James W. Guthrie

guthrie
James W. Guthrie
Co-Founder and Former Co-Director,
Policy Analysis for California Education

James W. Guthrie is co-founder and former co-director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). He is a presidential fellow and professor of education policy at Lynn University and was previously the first gubernatorially appointed superintendent of public instruction for the state of Nevada. He served as senior fellow and director of education policy studies at the George W. Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University and was the Patricia and Rodes Hart professor of educational leadership and policy and director of the Peabody Center for Education Policy at Vanderbilt University. He chaired Peabody College’s Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations and spent 27 years as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author or co-author of 20 books and more than 200 scholarly articles. A past president of the American Education Finance Association and former vice president of the American Educational Research Association, he served as editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Education and as series editor of the Peabody Education Leadership Series. Guthrie earned his MA in educational administration and a PhD in educational administration from Stanford University, and pursued postdoctoral studies in economics and public finance at Harvard University and Oxford University.

updated 2025

Publications by James W. Guthrie
Research Center Celebrates a Quarter Century as Leader in Legislative Policy Analysis
The call for improved education persists annually within PACE, emphasizing the perpetual need for progress. Even with strides made, the organization does not consider its mission accomplished. Guided by three core principles—allocating resources to…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase III Final Report, Part 2
Phase III of the California Cares report sought to analyze preliminary recommendations and involve the childcare and development community to redesign policies. Work groups and field representatives discussed proposals for improving services, with…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase III Final Report, Part 1
Phase III of the California Cares report aimed to redesign childcare and development policy, with input from the community and representatives from three agencies. Work groups and traditional research projects were conducted to study nine questions…
Child Care and Development Services for Children and Families—Phase II Final Report Executive Summary
The California Cares Project, conducted by PACE for the California Department of Education, Social Services & Office of Child Development & Education, culminates in this report. The project was initiated in response to AB 2184, which sought…