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As my semester at CER comes to a close, I can confidently say that I will always be passionate about education reform. As I said in my first blog post, I didn’t really have much background in the complexities of education policy in the U.S., and though I definitely don’t know the solutions yet, I am now aware of what questions to ask and some of what needs to be fixed in our school systems. I have CER to thank for that.

The things I learned at CER were not only in the office (though I do feel like a database pro now), but also at the numerous events I had the opportunity to attend throughout the semester. When I went to a school choice rally at a charter school during my first week, I assumed that most of my experiences would be directly with people working in schools, but instead I got a taste of many of the different ways that education policy is implemented around D.C. From think tank panels featuring experts who have spent years studying education reform, to Capitol Hill hearings on fiscal budgets, to simply hearing a parent tell their story about why their child deserves school choice, I now have a multifaceted perspective on how many factors play into the education reform movement.

I can now have an educated discussion with someone about why school choice is important and give him or her examples of what a successful, innovative charter school can do. I can explain to someone that is anti-voucher that, for some parents in our country, vouchers are the only option they have to bring their children into an environment that best suits their needs.

Hearing perspectives from both sides of the aisle, I’ve seen that there are many passionate people from around the country who know how vital it is to change our education system, but that so many of these people disagree on how to make that change.

I realize that it is a long, difficult road to reform, but the fact that organizations like CER are out there every day working to do whatever they can to make a positive impact is a source of comfort and hope for the future of education reform. Thank you for a great semester, I look forward to seeing all that CER continues to achieve!

Bethany Tietjen, CER Intern