EDPOSA increases education policy awareness

After its inception last year, The Education Policy Student Association, known as EDPOSA, will bring a total of 10 speakers to campus during the 2011-12 school year.

“Our mission is to be a one-stop shop for anything around education policy,” faculty advisor Ashlyn Nelson said.

EDPOSA was started by graduate and Ph.D. students within the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Besides sponsoring speakers, EDPOSA also sponsors education documentary screenings, conducts information sessions and distributes emails to members containing relevant readings. Bi-weekly, a brown bag lunch session promotes discussions about these articles.

“We want to make sure we have things that are academic but we also want to make sure that we have things that are more popularized so that we bring more people in and get them interested in education topics,” said Quentin Ball, EDPOSA president and a master’s student.

Nelson is also working to set up a colloquium series that would provide talks about education research or findings, in addition to an EDPOSA internship in which a student would work at the local level or with a non-profit organization.

“EDPOSA acts like a spider’s web in connecting students to each other through discussions, events, resources, internship or job help and anything related to education policy,” Ball said.

Third-year Ph.D. student and EDPOSA Secretary Maggie Remstad joined the association last spring.

“Teachers really capture the essence of what teaching is really about — reaching students on a daily basis,” Ramsted said. “And I think that is something that is often absent or not at the forefront of policy maker’s minds.”

EDPOSA’s events are open to everyone. Indiana Superintendent of Public Education Tony Bennett will come to answer questions Nov. 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., followed by an informal dinner.

“I think that teachers need to realize that they have a voice in policy making processes and decisions,” Ramsted said. “They don’t just have to be the recipients of education policy.”