Shlon Smith

Primary Interest Area: Improving the Education System

1. What is your background?
I was born and raised in Rochester, N.Y. I graduated from Wilson Magnet High School in 2004 and from the University at Buffalo (UB) in 2009 with a bachelor’s in psychology.

2. Why did you decide to pursue a master’s in educational policy?
Completing my internship experiences at UB as a teacher’s assistant in general and special education classes in the Buffalo Public Schools opened my eyes to the lack of resources that students have, mainly in regard to qualified teachers. After discussing my concern with my advisor, she recommended that I look into educational policy. After doing extensive research on the field, it fit perfectly in my quest to address the issues in our education system.

3. What most attracted you to the Warner School?
At the 2009 UB McNair Research Conference, I met a representative from the University of Rochester who recommended that I take a few classes as a non-matriculated student at the Warner School.  As I went to research the school and the programs offered at the Warner School, I found the educational policy program.  I was extremely attracted and impressed with the program, and as an added bonus, I learned that I would be able to complete my master’s within one year.

4. What are some of your favorite class(es) that you’ve taken at Warner?  Why?
I think that Warner offers a wide variety of classes that expose students to the current issues in the educational system and prepare them for a future as a policy analyst, educational researcher, or educational policymaker. From law classes that focus on education to finance issues in education, Warner does a wonderful job of preparing students with an abundance of valuable information and skills that will be essential in the future. 

5. What are you doing for your field project and how do you think it will benefit you?
I am doing my field project with the Rochester City School District’s Student Equity and Placement Office and the Office of Parent Engagement.  Doing my fieldwork with a district like Rochester’s, which is considered to be a large school district, has shown me the complexity and difficulty in operating so many schools and various responsibilities that each department holds and how they contribute to the District.  Exposure to the policies behind student registration and school choice, as well as parent engagement policies, has provided me with an opportunity to read and analyze policies and see them being implemented by the District, which I believe is extremely beneficial in educational policy.

6. What are you interested in doing after graduation?
I  plan to relocate after graduation, and it is my hope and desire that I will be working for a research organization that is dedicated to finding solutions on how we can improve and rectify the education system.