Chapter 6- The Major Education Policy

ActorsDr. Dan Bertrand

LEEA 554

The individuals or groups who are actively involved in the policy process.

Collectively they make up the Dramatis Personae or cast of characters.

Why focus on state level policy actors◦ US Constitution 10th amendment.

Ranking of State Level - Education Policy Actors ◦ Individual legislatures◦ Chief state school officer◦ Educational interest groups◦ Teachers organizations

The Dramatis Personae of the Policy Drama

Teacher Unions State Departments of Education School Board Associations Administrators Associations PTA

Who are the most influential education and business interest groups in IL?

Most Influential Education Groups

Legislative Branch◦ Function and Structure

Functions Development and passage of Statues Approve the State Budget Exercise investigatory function Review laws, hold hearings, establish task forces

Structure Senate- President of the Senate and Lt. Governor House of Representatives-Speaker, Majority Leader,

Minority Leader, Whip Committees Political Party Caucuses

Government Actors

Legislative Staff◦ Clerical, professional, centralized staff agency

Important Legislative Actors◦ Education committees◦ Finance committees◦ Powerful speaker

Other Government Actors

Governors◦ Institutional power

Little influence over education policy.◦ Powerful governors◦ National Governors Conference

State Board of Education ◦ Responsible for K-12 and CTE (Voc. Ed.)◦ Policy Tasks

Education laws, certification requirements, assessment programs, graduation requirements, accreditation

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Chief State School Officials State Departments of Education

◦ Important in policy process◦ Provide education committee with data◦ Oversee and monitor compliance of new laws◦ May ignore, block or dilute legislation when

writing rules◦ Can monitor districts to varied degrees

Activity p. 162- determine how the SBE and CSSO are selected in IL.

Other Executive Positions

2 tiered (11states) – trial or circuit court and supreme court

or 3 tiered court systems- circuit, appellate and supreme

Higher courts only rule on correctness of legal procedures and the soundness of the judges legal interpretation.

Judges can be influential over education policy through their interpretation of statute.

Ex.) Supreme Court ruling Groups with policy agendas try to influence

courts.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Education Interest Groups◦ Teachers unions◦ NSBA◦ AASA◦ PTA

Non-Education Interest Groups◦ Business◦ Religious◦ Ethnic

Policy Networks◦ Education Commission of the States◦ Business Coalition for Education◦ Children’s Defense Fund

Non- Governmental Actors

Think Tanks◦ Gather data about public policy issues and

communicate to government Widget Effect

◦ Determine which social problems will be considered public policy issues.

◦ The most important actors in the policy process. Sponsor policy entrepreneurs. Gates Foundation, Center for Education Policy

Robertson Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, Carnegie Corporation and the Walton Family Foundation.

Policy Planning Organizations

Locating elected government officials◦ District office, telephone book, public library, the

internet, League of Women Voters, Politicians offices, Newspapers

Identifying Appointed Officials and Groups◦ SDE directory◦ Telephone book◦ Organizational Headquarters

Identifying Policy Planning and Related Org.◦ Recent policy papers◦ Newspapers◦ Education Week

Identifying and Learning about Policy Actors

Print Broadcast Wire services On-line services Internet

◦ Report on policy issues and their stages but are also important actors in it.

Media

Read the News Story for Analysis- New IEA Chief Seeks to Unify Members p. 162

Activity