Peter Mills serves as Vice President of Public Policy at the Council for Opportunity in Education, where he leads the organization’s federal, state, and local policy strategy and advocacy efforts to advance the TRIO program and improve college access and success for low-income, first-generation students and those with disabilities.
In this role, Mills oversees COE’s government affairs strategy and policy initiatives, working closely with policymakers, coalition partners, member organizations, and other stakeholders to shape legislation and public policy that help all students, regardless of socioeconomic background or disability, have equal opportunity to pursue higher education and accomplish their academic as well as professional goals. He also provides strategic guidance on emerging policy issues, develops advocacy campaigns, and represents the organization before Congress, federal agencies, and any forums that can support college access and success.
Before joining COE, Mills served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Chris Murphy, leading his education, housing, disability, child care, child welfare, LGBTQ, and sports policy. Before his time in the Senate, Mills served as a policy advisor with the Louisiana Department of Education and a middle school math teacher in rural Arkansas, where he also led GEAR UP programs that helped his students prepare for college. Throughout his career, he has focused on helping all students from pre-K through college receive an excellent education and moving our education systems toward policies and practices that treat every student fairly and support their individual needs and goals.
Mills has drafted, negotiated, and successfully passed significant federal legislation addressing educational opportunities for students. Most notably, Mills drafted and negotiated the school safety provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, securing more than $2.5 billion to hire school-based mental health providers and expand positive school climate programs. Mills also negotiated more than $1.2 billion for summer enrichment programs and $3 billion for special education services in the American Rescue Plan, along with securing historic appropriations increases for several federal education programs, including school diversity and magnet school grant programs. His expertise includes college access and success, higher education accountability, K-12 school climate and safety, equitable services for students with disabilities, and out-of-school programs.
Mills earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Master of Public Policy from Duke University and is passionate about ensuring every low-income, first-generation student and those with disabilities, like many of the students he taught in rural Arkansas, can pursue their academic and career dreams without barriers.