Nicholas Rastegar

Primary Interest Area: Contemporary Urban Education

1. What is your background?
I grew up in Syracuse, N.Y., graduating from the Syracuse City School District.  After high school, I attended LeMoyne College, graduating with a dual major in Spanish and French with adolescent classroom certification.  While pursuing my graduate study at Warner, I also teach French and Spanish at Brockport High School.  

2. Why did you decide to pursue a master’s in educational policy?
From my undergrad experience, I frequently questioned whether American public education is going in the right direction and whether we are leading students down a path to prosperity or simply going through the motions. From this, I wanted to learn more about the origins of our “best practices” so I began to research education policy.

3. What most attracted you to the Warner School?
I appreciate being informed about current research and data pertaining to education. In my opinion, it’s the single most poignant weapon against complacency and resistance in the field of education reform. By selecting Warner for my graduate studies, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to interact with a plethora of diverse individuals, each with divergent positions. I’ve also learned how to  better analyze pressing issues from a wide range of diverse voices and viewpoints.

4. What are some of your favorite class(es) that you’ve taken at Warner?  Why?
Some of my favorite classes at Warner were Education Finance Issues in K-12 School Systems with Brian Brent and Contemporary Issues in Education Policy with Kara Finnigan. As our  schools grapple with the realities of our budgetary futures, school leaders and policymakers must have a keen understanding of the economic factors surrounding contemporary education. The finance course provided me with a unique insight into the intricacies of education finance and how it affects both students and communities. The contemporary issues course was a highlight of my coursework because it gave me the confidence I needed as an educational leader. Understanding how our peers nationwide are confronted with educational challenges today is critical to affecting positive reform. Kara's class provided me with the tools and framework necessary to critically analyze how schools are adapting to meet the needs of 21st century students.

5. What are you doing for your field project and how do you think it will benefit you?
I am doing my field research project at the Rochester City School District (RCSD) where I am working to identify best practices from other districts to align with the RCSD’s strategic mission and ultimately change the District for the better. From this experience, I have gained a tangible appreciation for the level of work and commitment that goes into contemporary educational policy.  I have seen what goes on “behind the scenes” in policy is at the cutting edge of modern education reform. That being said, I hope to gain a succinct and intimate understanding of the inner workings of reform at work.

6. What are you interested in doing after graduation?
I hope to find a policy position in Albany, preferably with the State Education Department. There, I will be able to take my experience in the classroom, my keen understanding of today's pressing educational issues, and the essential tools that I learned at the Warner School and apply these to achieve the best reform for New York’s children.