Policy Perspective

Ed School alumni can often be found at the forefront of education policy, but Anna Gatlin, Ed.M.'11, has gone straight to the top, serving as a domestic policy adviser on education for Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

"It is incredibly exciting," says Gatlin. "My main objective has and will always be to make a positive impact on the lives of students and their families, so the ability to help shape the broader conversation around education is [something] that I am thankful for every day."

Gatlin grew up in the small town of Bogue Chitto, Miss., and never dreamed that she would work on a presidential campaign. However, her rural upbringing directly shaped her desire to pursue a career in education policy. She says that she saw a need for a more effective system in her home state, so that all children, no matter what their zip code, could receive an excellent education.

Gatlin's commitment to learning is evident in her own academic path. She graduated in 2007 from the University of Mississippi with a triple major in political science, English, and Spanish. Two years later, she added a master's degree in secondary English education from New York University and then earned a second master's degree in education policy and management from the Ed School.

"I felt incredibly blessed to receive a great education," says Gatlin. "After graduating from college, I thought the best thing that I could do to help increase opportunities for the children in my state … was to work to strengthen our education system."

She became involved with the Romney campaign through her longtime friend, Garrett Jackson, who works as an aide for the candidate. Jackson introduced Gatlin to the campaign's policy director, Lanhee Chen, who then hired her in June 2011 as a domestic policy adviser focusing on education.

"I have the benefit of working with a distinguished group of advisers who contribute to crafting policy recommendations for Governor Romney," says Gatlin. "On a day-to-day basis, I help ensure that he is briefed on a spectrum of policy issues, from political developments in various states to recent innovations in the education sector."

She says that several of her Ed School professors stressed the fact that there is no perfect policy. "In my advisory role on the campaign, that's an important lesson to remember," Gatlin says. "Despite the intense and inherently adversarial nature of politics, it is good to be reminded that the best ideas are often born out of open discourse. HGSE breeds this type of collaborative atmosphere, and I will always be grateful and better for my time there."

Gatlin says she is proud of Romney's education plan, particularly its focus on increasing choice for parents, which would allow for expanded access to highquality public charter schools, and make Title I and IDEA funds portable, so that low income and special needs students can choose which schools to attend and bring the funding with them.

Going far beyond the Mississippi borders, Gatlin is aware that the decisionmaking she is now involved in could affect the entire nation.

"I am lucky to work with some of the foremost minds in the world on many of the most challenging issues that we face as a country," says Gatlin. "Playing even a small role in this discussion has been a humbling experience."

Are you a graduate working on the Obama campaign? Let us know!