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

Sarah Turobiner headshot
Sarah Turobiner
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Education Policy, Education Technology (EdTech), Advocacy and Policy Analysis for Learning Disabilities, AI Literacy and Innovation in Education, Postsecondary Access, Education Entrepreneurship
Ev Gilbert headshot
Ev Gilbert
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: K-12 Education; Education Policy, Educational Equity, Youth Empowerment, Student Leadership, Community Engagement, Mentorship, Systems Change, Diversity and Inclusion, Qualitative Research Methods
Claudia Chang headshot
Claudia Chang
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: Leadership, School Change, Positive Education, Assessment, Student Feedback Practices, Lifelong Learning Competencies, Change Management, Data Management, Collaborative Partnerships, Culture Building, Socio-emotional Learning
Briana Jocelyn headshot
Briana Jocelyn
Class: 2025
Areas of interest: K-12 Education, Policy Implementation, Workforce Retention, Professional Development, Teacher and Leader Coaching, Research-Practice Partnerships

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Field project

Designing our North Stars: Co-Creating a Center-Wide Learning Outcomes Framework for the Haas Center for Public Service

By Kyle-Avory Muña

The Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University has been instrumental in developing two key pedagogical frameworks, the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service and the Pathways of Public Service, which guide public service programming at Stanford and beyond. As we approach the tenth ...

Bridging Insights for Equity: Enhancing Knowledge Integration at EdTrust-West

By Isabelle Saillard

EdTrust—West (ETW) aims to eliminate educational disparities in California by collaborating with schools, conducting research, and advocating for equitable policies. The Educator Engagement (EE) Team conducts Systemic Equity Reviews (SERs) in districts and higher education institutions, serving as a ...

College Access: Low-income, high-achieving students feel lost during the college admissions process. What unique obstacles and opportunities do they face?

By Brandon Tineo

This project explores the unique challenges and opportunities faced by low-income, high-achieving students during the college admissions process. Building on my personal experience and background, I focused on identifying the key barriers these students encounter and provide actionable ...

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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