Kenton K. Shimozaki

Ph.D. Candidate, Vanderbilt University

I'm a Ph.D. candidate in Education Policy and Leadership at Vanderbilt University, where I'm an affiliate of the Improvement Scholars Network and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance.

I study K–12 education policy and the politics of education. ​My current research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of school finance systems at the state and local levels. I also conduct work exploring policy responses to declining public school enrollment, including school closure and rezoning.

I serve on the board of directors of the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), a professional organization dedicated to the promotion of research and partnerships that can inform education policy and finance and improve education outcomes. Previously, I served on the California State Board of Education.

​​

I received an A.B. in social studies from Harvard College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where I was a Harvard Teacher Fellow. I started my career as a middle school math and social studies teacher in Denver.

​

You can contact me at kenton.shimozaki@vanderbilt.edu.