Phillip Caldwell II

Phillip Caldwell II serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership and Counseling at Eastern Michigan University's College of Education. His work centers on dismantling systemic racism in public school funding through critical race theory applications and mixed methods research to advance educational equity.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.A. in Educational Administration with emphasis in Education Leadership, Policy, and Analysis, University of Missouri-Saint Louis
• B.S. in Mathematics Education, Florida A&M University

His research program investigates school funding fairness, systemic racism in education finance, and evidence-based interventions for educational leaders. Utilizing transformative paradigms and critical race mixed methods, he develops frameworks to address resource allocation inequities that disproportionately impact marginalized student populations.

Recent publications analyze disproportionate school discipline practices and comparative performance between education management companies and traditional Michigan public schools, revealing structural inequities in educational governance and resource distribution.

Scientific Awards:

• John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education (2020-21)
• Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair for Outstanding Faculty Members (2021)

As Principal Investigator for the Michigan Public School Finance research project, Dr. Caldwell directs initiatives measuring district-level funding fairness and fiscal risk. His work with interdisciplinary collaborators informs state-level policy reforms through data-driven fiscal equity assessments.

He leads a specialized research team developing Michigan-specific metrics for school finance equity, including district-level funding level analyses and fiscal risk profiling modeled after Illinois State Board of Education frameworks.