Abby is a doctoral student in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster. Her research focuses on decision making and implementation using concepts from organizational theory. Her current research project is a three-year study about how district leaders in California are using their federal and state stimulus funds. Finance scholars have found that money does matter in education, but there are still questions about how district leaders make decisions when new dollars flow and why district leaders opt to prioritize dollars toward certain programs over others. Using qualitative research methods, Abby seeks to expand the existing body of education finance literature.
In addition to her multi-year study on school finance, Abby is a research fellow with the Center for District Innovation and Leadership in Early Education (Dial EE). In this role, Abby studies how a consortium of counties in California’s Central Valley are designing and implementing a mixed-delivery early care system with robust services for students and families. This work is a continuation of her prior work on the implementation of the expansion of transitional kindergarten (TK), a policy passed by California legislators in 2021.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Abby taught secondary mathematics in a traditional public high school. She spent her summers while in the classroom teaching computer science to female and nonbinary students in cities across the U.S.
Specializations and Interests
Education Policy and Implementation; Organizational Theory; Progressive Education Finance; Qualitative Research Methods
