Bruce D. Baker, Ed.D. is a Professor in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration at the Graduate School of Education, and is widely recognized as a leading scholar in the field of education finance. Serving in both academic and professional capacities, he has authored a multitude of peer-reviewed journal articles, policy briefs, editorials, books, and reports on topics including state school finance policy, teacher and administrator labor markets and preparation pipelines, charter school funding, and higher education finance and policy. Baker works to directly influence state policy and the equity and adequacy of resources available to children across states and nationwide using rigorous and accessible empirical research to inform legislative testimony.

Baker’s research involves the ongoing development of indicators for evaluating school funding equity and adequacy, and for understanding the connections between school funding and improving students' short and long term outcomes. He continues to work on funding cases in multiple states, and works closely with the media to dissect issues in the field. Since 2013, he has been consistently named among Education Week’s Top 200 university-based scholars doing the most to shape educational practice and policy.