Melissa Eiler White is a Project Director in Innovation Studies at WestEd, where she leads research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects focused on teachers and teaching. Over the last several years, her work has focused on supporting improvement of teacher preparation programs.
White has also led numerous research efforts for the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) at WestEd. Her REL West research projects have focused on the teacher and principal labor market in California, as well as systems of teacher evaluation.
While at the Graduate School of Education at Stanford, she worked on research and evaluation projects focused on teacher preparation. She also conducted research on teacher learning and leadership at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.
Several articles authored by White—on topics including teacher education, learning, and leadership—have appeared in edited books and refereed journals.
White received a BA in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA in policy analysis and evaluation and a PhD in administration and policy analysis from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education.