David Blazar, Ed.D.

Bio

David Blazar is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland College Park in the Education Policy program, as well as the faculty director of the Maryland Equity Project and a faculty affiliate in the Department of Economics and the School of Public Policy. With training in the economics of education and education policy, Blazar's research examines the efficient, effective, and equitable allocation of educational resources, focusing in particular on resources related to teachers. His research portfolio examines: (1) characteristics of effective teachers (e.g., training, demographics) and effective teaching (e.g., classroom practice) that improve student outcomes; (2) whether and how varied instructional resources (e.g., professional development, curricula, evaluation) improve teacher practice and student outcomes; and (3) labor market policies and practices that successfully recruit and retain teachers in the profession. His research has been published in Nature Communication, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Educational Researcher, Review of Educational Research, among others. Education Week named Blazar one of the most influential education scholars in the United States. He received the Excellence in Scholarship (Pre-Tenure) award from the University of Maryland College of Education, and the Jean Flanigan Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Education Finance and Policy. He received his doctorate and master's degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and his bachelor's degree in history and literature from Harvard College. Prior to graduate school, he taught high-school English Language Arts in New York City.