DC Schools See Rising Interest in Education Management
MBA students at George Washington University have been enrolling in education courses at increasing rates.
Following a nationwide trend, students have been pursuing an interest in the field despite notoriously low salaries.
“That’s what’s so unique about this trend. M.B.A.’s being interested in a new industry where they think they can make money is nothing new. M.B.A.’s pursuing a path that isn’t likely to ever pay off in a big way financially … is new,” Miro Kazakoff recently told USNews. Kazarov, who himself holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, is cofounder of Testive, a website that helps students predict their scores on standardized tests.
Business education can help students with education management, the burgeoning field of education technology, and educational policy–which all help to explain why it might hold particular interest for students in the DC area.
“Being in the ed tech space, I see how blazingly fast this became a big deal,” Kazarov says. “It’s low paying and nontraditional, but the resources to pursue a career in education are much better.”
All this might be part of why Shaista Khilji, professor in George Washington’s unique Executive Leadership Doctoral Program in Human and Organizational Learning, says she’s seen so many MBA students of late.
She believes students have been responding to criticism of MBA program’s “profit first” model, in the wake of recent financial crises.
Students at George Washington interested in education can take advantage not only of Khilji’s Human and Organizational Learning department, but also its innovative 2+2 Mentor Pilot Program, which pairs MBA students with a member of the local business and policy community to mentor two students in DC area schools.
