The goal of this network, launched in 2005, is to improve federal policy by providing key Congressional education committee staff with the opportunity to engage in deeper education reform discussions, to see examples of innovative education models, and to query educators and other experts on their experiences implementing federal policy. We plan and execute seminars, retreats, and site visits for staffers, engaging leading researchers and practitioners as experts at these events and structuring a safe space for staffers to explore the implications of federal policy with those on the front lines of implementing and evaluating it. 

The Congressional Network has proven to be an effective vehicle for building a shared knowledge base and improved working relationships among these important policymakers – across both houses of Congress and both political parties. The participants regularly rate their sessions with Aspen in the top 5-10% of professional development they have participated in—indeed, for some, it is the only professional development they make time to participate in.  Given the rapid pace of developments in the field and in the research community, and the expanded role of federal policy, the Congressional Network serves the vital function of making sure those responsible for legislative action in education have exposure to the latest developments and a context for learning about these issues in a non-partisan, non-ideologically driven environment.

The Senior Congressional Education Staff Network is not formally connected to the Aspen Congressional Seminar, which runs an education retreat for Members of Congress each summer, but we coordinate at the staff level to share expertise and ideas.

The Program on Education and Society’s work with the Senior Congressional Education Staff Network has been made possible by generous grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.