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As many of his colleagues at Brown do, Professor Kenneth Wong stands at the intersection where theory and practice meet. Professor Wong joined the faculty at Brown in 2005. He is the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair for Education Policy as well as the Director of the Urban Education Policy Program at the University. His work merges political science, education studies, and public policy to evince urban education reform—an area that is not only a critical concern in the neighborhoods surrounding College Hill, but throughout the United States.
Urban education policy and reform are timely topics on a national scale. Mayors have successfully gained control over school districts in New York, Boston, and Chicago, but fights are still brewing over control of other urban school districts. Professor Wong has immersed himself in the intricacies of this phenomenon in cities across the United States and is leading a program at Brown that is devoted to examining and addressing this critical issue: the Urban Education Policy Program (UEP).
The UEP is one of the newest Master’s programs created through Brown’s Plan for Academic Enrichment. Over the course of 12 months, it prepares students for a variety of professional careers including policy analysis, planning, and development in urban education policy. It is precisely this kind of hands-on work that excites Professor Wong about his field.
“My research allows me – and my students – to be true change agents,” he explains. “It is thrilling to take the theories we discuss in the classroom and apply them to issues that are currently plaguing our cities. In the process, we have been able to advise the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, governors, mayors, and other key policymakers. The work we do at Brown is helping the leaders of large urban school systems redesign their frameworks and become more effective educators.”
The multidisciplinary nature of Professor Wong’s interests and his desire to bring stakeholders together to improve education has benefited in Providence as well: he recently teamed up with Providence Mayor David Cicilline '83 to organize a day-long forum on union-management collaboration. The event drew 200 participants, including several mayors and superintendents.
Professor Wong’s students get practical experience with their subject as well. The UEP program is distinctive in its combination of coursework and fieldwork, and includes a nine-month internship in local urban education policy settings. “Brown students aren’t afraid to deal with complex social problems, and the University has been very supportive of entrepreneurial thinking. That’s exactly the right environment for our program.”
Click here to make a gift that supports faculty members like Professor Wong and the students they inspire to become scholar-practitioners, igniting societal change through their work at Brown and beyond.
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