Advanced Education Policy Leadership Program (AEPLP)

Since the 2021-22 school year, the Advanced Education Policy Leadership Program (AEPLP) has facilitated collaboration among state education policy program alums to further enhance Senior Fellows’ knowledge and skills that support the development, promotion, adoption, and implementation of policy to improve educational opportunity for all. The AEPLP experience helps Senior Fellows move beyond initial learning about policy at the tactical and operational levels in their state programs to develop competencies needed to navigate the policy and political landscapes as strategic education leaders.

2026-27 Program Details

Structure

• A two-day, in-person DC Symposium at the Melrose Georgetown Hotel in Washington, DC, on Thursday, September 17, and Friday, September 18, 2026.
• Eight plenary meetings, held via Zoom, on Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (Eastern) between October 2026 and April 2027.
• At the discretion of their state coordinator(s), the completion of an education policy project.
• Additional state team meetings, as determined by their state coordinator(s).

Goals

Full participation in this eight-month professional learning opportunity will help Senior Fellows:

1. Advance the knowledge and skills they acquired in their state education policy program.
2. Nurture and expand networking relationships with peers across the Consortium states.
3. Broaden their awareness of and access to federal and non-governmental resources.
4. Increase their consciousness of education policy initiatives in the Consortium member states.
5. Better understand the complexity of local, state, and federal education policy development, implementation, and impact.
6. Grasp the political environment that influences local, state, and federal education policy.
7. Enhance their strategic leadership skills and develop the sophistication necessary to successfully influence local, state, and federal policy development, adoption, and implementation.

Admissions Process

Advanced EPLP candidates will have completed a state education policy program or institute and will have experience in education policy issues, strategic leadership, and/or senior leadership roles. Invitations to participate in the program will be at the discretion of the AEPLP state coordinators.

Applicants intending to request employer support may need to submit a signed supervisor authorization form, committing the employing institution to provide release time and remuneration for the program fee and/or the Senior Fellows’ expenses at the in-person DC Symposium. Generally, the admissions process concludes by Friday, August 14, 2026 (though, some states have earlier application deadlines for internal processing). Ultimately, the AEPLP state coordinators will develop one cohort of approximately thirty Senior Fellows, with mixed representation of the different states.

Program Fee and Other Expenses

The AEPLP program fee for the 2026-27 school year is $1,975.00. It covers the eight Thursday Zoom sessions and the two-day, in-person DC Symposium. 

Separately, Senior Fellows and/or their employing institutions are responsible for their personal expenses related to the DC Symposium, including transportation to DC, any travel around DC, and housing in DC (the 2026 Melrose group rate is $234/night, plus taxes). The 2026 DC Symposium will provide some, but not all, Senior Fellow meals.

Criteria for Successful Completion of the Program

Understanding that unforeseen circumstances, such as personal or professional emergencies or conflicts, may require a Senior Fellow to miss some program content, but anticipating that absences will be the exception rather than the norm, the following minimum criteria have been established in order for a Senior Fellow to complete the Advanced Education Policy Leadership Program:

1. The Senior Fellow should attend both days of the in-person DC Symposium in September 2026 and all eight Zoom sessions.
2. To successfully complete the program, the Senior Fellow may not be absent from more than two of the ten session days, arriving on time and remaining for the entire program, with only minor exceptions permitted for late arrival/early departure.
3. For virtual sessions, Senior Fellows are expected to have their cameras on at all times.
4. The Senior Fellow must notify their state coordinator(s) and Michigan co-coordinator Tyler Thur as far in advance as possible of any conflict that prevents their session participation.
5. At the discretion of the Senior Fellow’s state coordinator(s), they may be required to fully participate in additional state-specific sessions and/or the completion of a state policy project.
6. The Senior Fellow and/or their employing agency is/are responsible for the 2026-27 program fee and all related expenses incurred for participation in the AEPLP experience

Optional Education Policy Project

Each state site may determine if an education policy project will be required or supported as an optional activity for the Senior Fellows to explore the realities of policy development, advocacy, and implementation at the state and local levels. If a state chooses to require or offer an optional policy project, the state coordinator(s) will provide all necessary guidance for this activity.

Anticipated Schedule of AEPLP Program Activities

• In-person 2026 DC Symposium
  • Thursday, September 17: 1:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Eastern)
  • Friday, September 18: 7:15 AM to 3:30 PM (Eastern)
• Plenary sessions on Zoom from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (Eastern) on Thursdays
  • October 15: What is the Purpose of Public Education? (New York)
  • November 12: Policy Advocacy Post-Midterms. (Kansas-Missouri)
  • December 10: What Is the Appropriate Role of the Federal Government in the Funding, Governance, and Operation of K-12 and Postsecondary Education (Pennsylvania)
  • January 14: Strategic Leadership in a Changing and Competitive [Chaotic] Environment. (Pennsylvania)
  • February 11: How Can Leaders Promote Civil Discourse in the Midst of Chaos? (Ohio)
  • March 11: How Do Leaders Leverage Turbulent Times for Their Policy Goals? 
    (Michigan)
  • April 8: Negotiation for Education Leaders: Effective Preparation for an Uncertain World. (Minnesota)
  • April 29: How Does a Leader Stay on Course with Their “North Star” in the Midst of Turbulence? (New York) 

Application

Now is the time to apply to be part of the 2026-27 AEPLP cohort! Prospective Senior Fellows from Michigan should complete the application below by Friday, July 31! Individuals from elsewhere should connect with their home state site's leader(s). Individuals with questions can email Tyler Thur at thurtyle@msu.edu,

AEPLP State Coordinators

Kansas-Missouri

• Tyson Elbert (Founder & Executive Director, AdvocacyBuild, LLC) – tyson@advocacybuild.com

Michigan

• Dr. Bryan Beverly (Director, MSU Office of K-12 Outreach) – beverlyb@msu.edu
• Tyler Thur (Associate Director of Data & Evaluation, MSU Office of K-12 Outreach) – thurtyle@msu.edu

Minnesota

• Dan Loritz (Senior Fellow & President, Center for Policy Design) – dloritz@centerforpolicy.org
• Dr. John Ward (Senior Fellow, Center for Policy Design) - jward@centerforpolicy.org
• Sabrina Williams (Founder, Executive Director, & CEO, Excell Academy for Higher Learning) – swilliams@centerforpolicy.org

New York 

• Lisa Davis (Education Policy & Governance Consultant) – lisa.p.davis@gmail.com
• Dr. Robert Monson (Retired Senior Lecturer, Education Leadership Program, Teachers College, Columbia University) – rjm747@mac.com

Ohio

• Michelle Connavino (PRE4CLE Deputy Director & Chief of Staff, Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio) – michelle.connavino@escneo.org

Pennsylvania 

• Ronald Cowell (Founder & Senior Fellow, The Education Policy and Leadership Center) – cowell@eplc.org
• Amy Morton (Executive Director, The Education Policy and Leadership Center) –
  morton@eplc.org

Michigan AEPLP Alums

2021-22

• Amanda Stoel - Michigan Department of Education

2025-26

• Aaron Eling - Michigan Education Association
• Gina Loveless - Michigan Department of Education
• Dr. Lisa Rivard - Macomb Intermediate School District
• Jenise Williams - Teach for America Detroit