Dr. Ericka Weathers

Biography

Ericka Weathers is an assistant professor in the Policy, Organizations, Leadership, and Systems division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of inequality in K-12 education, examining how K-12 policies affect student outcomes. Her work has received funding from organizations such as the Russell Sage Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Weathers serves on the editorial board of the Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis journal and co-chairs the Scholars of Color Community Group for the Association for Education Finance Policy. In 2021, she was named a Spencer Foundation/National Academy of Education postdoctoral fellow for her research on racial disparities in special education decision points. Weathers employs quasi-experimental research methods to investigate the intersection of racial and socioeconomic inequality in education, particularly how certain policies contribute to or mitigate these disparities. Her areas of expertise include K-12 education policy, truancy, special education, and school finance.

Research Interests