Jacob Alonso

Jacob Alonso is a PhD student in Urban Education Policy at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education.  He studies K-12 education policy from a mixed methods perspective, building on a career of classroom teaching, campus and district administration, and independent research.  His current research focuses on the geospatial analysis of equity and school choice; how schools respond to demographic change; social justice school leadership; and democratic engagement in schools.  His interests are guided by his experience in the classroom, a career in education leadership, and a deep belief in the transformative capacity of education.  

He works as a research assistant with Dr. Julie Marsh through the Center on Education Policy, Equity and Governance, and on the qualitative team for the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH).  He previously taught developmental education at the community college level and Math and Debate/Model UN at Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, TX, where he was a grade level leader and founding teacher at the international studies magnet.  He served as the Executive Program Evaluator for San Antonio ISD.  He also founded an educational consulting firm, Texas School Analytics Consulting, which has worked closely with school and district leaders to improve college access through intensive participatory action evaluation of GEAR UP grants.  Jacob has lead teachers, administrators, and nonprofit leaders in professional development, on topics such as data use for school improvement and using equity audits.

• Bridgeforth, J., Kennedy, K., Alonso, J., Enoch-Stevens, T. (2021). Conceptions of Choice, Equity, & Rurality in Educational Research: A Review of the Literature on Rural Education and School Choice Policies. The Rural Educator 42(2): 1-15.
• Dhaliwal, T., Daramola, E.J., Alonso, J., & Marsh, J. (2021). Educators’ Beliefs and Perceptions of Implementing Restorative Practices. Education and Urban Society. 10.1177/00131245211048439
• Haderlein, S., Marsh, J., Tong, T., Bulkley, K., Jabbar, H., Germain, E., Quinn, D., Bradley, D.,  Alonso, J., & Mulfinger, L. (2021). Schools and School Choice During a Year of Disruption: Views of Parents in Five States. National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice. 
• Alonso, J., Marsh, J., & Daramola, E.J. (2021). Voter engagement and satisfaction with California’s local school governance: Evidence from the 2021 PACE/USC Rossier Poll. Policy Analysis for California Education.
• Alonso, J. (2020). What the Coronavirus Means for Grandparent Caretakers. Education Week. April 23 2020.
• Alonso, J. (2012). Quantifying Deliberative Democracy: Regime Definitions in Large-N Comparative Studies. The Boston College Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Journal 4(1).
• Alonso, J. (2009). Selling Votes: Towards a Political Economy of Campaign Finance Reform. The Midway Review of Politics and Culture, 6(1): 15-28.