Education Policy from the Ground Up

On February 24, 2026, Georgetown University students in the Conversations in Health: Global to Local class had the opportunity to speak with Roberto Rodriguez. A leader in education and public policy, Rodriguez has had roles in the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, as well as with several nonprofits.

Growing up in Michigan, with parents holding roles in education and local government, Rodriguez’s call to public service can be traced back to his roots. His educational experiences, both at a magnet high school and in undergrad at the University of Michigan, allowed him to form connections with different groups of people. These experiences pushed him towards education policy post-grad, as it would allow him to impact the education system on an institutional level. After studying education administration in graduate school, Rodriguez had the opportunity to work in the federal policy field. 

He developed an interest in federal education policy and worked on programs like Head Start and TRIO, as well as with coalitions focused on education at various levels. Working on these programs allowed Rodriguez to see how federal policy could be used to improve education opportunities. He emphasized the importance of getting direct feedback on these programs and forming connections that could be used to further drive policy in beneficial directions. 

After working in this role, Rodriguez had a chance to work on the education labor committee, which then led to working in the White House on President Barack Obama’s Domestic Policy Council. This role brought a lot of new challenges, yet Rodriguez shared how he focused on getting people working in different roles to think about education in different ways. This allowed him to collaborate with many different offices to put out policies on early childhood education, health care, and much more. 

Throughout his many roles in government and the nonprofit sector, Rodriguez described his work at Teach Plus as the most influential. He explained how this allowed him to get feedback on specific issues teachers were having in the classroom and work on strategies that addressed all aspects of these challenges. Hearing about the value in getting feedback from people experiencing the impacts of policy is an important reminder for anyone looking to go into policy, as well as for those who may be working in roles impacted by policy. Additionally, Rodriguez emphasized collaboration between disciplines and departments, like connecting education and health care to work together on policy impacting early childhood and mental health. 

Rodriguez offered a compelling look at the intersection of education policy and frontline practice. His perspective reinforced that sustainable reform requires not just top-down directives, but genuine partnership with the educators and staff closest to students.

Rachel Kralik (C’29) is an undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry at Georgetown University.