<p>I’m looking at transferring to some top schools, and I obviously want to present myself to schools in the best possible light. Some of my essays ask me about my future career plans. Though I know exactly what I’d like to do with my life if I have the opportunity to do so, I kind of have trouble putting a name to it. Can anyone help me out?</p>
<p>A general description: I’ve always been very passionate about the inequalities of public education in say, a poor inner city community in comparison to that of a rich suburban area. I am a firm believer that everyone should have the opportunity to receive the best possible education. I also feel that education is the best possible vehicle for impoverished students to rise out of their circumstances. Though I myself did not by any means attend an inner city high school, my high school still lacked many of the programs and resources to which other schools had access, even 20 minutes down the road. I’ve found it to be a huge disadvantage, and I know it is much worse for those in worse conditions. I have done fair bit of informal research on my own time about these issues. I would like to do research on how we can change the American education system for the better, and I want to advocate to those in power on unprivileged children’s behalf. I want to make a difference.</p>
<p>But what kind of person does this? A Ph.D. professor at some university? A lawyer who advocates for children? A lobbyist for an education group? I don’t see any of these as fully covering the scope of all that I want to do. But I really can’t think of anything more fitting. Can anyone suggest anything else?</p>
<p>(BTW, if it matters, I’m a history major, and I may double major in political science, if I have the time to do so after I transfer. If not, I will minor in political science. I want to do history as my primary focus rather than political science because I’m very interested in the historical context that defined critical moments. For instance, I want to study all that impacted and went right or wrong in the civil rights movement, the women’s suffrage movement, and the temperance movement. I also want to look at things from an international standpoint. I feel like history allows me more breadth in my focus and allows me to also learn about other historical events that interest me. Plus I just love history.)</p>
<p>Isn’t this what magnet schools are for? The students that would really be disadvantaged by a weaker school system, the ones that can get into college, are placed in magnet programs.</p>
<p>Anyway you’re interested in education policy. The Department of Education is a place to start.</p>
<p>Well, as far as I know, there is only one magnet school in all of South Carolina, for instance. There are also the Governor’s Schools, but these can only take so many students. IMO, I feel like every student should have access to great programs right from the beginning (early childhood), way before these high school options become available; otherwise children still have an inherent disadvantage. But you’re welcome to your own viewpoint. :)</p>
<p>You could major in Public Policy with a concentration or a minor in education. Of course you could also become a teacher and then move into policy - it helps to see the situation from the ground up and then you decide what to do.</p>
<p>Well, I feel like I’m pretty tied to history as I’ll be a junior transfer with 21-24 hours in history by the time I get wherever I’m going (though I realize probably not all of these will transfer), plus I like it best. I will have 9 hours in political science, and they are two typical intro level courses and a typical upper level on the American Presidency, so a Political Science major wouldn’t be out of the question. I’m just worried if I change majors at this point that I won’t be able to graduate in four years, and that would be extremely hard on me financially. I am considering a minor in education with an emphasis on policy or education studies, if it is offered, though some schools only offer a secondary education as a minor en route to teacher licensing. I am considering going into education first also–my back-up plan if I don’t think of another career I’d love more has always been going into library science and working as a media specialist in an elementary school.</p>
<p>el duque is right in saying that I’m interested in education policy. But really, my question is, what kind of careers do people do when they’re interested in changing education policy? I’m interested in the name of those jobs I would ideally be doing eventually so that I can answer the career questions on applications more specifically.</p>
<p>If you’re not going into politics, you would go into school administration and work your way up. Unfortunately, most of those jobs require some hands-on teaching experience, and then you get a PhD in education.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you might go to work in a think-tank, which would require a PhD in public policy or in education (or both). </p>
<p>However, bottom line is that it is very difficult to get into education policy without some teaching experience.</p>
<p>I was saying you can look at the Dept of Education as a starting point for getting ideas since it implements education policy. I’m sure they do their own research. You could look into breaking up the teachers’ union. Some teachers are way overpaid for the hours they actually put in due to the negotiating power of the union and that drives taxes up for the richer communities, money that could otherwise go towards paying inner city teachers.</p>
<p>Well, if I wanted to work to improve the lives of the people in general, what kind of work could I do? I care deeply about other related issues, both on a national and international stage, like healthcare, poverty, human rights, lowering crime rates, and even the environment. I think it would be really interesting to do the kind of stuff Obama did in his first few years out of college or do something like social entrepreneurship.</p>
<p>After writing all that, I really wonder if political science would be a better fit for my goals and interests…I’m just not interested in economic issues (I really don’t understand them beyond a very basic level) and I really love history. I suppose I could switch to being a political science major and a history minor?</p>
<p>Education Program Specialist? I’m not sure if that is what you are describing but you could look into exactly what it is they do, they show a bunch of other jobs too.</p>