Heather Rose

Heather Rose serves as Professor of Education at the University of California, Davis School of Education, where she holds appointments in the Education Department and teaches courses including EDU 204A (Quantitative Methods), EDU 229 (Education Finance Policy), and EDU 285A (Educational Finance). Her research focuses on the economics of education with emphasis on school finance systems, accountability programs, and governance structures affecting resource distribution and achievement gaps.

• Ph.D. in Economics, UC San Diego (2001)
• M.A. in Economics, UC San Diego (1997)
• B.A. in Economics, UC Berkeley (1993)
• Education Abroad, Universite de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour (1991-1992)

Rose's research examines how school finance reforms like California's Local Control Funding Formula impact high-poverty districts, with particular attention to revenue allocation during crises such as the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic. Her work integrates quantitative methods to analyze teacher salary patterns, student-teacher ethnoracial matching, and charter school accountability systems. Recent publications demonstrate her focus on equity-driven funding mechanisms and resource allocation during fiscal stress.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on education finance policy (80% of works), with growing attention to pandemic-era budgeting (2020-2024) and racial equity in school staffing (2022-2023). Her research increasingly employs longitudinal methods tracking California's school finance reforms across economic cycles, while maintaining strong connections to practical policy implementation through the Public Policy Institute of California.

• 2024 Patrick Wolf International School Choice Best Paper Prize
• 2023 Patrick Wolf International School Choice Best Paper Prize

Rose has advised multiple doctoral students including Margaret Weston (co-author on 7 publications) and Sherrie Reed (PhD candidate at time of collaboration), with research supported through PPIC fellowships and UC Davis Center for Poverty Research initiatives. Her work directly informs California's education finance policy through regular testimony and policy briefs.

As Adjunct Policy Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California since 2008, Rose collaborates with state education agencies on finance reform implementation. Her research team includes graduate students analyzing district-level budget data through the UC Davis Education Policy Center.