Dr. Pooya Almasi
Dr. Pooya Almasi is an Assistant Professor of Economics of Education in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University and the faculty research methodologist for the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED). He holds a PhD in Economics from Georgetown University.
As an empirical economist, Dr. Almasi’s research focuses on the economics of education, labor economics and public economics. He applies quantitative methods to analyze and evaluate educational programs and policies, with a strong focus on equity and impact. In his research on educator labor markets, Dr. Almasi explores the career mobility of teachers and principals by analyzing factors such as retention, attrition, salary, and job transitions to better understand workforce dynamics in education. His work on school finance advocates for the equitable allocation of resources by analyzing funding mechanisms and evaluating local and state education policies to ensure fair distribution across districts and schools. Additionally, Dr. Almasi explores student learning and outcomes in both K-12 and higher education, assessing how various instructional approaches and academic policies impact student success in both the short and long term.
Selected Publications:
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Applied Microeconomics, Economics of Education, School Finance, Labor Economics, Public Economics
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
“Educator Retention in Context: Understanding Patterns in Principal Turnover in Texas and Washington State during the COVID-19 Era.” forthcoming Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. (with Knight, D. S., Candelaria, C. A., Sun, M., Shin, J., and DeMatthews, D. E.)
“Financial Regulatory Cycles: A Political Economy Model.” Journal of Financial Intermediation (2025): 101164. (with Dagher, J., and Prato, C.)
“Teacher Retention in Early College High Schools and Texas STEM Academies: Unpacking the positive impacts of college and career readiness school models.” Education Economics (2025):1-32. (with Knight, D. S., Shin, J., and Duncheon, J.)
“Relevance of Education to Occupation: A New Empirical Approach Based on College Courses.” Education Economics 28.4 (2020): 370-383. (with Hadavand, A., Thomas, S., and Gharehgozli, O.)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
“Washington School Finance: Exploring the History and Present-day Challenges for Fiscal Equity.” Funding Public Schools in the United States, Indian Country, and US Territories (Book chapter 2023) Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. (with Knight, D. S., and Berge, J.)
