Mary Perry

mperry
Mary Perry
Education Consultant and Former Vice President of Education,
California State PTA

Mary Perry is an independent education consultant specializing in K-12 education policy research, writing, and analysis. She served as vice president of education for the California State PTA and was deputy director of EdSource for 18 years, where she became a recognized expert on California’s public school finance system and authored numerous publications on the subject. She was also an adjunct lecturer in the Educational Doctorate program at San Francisco State University and a governing board member for the Campbell Union School District. Perry is currently a volunteer with the Climate Ready Schools Coalition, CA State PTA, and Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley, working to connect climate change and education policy. She earned her BA in journalism from the University of Oregon and an MA in liberal arts from Stanford University.

updated 2025

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
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
Contributing initiatives
Getting Down To Facts II
LCFF Research Collaborative
Mary Perry in the Media
: Summer Learning—A Smart Investment for California School Districts
: 24 Ideas for Improving the Local Control Funding Formula
: Expanding Learning: A Powerful Strategy for Equity
: Report Questions Impact of Brown’s Finance Formula on Career Tech
Publications by Mary Perry
Expanding Learning
A Powerful Strategy for Equity
Achievement gaps in education cannot be solved by looking at the school day alone, as young people also have varied experiences outside of school. Free and affordable learning experiences after school and in the summer are essential strategies for…
School Finance Reform
Can It Support California’s College and Career-ready Goal?
California’s school finance system has been criticized for being irrational, inequitable, and inefficient. The proposed Local Control Funding Formula aims to simplify funding and give local leaders more control, but raises questions about balancing…
School Finance Reform
A Weighted Pupil Formula for California
Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California’s school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while…