Paul Bruno

Paul Bruno
Paul Bruno
Assistant Professor, Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, College of Education,
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

Paul Bruno is an assistant professor of education policy, organization, and leadership in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He uses quantitative methods to study school finance, school choice, resource allocation in schools, and teacher quality. In addition to writing policy briefs and reports for policymakers and practitioners, his research has been published in Review of Public Personnel Administration, Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of Education Finance, American Educational Research Journal, and Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. He is a member of the board of the National Education Finance Academy and has been an advisor to Deans for Impact. Bruno earned his MA in science and math education from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA in economics and a PhD in urban education policy from the University of Southern California. He also taught middle school science in Oakland and Los Angeles, California.

updated 2025

 

Contributing topics
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
Paul Bruno in the Media
: How Schools Can Help Children Recover from COVID Closures
: Sacramento City Schools Could Save Millions on Teachers’ Health Care. Will Union Play Ball?
: Separating Fiscal Fact from Fiction: Journalists Needed
Publications by Paul Bruno
Four Practical Challenges for High School Computer Science
Four Practical Challenges for High School Computer Science
California high schools face challenges in expanding computer science (CS) programs due to staffing issues, curricular capacity, school accountability pressure, and equitable access to CS coursework. This report discusses potential solutions based…
Charter Competition and District Finances
Evidence from California
This paper examines how the growth of charter schools affects traditional public schools' financial health in California. The study finds that higher charter enrollment is associated with lower per-pupil spending and fiscal health in traditional…
The Challenges of Employee and Retiree Health Benefit Costs for California Districts
This report highlights the challenges that California’s school districts face due to increasing employee health benefit costs, including retiree benefits. Such costs strain district budgets, making it harder to address other priorities, like…
GDTFII Brief Adequacy
Working Toward K–12 Funding Adequacy
California’s Current Policies and Funding Levels
California's education system aims to provide all public school students with a broad course of study consistent with state standards. However, many educators feel that the state's funding system does not provide adequate resources to meet these…