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The tutorial explores a series of questions related to the use of operations research (OR) and operations management (OM) to improve public education systems. These questions are: (i) In the past century, how have changes in education policy prompted new OR/OM areas of research? (ii) What are the current research areas of central importance in education operations? and (iii) How can researchers interested in studying education operations establish partnerships with districts, schools, or education companies? Drawing on key papers from the literature and our experiences, as well as experiences of other researchers and practitioners who have engaged in partnerships, we answer these questions and highlight emerging areas of research in public education. We trace the history of OR/OM research in education chronologically, starting from the 1950s, and discuss the legal, political, economic, technological, and social events that have marked major shifts in public education provision. Though still developing at the time of publication, we discuss COVID-19 and its tremendous impact on education provision. Our broad review explores the links between issues in education over time and OR/OM research interests, methods, and technology.