Dr. Claudia Persico

What education policy issues are you most passionate about? Why?

Right now I am most passionate about research on how environmental policy shapes educational policy and outcomes, as well as what schools can do to ameliorate the effects of pollution. I have written several papers on how exposure to pollution harms children’s outcomes in schools (causing disability if children are exposed in early life) and can even cause schools to be penalized under NCLB-related ranking systems. This work is also related to the issue of how ventilation systems might affect student outcomes both through reducing exposure to viruses and bacteria, and through reducing exposure to pollution.  

 

Who do you think is doing exceptional work right now in education and/or disability policy? 

Amy Schwartz, Briana Ballis, Katelyn Heath, Ludovica Gazze, David Figlio, Scott Imberman, Todd Elder, Josh Goodman, and others have written important papers in these areas.

 

How do you see education and disability policy evolving in the next 10 years?

I think education policy will continue to expand to study how out of school factors influence in school performance, as well as what types of specific interventions work best to help struggling students. Social policies broadly will remain an important factor influencing educational outcomes for disabled and non-disabled children alike. 

 

What is one change you would like to see in the field of education?

I would like to see more support for research into how environmental policy impacts disabilities and educational outcomes, as well as what schools can do to ameliorate the effects of pollution exposure. 

 

Describe a lesson you learned at some point in your career. What happened?

It’s important to know when to move on. Sometimes projects don’t work out, and it’s important to learn how to shift gears to work on other things and let the projects that are unpublishable go. 

 

If you could give yourself one piece of advice at the start of your career, what would it be?

Take it one day at a time. This career choice is a (fun) marathon, not a sprint. Make time for self-care.

 

What is a motto or philosophy that has influenced your career?

The idea of a “charitable reading,” which I learned as a graduate student at the University of Chicago, has been very important to how I’ve enjoyed interacting with people in my career. Giving students, faculty, and others a charitable reading means that when someone offers an argument, you take it seriously and engage with the best possible version of that argument. In other words, you do the deep intellectual work of seeing the points that people are making and responding in the best, most honest, and most charitable and kind way you can.