Katharine Strunk

Michigan State University

About

Katharine O. Strunk, PhD, is the faculty director of EPIC, and is the Clifford E. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Education and a professor of education policy and by courtesy economics at Michigan State University. She is an expert on K-12 education governance, including teachers’ unions, collective bargaining agreements, and portfolio management models, as well as teacher labor markets, school turnaround, and accountability policies. Her work has been published in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals and as policy briefs to inform policymakers and practitioners. She has worked extensively with district and state policymakers, including working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the California and Michigan Departments of Education to help decision makers formulate, design, and revise policy. Dr. Strunk’s work has been supported by state and federal contracts and grants as well as by philanthropic organizations. Dr. Strunk served as the President of the Association for Education Finance and Policy. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Board for the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH). Dr. Strunk received her PhD in Educational Administration and Policy and her MA in Economics from Stanford University, and her BA in Public Policy from Princeton University.

Associated IES Content

Program Information

2023 Program Information includes Agenda, Keynote Speakers and Session Materials

FY2020

FY2020 Single-Session Peer Review Panel
Grant

National Center for Research on Gifted Education

Two crucial issues continue to plague gifted education: (1) Underrepresented populations continue to be under identified as gifted and underserved by programs for the gifted. (2) Research on best-practice interventions for gifted students and outcomes of gifted programs and services is sparse. Center researchers will complete three secondary studies and one randomized control trial (RCT) to provide stakeholders with tools to better recognize and harness untapped talent and increase our under...
Federal funding program:
Education Research and Development Centers
Award number:
R305C200012
Grant

Improving Education Systems Through Interdisciplinary Training and Practice: Applying Social Science to Education Policy and Implementation Research

The Michigan State University Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program will provide training to prepare doctoral students to conduct education policy research in collaborative partnerships with education agencies and postsecondary systems.
Federal funding program:
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences
Award number:
R305B200009
Grant

The National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice

Across the U.S., many students have opportunities to attend schools other than their own traditional neighborhood public schools. These opportunities are commonly referred to as “school choice” and include such practices as open enrollment (both intra- and inter-district), magnet schools, charter schools including virtual schools, and public financial supports for attending private schools (e.g., vouchers, tax credit funded scholarships, education savings accounts, personal tax credits a...
Federal funding program:
Education Research and Development Centers
Award number:
R305C180025
organization

Michigan State University

Published works

Katharine O. Strunk, PhD, is the faculty director of EPIC, and is the Clifford E. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Education and a professor of education policy and by courtesy economics at Michigan State University. She is an expert on K-12 education governance, including teachers’ unions, collective bargaining agreements, and portfolio management models, as well as teacher labor markets, school turnaround, and accountability policies. Her work has been published in highly regarded peer-reviewed journals and as policy briefs to inform policymakers and practitioners. She has worked extensively with district and state policymakers, including working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the California and Michigan Departments of Education to help decision makers formulate, design, and revise policy. Dr. Strunk’s work has been supported by state and federal contracts and grants as well as by philanthropic organizations. Dr. Strunk served as the President of the Association for Education Finance and Policy. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Board for the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH). Dr. Strunk received her PhD in Educational Administration and Policy and her MA in Economics from Stanford University, and her BA in Public Policy from Princeton University.