Q&A with Tobie Irvine, Cohort 11 SDP Fellow Alumnus

I am from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a son of a pastor and a professor, and someone who since high school was questioning what equity in education actually looked like. After college I worked directly with students, teachers and administrators for almost five years, which gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the challenges that schools faced. I also loved how good data could bring clarity to seemingly intractable problems.  

I went back to grad school afterwards to hone my skills at the intersection of data analytics and public policy, after which I was grateful to land the SDP Fellowship and a placement with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). In this role, I was able to develop a more equitable accountability system for students with severe cognitive disabilities, which continues to be utilized today. I’m still with NYSED today and helping schools and districts across the state figure out how to leverage data for the benefit of their students. 

What drew you to the SDP Fellowship? What did you do prior to the SDP Fellowship? How did you get started in the education data/policy field? 

I was drawn to SDP's focus on showing fellows the many ways that data can be generated, analyzed, and used for positive and impactful action. I also appreciated that it came to me at the right time, after I spent years witnessing firsthand in school settings both the power and limitations of data, and was ready to better utilize it myself.  

 What is the most memorable or impactful moment or experience from your time as an SDP Fellow? 

Meeting the other fellows! It was so humbling and insightful to see so many smart people putting their heads together and discussing problems of practice. The cohort overall was inviting and inclusive, and I’ve made some good and close friends from the fellowship. 

Tell us about your current job.  

I currently focus on helping schools and districts better understand their educational performance and how they can address needs going forward (the technical jargon for it is ‘status determinations’). A typical day involves discussions with various teams about data quality and collection, analysis that feeds into recommendations for leadership decisions, and helping districts build capacity for translating the data to action in the classroom and school.  

What skills did you gain from your time as an SDP Fellow that you find helpful in your current role? 

I not only was able to sharpen my analytical skills, but also my capacity for strategically influence leadership decisions using insightful data. 

What advice would you give for prospective SDP Fellows? What would you say to encourage prospective applicants to apply? 

Be ambitious! This fellowship sets you up with the resources and network you need to pursue almost any challenge, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of these. Additionally, when applying, I would clearly communicate the impact you want to demonstrate as a fellow. 

What is something you enjoy in your free time?  

I enjoy exploring the niche neighborhoods that New York City has to offer with my partner, playing piano, and re-learning German (It will be useful someday). I am also currently obsessed with the Revolutions podcast, which is surprisingly rich with historical data.   

 Please feel free to share anything else relevant or any other fun facts about yourself. 

I went to school in Germany for a year when I was 15 years old and got to experience a completely different approach to education!  I'm also a huge sucker for a good bowl of gumbo.