Michael Kirst

Michael Kirst is professor emeritus of education at Stanford University. He served on the California State Board of Education from 1975 to 1982, and returned to serve as board president from 2011 to 2019. Before he joined the Stanford faculty in 1969, he held several positions in the federal government, including director of program planning for elementary and secondary education in the US Office of Education. He has been a member of the National Academy of Education since 1979. He was vice president of the American Educational Research Association and a commissioner of the Education Commission of the States. He co-founded Policy Analysis for California Education. He is author of Political Dynamics of American Education and coauthor of From High School to College. As a policy generalist, he has published articles on school finance politics, curriculum politics, intergovernmental relations, as well as education reform policies. He holds a PhD in political economy and government from Harvard University.