Dr. Sarah A. Robert grew up in the Riverside neighborhood of Buffalo. I attended Buffalo Public Schools before, during, and after court-ordered desegregation, experiencing firsthand the impact of government and policy on struggles for education equity. This is one of the experiences that has shaped the trajectory of my involvement in struggles for human rights, as well as my professional career. I am a first-generation college student and as a white, working-class woman—like so many before me—I became a high school social studies teacher. After teaching in public schools in the USA and Costa Rica, I worked in Washington, DC, on issues of labor, women’s reproductive health, and women’s history/gender equality. I earned my Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (UC, San Diego) for which I focused my research and teaching on examining textbooks and textbook policies and the powerful sense of belonging and social roles that they convey to their readers. I earned my PhD in Education Policy Studies (University at Wisconsin-Madison) for which I continued to examine the ways that education policy advantages and disadvantages within a democratic society. My expertise centers on the powerful role of policy in shaping education and the teaching profession. I also look at the impact of social, cultural, and economic factors on teachers and teaching, particularly school food programming, experiential learning, and activism. The University at Buffalo brought me and my family back to Buffalo in 2008. I conduct research throughout the Americas. My studies in Buffalo center on policies related to teacher preparation, school food, school gardens, and the "implementation" of federal equity policies in the city's school district.