Jason Willis

Jason Willis
Jason Willis
Director of Strategy & Performance in the Comprehensive School Assistance Program (CSAP),
WestEd

Jason Willis is the director of strategy and performance in the Comprehensive School Assistance Program (CSAP) at WestEd. He oversees CSAP's performance and accountability practice that includes supporting state and school districts to align their policies, strategies, and accountability practices to achieve more equitable education outcomes for students. Willis has worked with states, national education organizations, and commissions—including Maryland, Louisiana, California, Kansas, the National Governor's Association and the National Equity and Excellence—to develop funding and accountability systems. Previously, Willis was the Assistant Superintendent of Community Engagement & Accountability for the San Jose Unified School District, the Chief Financial Officer at Stockton Unified School District, and Budget Director at Oakland Unified School District. He received a master’s degree in education policy and finance from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Contributing topics
Access, quality & alignment in early childhood education
College access & postsecondary success
Continuous school improvement & support
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Educator workforce & effectiveness
Supporting students’ social-emotional, mental & physical health
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
Contributing initiatives
COVID-19 Recovery
Getting Down to Facts II
LCFF Research Collaborative
Jason Willis in the Media
: Special Education Funding Should Be More Streamlined, New Report Finds
: In the Right Direction? Perspectives on Gov. Newsom’s Education Budget
: Adventures in Ed Funding: What’s Ahead for School Funding in California?
: Five Ways America's Public Schools Could Survive the Coming Fiscal Storm
: Why Special Education Funding Will Be More Equitable Under New State Law
Publications by Jason Willis
Publication Cover
Securing and Protecting Education Funding in California
A Summary Brief
California and the rest of the country are enduring a pandemic-induced economic recession, and school and district leaders are bracing for the fallout. Funding for California schools had improved rapidly between 2013 and 2019, with districts…
GDTFII Brief LCFF
The Local Control Funding Formula After Four Years
What Do We Know?
The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on July 1, 2013, represents the first comprehensive change in the state’s education funding system in 40 years. The LCFF eliminates nearly all categorical funding streams…
Towards a Common Vision of Continuous Improvement for California
Under emerging policy structures in California, the responsibility for school improvement is increasingly placed upon local school districts, with County Offices of Education (COEs) playing a critical support role. In this system, districts are…
Continuous Improvement in Practice
Calls for “continuous improvement” in California’s K-12 education system are central to current discussions about school improvement in the state. Yet, definitions of continuous improvement vary, and knowledge of what continuous improvement looks…