy here.

 

Forman Review of Paul Tough and Jay Mathews

To my Education Law and Policy students (and anybody else who is reading): Remember last semester how our own Jeff Morrow framed all his thoughts about education through the lens of his wife’s teaching experience at KIPP? I had to see what was going on. So I went to her classroom. My thoughts on that visit, and a lot more, can be found in this Boston Review essay on Paul Tough’s Whatever It Takes and Jay Mathews’ Work Hard. Be Nice. I’m fascinated to know what y’all think, since so many of the ideas expressed here come out of our semester together. Deb Meier and Tough have commented on the piece.

 

Writing Awards and 2 Events

Check out the Writing Award information below and the two new posts to the Upcoming Events page.

The Education Law Association Announces National Award Competition

2009 George Jay Joseph Education Law Writing Award

Sponsored by the Education Law Association in cooperation with the Journal of Law and Education

Deadline: July 15, 2009

The purpose of this national competition is to generate increased interest in and recognition of education law among not only graduate students in education schools but also, in particular, to students in law schools.

Criteria

· Subject matter: one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues in elementary and secondary public education

· Format: double-spaced, with 12-point font and one-inch margins, with footnotes on each respective page (rather than at the end) carefully conforming to Blue Book citation style

· Length: between 35 and 55 pages including the footnotes

· Status: not previously published and not under review elsewhere for publication

· Authorship: single-authored by a law student or a student in a graduate program in education

Doctoral dissertations are not eligible; they are subject to a different ELA award; however, manuscripts that synthesize dissertations may be submitted provided that they meet the specifications.

Procedure

The author must submit the manuscript via email (as an attachment in Word format) by July 15, 2009 to the Joseph Award Committee Chair at ela@educationlaw.org.

2009 Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law

Deadline: July 1, 2009

The Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law is presented annually in recognition of an outstanding article, book, book chapter, or other form of scholarly legal writing in the field of education law.

Criteria

· A work of scholarly excellence that has an impact on education law

· Original work must be published within the past two (2) calendar years prior to the deadline for nominations.

· Nominated work must be written by an individual author.

Procedure

Nominations must include a cover letter stating the justification for the nomination and a copy of the nominated work. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The award is granted on the basis of merit as determined by the selection committee. Email nominations to the Goldberg Award Committee Chair at ela@educationlaw.org, or mail nominations to 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-0528.

Members of the Education Law Association or another professional association with a focus on education law, such as the American Association of Law Schools Education Law Section, are encouraged to submit nominations. The author’s status as a member of such an organization is not required.

For more information, visit http://educationlaw.org/nominations.php