Dr. Randall Eberts, Upjohn Institute for Employment Research president, brings expertise in academic success research to school funding group
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Dr. Randall Eberts, President of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and a pioneer in student achievement analysis, has joined the School Finance Research Collaborative, the Collaborative announced today.
“I look forward to lending my experience and expertise in securing the best, most comprehensive data on student achievement to the School Finance Research Collaborative,” Eberts said. “Over the past several years, it has become evident that the way we fund Michigan’s public schools is obsolete, and we must take a fresh approach so all students have the opportunity to succeed after graduation, whether that means college, technical training, apprenticeships or jobs.”
In his current role, Eberts studies factors that contribute to student academic achievement, as well as the effects of collective bargaining and education policy decisions on student performance. Before joining the Upjohn Institute in 1993, he was assistant vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Eberts was previously the senior staff economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. He is a former associate professor of economics at the University of Oregon, and a former visiting professor at Texas A&M University.
“Through his research, Randall helps prepare all public school students to achieve and succeed, which is the biggest challenge we face in Michigan in the ever-evolving and global 21st century workforce,” said Rob Fowler, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan and a Collaborative member. “He has seen first-hand how we must have the very best and most reliable data to provide a high-quality public school education that prepares all students for bright futures.”
Eberts received his doctorate in economics from Northwestern University.
The School Finance Research Collaborative is a broad-based and diverse group of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, business leaders and education experts from Metro Detroit to the U.P. who agree it’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
The Collaborative is bringing together top industry experts to reexamine the state’s approach to funding K-12 schools to ensure all Michigan public school students are fully prepared for college and careers.
The Collaborative is supporting a school adequacy study using multiple methodologies which is now underway. The study, expected to be completed in early 2018, will provide policymakers with the best, most complete and most accurate information on what it truly costs to educate all Michigan public school students.
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