Rachel Rucker Kargol ’26

We’re at a point where we need to think differently about how we serve kids through public education. This is a new generation of kids, teachers, and technology, and the data is showing us that what we’ve done historically is no longer working. Today’s leaders need to be visionaries who are not afraid to rock the boat.

The Broad Center offers a space for deep reflection about what is and isn’t working in public education. The Master’s in Public Education Management program teaches us to be systems-level thinkers and equips us with tools we can use to drive meaningful change in our states and districts. While I’m here, I’m thinking about the kind of leader I want to be and the changes I can bring about to move us toward the outcomes we want.

At SOM, I learn from brilliant professors and equally brilliant peers who bring so much experience to the classroom. In my cohort, we have folks from across the country. We’re always in conversation about what education looks like in our respective systems; it’s an opportunity to glean insights from bright spots in other areas.

The program’s curriculum is unique in that it bridges theory and real system challenges. Faculty don’t give us an idealized picture of the current landscape; they’re honest about the realities of working in public education. They encourage us to think about how to best operate within this reality—and maybe even go about changing it. Education Policy for Systems Leaders with Richard Lemons and Shana Young and Everyday Leadership with Heidi Brooks have been genuinely transformative, challenging how I think about policy and implementation and how I show up as a leader.

Because the program is nested within the broader SOM ecosystem, I’m also exposed to concepts I wouldn’t encounter in a traditional education program. I’ve taken managerial decision-making and finance courses, and learned from professors who are experts in negotiation and using techniques like red teaming to challenge assumptions. These are skills MBA students are bringing to corporations; I’m applying them in an education context.

We’re all carrying a lot from our personal and professional lives. When you step into the “Yale bubble”—this is what my cohort calls it—you have an opportunity to pour into yourself and have other people pour into you. I think this will help us sustain our work in public education.

This program is not just coursework. It’s an intentional community. I know I have 27 peers—people I trust, who are in the work with me, who care about me—that I can lean on in the future.