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Lobbyist profile: Lea Crusey

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Lea Crusey is not a conventional Jefferson City lobbyist.

She does not have multiple clients, she doesn’t hail from the campaign world, and she doesn’t have several years of Jefferson City experience under her belt like some of her older colleagues.

Lea Crusey
Lea Crusey

But as Students First’s chief voice in the state, Crusey has risen to the lead voice for one view of education reform in Missouri. She said her organization is pushing multiple priorities this year in the General Assembly, including a “comprehensive educator quality bill” and an educator report card, among other things.

“In addition to teacher quality, we also worked on the charter school and accountability bills,” she said, noting that her organization was “agnostic” when it comes to school governance. “We were grateful to have to chance to contribute efforts to getting that across the goal line last year.”

Crusey, who moved to Missouri from Sacramento, Calif., took a unique path to lobbying. She started her career as a Teach for America corps member in 2003. Her interest in public policy took her to the University of Chicago in 2006, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Public Policy, and began work with the Chicago Transit Authority.

She worked in transit and urban planning for a few years and meanwhile, as a volunteer, started a young professionals board for KIPP Chicago that brought her back into the world of public education. It was through KIPP that she saw an advanced screening of “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” a documentary about the American education system that encouraged major changes to public education, including charter schools.  The film featured Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the Washington D.C. public school system. Following the film, Rhee resigned from the school district after a new mayor was elected. From there, she launched Students First, a non-profit education reform organization.

Crusey said she was so inspired by the film and the organization’s mission that her husband suggested she reach out to Rhee. After making up some 10 email addresses for Rhee, Crusey was able to get in touch with her.

“I was inspired by the mission and principles of Students First, that every decision around education policy should be centered around the success of children,” she said. “A statement that really got me when I was reading the launch policy agenda which said they would support student-focused policies, regardless of where they started in the political spectrum.”

In Missouri, that is no different. Crusey, a Democrat, has worked with Republican House Speaker Tim Jones, a fan of her organizations agenda, as well as Rep. Kevin Elmer, who proposed her organization’s teacher evaluation bill. The legislation pulled support from Democrats and Republicans, but failed in the House.

Now, she is looking toward other legislative vehicles to move her agenda, which she says will not happen in just one or two legislative sessions.

“This is a long game. My work in the Capitol is really only one part of it. To really change the trajectory, it takes a lot of relationship building,” she said, adding that Students First plans to up their advocacy in the off-session to build a ground campaign with their supporters statewide.

Crusey and her husband live in Kansas City, where she said she has “thoroughly enjoyed” the arts and food scene. With her passion for urban planning, Crusey said she and her husband own only one car, and she bikes to and from home in River Market. Most weeks, she catches a train to Jefferson City, where she stays through session.

Having worked in a few state capitols since joining Students First, Crusey said Jefferson City does have a sense of camaraderie she has not seen in other states, perhaps because of its relative size or its distance from other metropolitan areas.

“It ends up being more of a communal atmosphere. I’ve had a great time getting to know the other legislators and other lobbyists,” she said. “It is not that close to other distractions and options, and as a result, you end up seeing people and hanging out together.”

To contact Eli Yokley, email eli@themissouritimes.com, or via Twitter at @eyokley.