Biography

Michael Schoettle (he/him) joined EPI’s State Policy and Research team as deputy director in 2023.  As deputy director, he crafts the vision, strategies, and plans that help advance state policy through EPI’s Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) to achieve state and local policy reforms that build power for working people, improve workers’ economic conditions, and advance racial and gender equity.

Prior to joining EPI, Schoettle was a field manager for the National Education Association’s Center for Organizing and Affiliate Support, where he led a team of national organizers that supported the development and implementation of issue-based organizing campaigns in NEA’s state and local affiliates. During his tenure at NEA, Schoettle’s team led successful organizing campaigns to improve wages and benefits, increase funding for public education, improve student learning conditions, and ensure affordable health care for teachers and school support staff.

As an NEA field manager, Schoettle als4o coordinated the creation of organizing trainings, toolkits, and materials to support organizing efforts by union leaders and rank-and-file members. He oversaw NEA’s New Local Presidents Training Program in partnership with NEA governance leaders and served as a management liaison to NEA’s National Council of Urban Education Associations (NCUEA), an organizational body within NEA comprising NEA’s largest urban and suburban local affiliates. Before becoming a field manager, Michael coordinated NEA’s education and organizing efforts on student debt.

Before joining NEA, Michael worked as a strategic researcher at UNITE HERE’s Local 226 (Culinary Union) supporting organizing efforts by hospitality workers in Las Vegas, Nevada; as a researcher at the Equal Rights Center supporting efforts to address housing discrimination; and as a fellow at the AFL-CIO’s Pride at Work researching best practices to improve collective bargaining agreements for LGBTQ workers.

Education

M.S., Labor Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
M.A., Political Science, University of Toronto
B.A., Political Science, Kalamazoo College