John Diaz

Overview

John Diaz’s research focuses on issues of equity within education policy, critical approaches to school finance, and culturally responsive and equitable systems development. A seasoned educator and researcher in qualitative research methods and policy analysis, Diaz has served for the past five years as a member of the Culturally Responsive Systems Content Area at WestEd providing financial technical assistance to state and local educational agencies on issues of resource allocation planning, teacher preparation program infrastructure and fiscal sustainability, compensation equity, and critical policy analysis. 

Diaz has led a number of qualitative studies across the content areas of school finance, policy, and the advancement of equity in learning environments. Diaz has also adapted his university-level course content to provide technical assistance to administrators and practitioners in the field navigating problems of practice in fiscal decision-making, policy development, and identification of root causes of equity issues. As a writer, Diaz also regularly contributes to policy briefs, research reports, and papers to inform the field regarding policy regulation, implementation, and data trends.  

Before joining WestEd, Diaz served as a policy analyst for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, where he led independent analysis and reporting to the board on district budget and state finance development, focusing on improving equitable access to resources for historically marginalized students and communities. He has also served as a research assistant for the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, conducting policy analysis and qualitative coding on school district collective bargaining agreements and labor negotiation materials.

Education

• PhD in education policy, University of California, San Diego (In progress)  
• Certificate in education finance, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 
• Education Pioneers Impact Fellow, 2019 Cohort 
• MA in public administration, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 
• BA in social psychology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA 

Select Publications

Pollock, M., Yoshikawa, H., Diaz, J., Issa, A., Homan, E., Matschiner, A., Richburg, A., & Cox, B. (Forthcoming). ​​K–12 confined: Experiences of policy-driven education limitation in Florida’s public schools. 

Diaz, J. (2024). Leveraging federal funds to disrupt disproportionate discipline practices. Western Educational Equity Assistance Center, WestEd. https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/WEEAC-Leveraging-Federal-Funds-ADA-FINAL.pdf 

Fuller, B., Diaz, J., & Hoang, M. K. (2024). Vietnam preschools in global context: Policy innovations and local implementation. Prepared for the Vietnam Ministry of Education in Partnership with The World Bank Group. 

Valdez, A., Hashmi, S., & Diaz, J. (2023). Advancing and sustaining student and staff well-being initiatives: A resource guide for states. Council of Chief State School Officers. https://learning.ccsso.org/advancing-and-sustaining-student-and-staff-wellbeing-initiatives-a-resource-guide-for-states 

Lathan, J., & Diaz, J. (2023). Driver research brief: Policy—A research brief to maximize the success of African American male students. Kingmakers of Oakland. 

Romer, N., Valdez, A., Alcalá, L., Diaz, J., Gurrola, E., McClellan, P., & McCullough, S. (2022). Improving coordination and access to comprehensive school-based mental health services in California: A preliminary landscape analysis. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED619864 

Hickox, I., Arredondo, S., Diaz, J., & Knotts, M. (2022). Early childhood education and care in Arizona context, data, and resources for municipal leaders. Prepared for the Arizona Mayor’s Education Roundtable. 

Diaz, J., Harder, A., Jacobson, A., Knotts, M., Valdez, A., & Willis, J. (2021). Utah State Board of Education funding policy focus groups: Findings and recommendations. WestEd. 

Diaz, J., & Ennis, J. (2021). North Carolina Smart Start: Needs formula review. WestEd. 

Jacobson, A., Silverstein, J., Willis, J., Diaz, J., Fermanich, M., Piscatelli, J., Lewis, R., McClellan, P., & Durodoye, R. (2021). Utah funding study: Phase 2 report. WestEd, Augenblick, Palaich and Associates.

Krausen, K., Diaz, J., Willis, J., & Lias, C. (2021). Following through: 5 strategies for getting federal relief aid to students who need it most (Federal Relief Aid Series, Brief 4). WestEd. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615946.pdf