Rachel S. White

Assistant Professor

Biography

Dr. Rachel S. White is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Prior to arriving at UT, Dr. White was an assistant professor at Old Dominion University and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. She received her Ph.D. in education policy from Michigan State University, and holds an MA in educational leadership and policy from The Ohio State University and a BA in public policy from The University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Dr. White’s research agenda centers around 1) issues of power, voice, diversity, and inclusion in education policy making and implementation processes, and 2) examining structures and policies that contribute to or counteract equitable and socially just K-12 education systems. As such, Dr. White examines the politics of education policy making and implementation, with a focus on who’s voices are heard in the policy making and implementation processes, and how decisions made by political and educational leaders at the school, district, and state level impact the educational experiences of students and teachers.

Dr. White’s research has been published in journals such as Educational Administration Quarterly, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Leadership & Policy in Schools, Journal of School Leadership, Teachers College Record, and Kappan, as well as public-facing venues such as Education Next and ELLevation Education. Dr. White has received numerous honors and awards within the field of educational leadership and policy. In 2021, she received the William J. Davis Award for the most outstanding article to appear in the top journal in the field of educational administration and leadership, Educational Administration Quarterly. She was also named “Outstanding Reviewer of the Year” for the American Educational Research Journal (2021) and Educational Researcher (2020). Dr. White received the American Education Research Association Division L Outstanding Dissertation Award and Dissertation of the Year Award from the Politics of Education Association (2018). She also received the New Scholar Award from the Association of Education Finance and Policy (2017).