As the Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, Jason Willis oversees and guides the agency’s school finance, governance, and accountability efforts. His team supports state, regional, and local education agencies to align their education policies, strategies, and accountability practices in order to achieve more equitable outcomes for students. Willis and colleagues provide this support through capacity-building, facilitation of professional learning networks, policy implementation strategies, and analysis of financial data, including data on the effective use of resources.
Previously, Willis was the Assistant Superintendent of Community Engagement and Accountability for the San Jose Unified School District, where he managed the implementation of a five-year strategic plan. Prior to being in that role, Willis was the Chief Financial Officer for Stockton Unified School District, and was Budget Director for Oakland Unified School District.
Willis has advised states, national education organizations, and commissions on the formation of funding and accountability systems. He has worked with nearly two dozen states, the Data Quality Campaign, the National Governor’s Association, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, and the National Equity and Excellence Commission. Willis sat on the Technical Working Group advising the first national study on the impact of weighted student funding systems.
Willis received a master’s degree in education policy and finance from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Willis is also a graduate of The Broad Residency in Urban Education.