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Lisa Chu

Research Analyst, CRPE

Background

Lisa Chu is a research analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She previously served as the Paul T. Hill Policy Fellow during her graduate studies. Prior to joining CRPE, Lisa worked for Project Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that helps school administrators evaluate and develop student programs. Lisa holds a BA in Economics and Sociology from the University of California, Irvine, and an MPA from the University of Washington.

lisa.chu@asu.edu

Publications

From Support to Priority: How Formal Structures Can Help Districts Protect Time for Civics Learning

Civic learning is having a moment. But what actually makes it stick as a priority in schools? New national survey data from the American School...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
AK Keskin
Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

The Politics of Budgets: How Fourteen Districts Reduced Spending While Protecting Student Learning Experiences

Fiscal crises are no longer the exception for school districts; they’re the new normal. This report examines how 14 districts and charter networks cut costs...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Paul Hill
Founder, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE

A Mile Wide, an Inch Deep: The State of Civic Learning in U.S. School Districts

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, civic learning is having a moment—but new data suggest that more support is needed to move students...
AK Keskin
Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

AI Use in Schools Is Quickly Increasing but Guidance Lags Behind (RAND)

Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE

Beyond the Headlines: What Civics Education Looks Like Right Now

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, debates over democracy, rights, and free speech dominate headlines. At the same time,...
Maddy Sims
Senior Fellow, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

What Counts as Civics? A Look at How Districts Define and Facilitate Civic Learning

A new report from the American School District Panel, a research partnership between RAND and CRPE, examines how districts define and facilitate civic learning in...
Maddy Sims
Senior Fellow, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
AK Keskin
Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Melissa Kay Diliberti
Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation

What California Teachers Are Trying, Building, and Learning with AI

How are educators engaging with AI to support teaching and learning? In partnership with the Silicon Schools Fund, CRPE studied 18 California schools that piloted...
Chelsea Waite
Principal, CRPE
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

Launching Districtwide Innovation: Lessons Learned from a Year of Pursuing Bold Ideas for Systemic Change

What does it really take to pilot bold, systemwide innovation in public education? Over the 2023–24 school year, CRPE partnered with 11 districts across the...
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Michael Berardino
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Bree Dusseault
Principal and Managing Director, CRPE
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE

Running Fast but Not Getting Far: Five Years of Studying the Pandemic’s Impact on Education

This report distills five years of research to understand how the pandemic reshaped public education. Drawing from over 100 reports and articles, we examine the...
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Paul Hill
Founder, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Daniel Silver
Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Applied Research in Education

A “Good Life” after High School: How Schools Can Help Students Prepare

Today’s students are struggling after they leave the K-12 system: fewer students are enrolling in college, and more of those who enroll are floundering and...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Heather Casimere
Research Analyst Assistant, CRPE

“So Hard, but So Rewarding:” How School System Leaders Are Scaling Up Strategic School Staffing Models

Innovative staffing models are promising, but challenging to scale up. What does the work of leading strategic staffing involve, and what could make scaling up...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE

Interconnected Problems, Interconnected Strategies: Using “Strategy Braiding” to Address Teacher Workforce Challenges

This blog is part of a three-part series on school systems that have been implementing workforce innovations or strategic staffing solutions for several years. The...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE

Crossing the Chasm: Moving Innovative Staffing Models from Pilot to Mainstream

This blog is part of our series profiling three school systems several years into implementing workforce innovations or strategic staffing solutions. Scaling up innovations within...
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

Breaking the Teaching Mold—with Help from the Teachers’ Union

This blog is part of a three-part series profiling school systems that have been implementing workforce innovations or strategic school staffing models for several years....
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE

Innovation Spotlights: Case Studies in High School Redesign

Educators nationwide are forging their way in a landscape rocked by pandemic-induced disruptions. Training resources designed to spark new thinking among school staff often feel...
Chelsea Waite
Principal, CRPE
Cara Pangelinan
Research Analyst
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Naureen Madhani
Director of Research Strategy and Consulting, CPRL
Heather Casimere
Research Analyst Assistant, CRPE
Julia Skwarczynski
Guest Author
Joanna Pisacone
Guest Author
Maddy Sims
Senior Fellow, CRPE

Innovation in New England

CRPE partnered with The BARR Foundation to map the New England region’s landscape of learning.
Cara Pangelinan
Research Analyst
Chelsea Waite
Principal, CRPE
Christine Pitts
Senior Policy Fellow
Sarah McCann
Senior Project Manager, CRPE
Heather Casimere
Research Analyst Assistant, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

Despite Staff Shortages, Few Districts Are Making Teaching More Appealing

The exact cause of teacher shortages is still up for debate. Some experts argue that shortages are localized, while others say that the lack of...
Lydia Rainey
Principal, CRPE
Bree Dusseault
Principal and Managing Director, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

With better policies – and a little help – career-relevant education can move from the exception to the rule in schools

Administrators from eight districts who nurtured new learning options reflect on what worked – and what’s still needed.
Steven Weiner
Senior Research Analyst, CRPE
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE

How 100 large and urban districts are attracting and retaining staff

As part of CRPE’s ongoing review of how large districts are responding to the pandemic and planning to spend their federal COVID-19 relief dollars, we...
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Chelsey Shen
Junior Research Intern

Analysis: New England districts’ plans for spending federal relief funds

Our analysis reveals dozens of New England districts’ federal spending priorities as they move forward with pandemic recovery.
Lisa Chu
Research Analyst, CRPE
Cara Pangelinan
Research Analyst
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