Melissa Eiler White is a Senior Advisor for Research & Policy in the Teacher Workforce Group where she guides 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 systems and addressing teacher shortages.
White has been the principal investigator for long-term, large-scale projects such as the evaluation of the California Teacher Residency Grant Program and the evaluation of Preparing a New Generation of Educators for California. She has also led numerous research efforts for the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West). 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 holds a BA in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in policy analysis and evaluation, and a PhD in administration and policy analysis from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education.