John Diaz

John’s research focuses on issues of equity within education policy, school finance, and culturally responsive and equitable systems development.
Specifically, John's work focuses on supporting agencies through examining fiscal systems, elevating the experiences of students and families of color through qualitative research to understand how inequities are experienced by community members directly, and working with practitioners through design-based collaboration to form programmatic and fiscal policies that reflect the voices of the community.
In addition to his graduate studies, John also provides technical assistance to state and local education agencies as an analyst with WestEd, where he has served for the past 4 years as a member of the Culturally Responsive Systems Content Area and as staff for both the Region 13 and Region 15 comprehensive centers.
Prior to joining WestEd, John 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. He has also served as a research assistant for the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, where he conducted policy analysis on school district collective bargaining agreements, salary schedules, and associated policy documents.

Curriculum Vitae

2022 – 2027 (In progress) Ph.D., Education Policy, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA

2022    Research Affiliate Program, Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED), 2022 Cohort

2021    Certificate in Education Finance, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

2019    Education Pioneers Impact Fellow, 2019 Cohort

2017 MA, Public Administration, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 

2013 BA, Social Psychology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA

Pollock, M., Yoshikawa, H., Diaz, J., Issa, A, Homan, E., Matschiner, A., Richburg, A., Cox, B. (2025). The Limitation Effect: Experiences of State Policy-Driven Education Restriction in Florida’s Public Schools.
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/ihdsc/limitation-effect

Moore, E.M., Grayson, D., Diaz, J. (2025). Educator Registered Apprenticeships: Funding Profiles for Five Programs. Educator Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary. WestEd.
https://www.wested.org/resource/educator-registered-apprenticeships-funding-profiles/

Diaz, J. (2024). Leveraging Federal Funds to Disrupt Disproportionate Discipline Practices. Western Educational Equity Assistance Center. WestEd.

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.
https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/WEEAC-Leveraging-Federal-Funds-ADA-FINAL.pdf

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

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

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

2025 EDS Research Fellowship

2022 EDS Diversity Fellowship