Dana Laurens (MPP ’10) knows firsthand how much good schools matter. When she was a child, she and her parents immigrated from Trinidad so she could get a better education, and she became the first in her family to go to college. This year, she was named to Washingtonian magazine’s Most Influential People list.

Matt Gillam (BA ’21), a proud Long Islander, knew he wanted to be a Batten student from the moment he learned about the School. After graduating this month, he'll bring the leadership skills he gained during his time at Batten, along with his passion for service, to the classroom with Teach for America.

On Sunday, May 16, more than 2,800 of the graduates who gathered around screens last year massed behind the Rotunda, in person and in full color. A year in the making, Sunday’s ceremonies were full of touching moments, joyful reunions and some fun surprises, including a poem from Batten grad Hannah Semmes (BA '20).

In the latest edition of Batten Expert Chats, Syaru Shirley Lin, Compton Visiting Professor at the Miller Center, and Harry Harding, founding dean of the Batten School and professor of public policy, discussed why Taiwan finds it difficult to send scholars abroad, welcome foreign students and faculty, and promote the use of English.

From UVA history to education in prisons, Batten student Rachel Walet (MPP ‘21) is unafraid to tackle tough issues.

One year ago, the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Batten's Daphna Bassok and fellow experts examine how the pandemic upended the education landscape in the past year, what it’s taught us about schooling, and where we go from here.

Students in the inaugural class of Ed Policy Associates are collaborating with Virginia policymakers on vital research, and gaining vital experience at the same time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted schooling nationwide, raising serious concerns about the impact of the pandemic on children’s learning. But, as Batten’s Daphna Bassok and co-author Anna Shapiro write in Brooking’s “Brown Center Chalkboard” blog, relatively less has been written about the experiences of the “missing children”—those who have not enrolled in public school at all.

Tackling everything from the death penalty to affordable housing, the students in Batten professor Andy Pennock's Virginia Politics and Policy don’t just participate in the course—they design it themselves.

In an essay for Harvard Ed. magazine, Batten lecturer Matt Weber writes about teaching during a pandemic and lessons learned from the iconic Mr. Goodbar: keep it simple, be kind, and always carry chocolate.