Education

McGuireWoods Consulting is much more than a lobbying firm, and this is expertly displayed in our national education practice. Our government affairs and communications professionals have a unique depth of experience assisting clients in the full spectrum of issues relevant to education. Our team's expertise ranges from early learning to higher education and workforce development, in both the public and private sectors.

Who We Help

We offer a full suite of services that are uniquely tailored to our clients' business goals and needs. Our education clients include Fortune 500 companies, major metropolitan school districts, state education associations, national charter school networks, colleges and universities, edtech startups and state and national nonprofits.

How We Help

Government Relations and Consulting

We achieve your business goals through legislative and executive outreach, using strategy when needed, a giving plan, to elevate your organization and its goals.

Political Environment and Policy Issue Analysis

We help clients understand key state levers by providing comprehensive legislative and regulatory reports, identifying influential elected leaders and interest groups and evaluating the effectiveness of state association advocacy work.

External Affairs and Brand Management

Our consultants liaise relationships between clients and key education and policy stakeholders, including industry associations, advocacy groups and prominent leaders.

Market Intelligence and Business Strategy

Our ability to identify clients' strengths, weaknesses and objectives allows us to use our expertise in policy, funding and market landscape to determine state-specific growth plans.

Business Development and Procurement

We introduce our clients to leading decisionmakers in the education policy space and identify state level contract opportunities, not just in our footprint states, but across the country, leveraging McGuireWoods Consulting’s proprietary procurement platform.

Legislative and Regulatory Tracking

Our team provides legislative and regulatory tracking and political analysis in all 50 states and in federal government, enabling clients to effectively target legislation and policies and prioritize resources. We also inform clients of congressional and executive branch developments that stand to impact our clients, engaging elected officials and regulators when necessary.

Communications and Public Relations

Our consultants achieve public affairs objectives through developing strategic communications and issue campaign plans, as well as providing tactical execution support for digital media, crisis management, events, community engagement and grassroots support.

Work We've Done

Secured $6 million in recurring funds to expand recruitment and placement of college graduates in high-need North Carolina schools.

Led a coalition of higher education institutions to remove the risk sharing provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have diminished financial aid availability and undermined workforce development programs.

Secured landmark approval through the Texas State Board of Education’s first ever Instructional Materials Review and Approval cycle, authorizing the deployment of AI-enhanced math and literacy platforms across Texas K–12 school districts.

Secured $2.5 million in congressionally directed funding on behalf of state community college for the building of construction trades education center.

Secured state budget funding for professional development benefiting more than 16,000 K–3 educators and advanced legislation mandating the use of science-of-reading practices in classrooms.

Attained legislative approval to receive Medicaid reimbursement for mobile vision clinics serving public schools, expanding access to essential health services for students.

Secured an additional $250,000 in state appropriations to extend education programming to a region serving more than 300,000 students.

Led efforts to pass legislation streamlining statewide charter school approvals and expanding infrastructure funding for school facilities.

Coordinated policy and economic analysis that generated bipartisan support for increased higher education appropriations and established a first-in-the-nation initiative providing paid internships for all college students.

Passed legislation that provides $6,500 scholarships for Georgia families to use for qualifying education expenses and successfully codified a school-supply stipend for educators – a first of its kind in the nation.

Where We Help

Our team offers the talents of government affairs professionals in nine state capitals, as well as Washington, D.C., with reach in more than a dozen other large metro areas and a nationwide network of partners. We regularly attend national education and state legislative conferences to connect clients with state officials and provide opportunities to build relationships and brand awareness with governors, lieutenant governors, legislators, state superintendents and secretaries of education.

Led by Laura Novey, former Virginia secretary of education, our team includes two other state secretaries of education, Fran Bradford and Jim Dyke. We attend national education and state legislative conferences where we are able to connect our clients with state officials, allowing our clients an opportunity to build relationships and brand awareness with governors, lieutenant governors, legislators, state superintendents and secretaries of education.

FAQs

Can you assist with federal and state funding and appropriations?

Yes. McGuireWoods Consulting assists education clients with strategies related to state funding, budget priorities and appropriations processes, as well as congressionally directed funding. Our team helps clients identify funding opportunities, develop advocacy plans, engage with policymakers and communicate the importance of their programs and initiatives.

How do you help education-related organizations navigate public policy?

McGuireWoods Consulting supports our client's education advocacy efforts by helping to build effective federal, state and local government relations strategies, strengthening relationships with policymakers and stakeholders, and clearly communicating their priorities. Our approach includes navigating legislative sessions, addressing policy challenges, advocating for our client's goals and advancing initiatives that support students, faculty and communities. Our team has expertise in building coalitions among business and education leaders, as well as designing appropriations requests and legislative initiatives focused on our client's immediate needs and long-term goals.

How does McGuireWoods Consulting support workforce development initiatives across the education sector?

McGuireWoods Consulting integrates workforce development into its national education practice serving both the public and private sector. Our team brings business and government leaders together on policy issues centered on career readiness and has deep experience organizing and managing state-level workforce development policy platforms and college-and-career-readiness campaigns.