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When I arrived in DC at the end of April, the city and what role I might play in it were a mystery to me. For the past six weeks, CER provided me a backstage pass to the national narrative of education reform as it plays out in the DC theater. Through my work at CER, I have shared space with major players in the education scene and witnessed both the staging and implementation of effective change.

In my first blog post, I expressed a desire for tangible knowledge and experience, as opposed to theoretical. In every sense, my experience at CER has offered me just such an education. From attending Senate budget hearings inundated with political minutia to interacting with students for whom CER exists and advocates, I have accrued a mass of first-hand experiences and developed a multi-faceted understanding of education policy.

My time at the office has also fostered a deep respect for the work CER does. Equipped with twenty years of experience and expertise in the field, CER gives voice to families directly touched by local, state, and national policies. A few minutes with CER can provide a thorough understanding to policymakers whose decisions bear significant long-term impact. By relying on accuracy, transparency, and loyalty to its mission (rather than back-door dealings and cheaply purchased relationships), CER has developed unparalleled credibility among education reform groups and secured my admiration and support.

With shows like House of Cards informing public perception of DC politics, it is easy to become cynical about the future; but I dare you to attend a school groundbreaking and watch high-ranking officials bend low over a microphone to congratulate children (in their own language) on getting a shot at a brighter future, and not be moved. My experience at CER has taught me that education policy is fertile ground for the kind of incremental bipartisan change that makes for real and gratifying progress, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

CER Intern,  Anna Russell Thornton