Chris Rogers on Policy Analysis

Inside AASA

Christian Rogers began working at AASA in March as a policy analyst, a wide-ranging job that supports the association’s policy and advocacy efforts, oversees member surveys, serves as liaison to the state lobbying network and supports the AASA Executive Committee and Governing Board.

A recent graduate of George Washington University with a master’s in public policy, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2017 in educational assessment, evaluation and re-search at the University of Virginia.

Rogers was interviewed by freelance writer Joetta Sack-Min. His responses were edited for clarity and length.

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became interested in public policy. What drove you to become an advocate for public education?

When I graduated from the University of Virginia’s college of education in 2017, the program was a mixture of policy, research and pedagogy, and I really learned about the things that matter in education. From there, I wanted a way that I felt like I could advocate or help people on a macro scale, so I went the policy route, and decided to become a policy analyst.

That led to my graduate work at George Washington University, where I learned statistical analysis and research evaluation, and picked up a lot of skills on the legislative process — for instance, how rules and regulations actually get implemented — how the sausage gets made, as we say. That’s where I got my interest in education policy. From there, I worked for West Ed for two years, where I did a lot of work with research-to-practice concepts and evidence-based practice with the regional labs.

How have you learned about the needs of superintendents and school districts — did any of your graduate or undergraduate studies specifically prepare you for this role or have you learned more on the job? 

On the job, I’ve seen that superintendents are the school system leaders, and they face a different set of issues than other educators. But, advocacy and government relations are all about relationship building, and I’ve found that by talking about issues such as school lunch or school safety, there are usually many commonalities between superintendents and other educators

Is there anything such as a typical day or week in your role, and what does that look like? 

My job doesn’t have a typical day or week, it’s all over the place, usually depending on what’s happening on Capitol Hill. For instance, when we are in August recess, it’s a great time to meet with staffers and educate them on our issues. I’m also in charge of all the survey and research work, so that keeps me busy.

What are some of the top legislative issues you are watching in 2019-20? Are there any emerging issues that superintendents and school district leaders should be watching closely?

Currently, I lead AASA’s work on child nutrition, early childhood and rural education initiatives. On Capitol Hill, the child nutrition reauthorization and reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) are underway. We’re expecting action on these, because there are several committee chairs who are planning to retire and are looking for “one last big win.” Right now I am advocating for better efficiencies in the school lunch program in particular, I’ve also been monitoring an issue on a notice for proposed rulemaking for the SNAP program which will limit families in the Temporary Assistance for Need Families from being able to access. On HEA, we’re working on proposals that boost the recruitment and retainment of educators and school system leaders.

Now that we’re into campaign season, which K-12 issues do you believe superintendents should be watching most closely in the 2020 Democratic primary, the presidential race, and Congressional races?

AASA is a bipartisan organization, so we are watching many races and issues. I definitely think the charter school debate will be interesting to watch, particularly to see if the Democratic presidential candidates embrace charter school proposals. Teacher pay is another issue that is very high up on the list, and there are proposals from Sens. Harris and Warren. There are proposals for better funding for low-income communities, and Sen. Sanders has proposed increasing Title I. I also think teacher diversity could be an emerging issue to watch.

One issue that’s big today is school safety, particularly school shootings, as everyone is more on alert about school safety, school climate, and mental health services. I think, overall, education is a higher priority this year in comparison to other presidential election.

Tell us about your work with member surveys and what information you hope to glean from AASA’s members. How do these surveys and feedback help inform the priorities of your department?

We’re very member-centric at AASA, we’re trying to raise the voice of the superintendency. The best way to do that is use statistical methods to reveal the life of a superintendent and their daily issues — for instance, what type of superintendent is being hired and what experiences they have. We have broad, rich statistical information that shows us where we’re headed and what our school districts need.

We use these surveys and the information we get from them to target the legislative priorities each year. In one example, we used information from one of the surveys to examine to examine, and eventually lobby for changes to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. We learned how burdensome the regulations are on school districts and their effect on small districts — in many cases, the regulations really prevented them from getting money from the federal government that they deserve because they don’t have the staff to show that they comply.

AASA’s primary role is to advocate for the needs of school districts, but superintendents are often so busy running their own school districts that speaking out for public education nationally isn’t always a priority. How can a superintendent balance the needs of their own local district while giving their voice to national issues? What are a couple of the most important actions a superintendent could take to help further AASA’s mission to advance public education and the state of the superintendency?

I think superintendents are always representing the needs of their communities, and sometimes their needs come first. But a lot of issues have commonalities across school districts, so if you advocate for more federal funding, for instance, it will benefit your school district and many others. When we talk about improving outcomes for students and the lives of district employees, we’re really all paddling in the same direction.

I urge superintendents to talk to your congressional representative — whether that be a senator, member of the house, or anyone on the federal level — school superintendents are on the front lines, and they know the best what their schools need. Federal representatives respect what you have to say, so please speak up and get out the word.

What are the most challenging, and most rewarding, aspects of your job?

The most rewarding is knowing that what my work does has a direct effect on students, teachers and superintendents in public schools today. It’s awesome to know that, especially as so many people feel disconnected from the political process, I can help connect people back and help them advocate for what they need. The most challenging aspect is helping people build relationships and sustain those relationships!