About

We know that school funding policies are often arbitrary and don’t align with what students need to succeed. Policymakers and advocates are left to make critical decisions about their school finance formulas without the benefit of relevant or translatable research.

In some cases, the research is simply not aligned to policymakers’ questions. Where it exists, research is rarely accessible and actionable. Researchers, advocates, and policymakers rarely connect.

EdFund is addressing this critical gap in four ways: We curate existing research and identify policy-relevant questions; commission research to address gaps; communicate digestible, actionable insights; and connect a diverse group of researchers, policymakers, and advocates.

Our Team

EdFund’s work is generally shared between two divisions: research and policy. Our research division is focused on working with advocates and policymakers to develop an in-demand research agenda and oversees our direct financial investment in diverse, actionable research projects. Our policy and communications division is responsible for ensuring that research related to school funding is translated for the press, advocates, and decision makers in a digestible and engaging manner.

Rebecca Sibilia

Rebecca Sibilia is the Executive Director of EdFund. Prior to starting the organization, Rebecca served as a Senior Program Officer for Policy and Finance at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Rebecca also launched and led EdBuild, a five-year project focused on raising national awareness related to the inequitable outcomes stemming from arbitrary school funding policies across the country. EdBuild’s work was featured on NPR, in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times and Time, Newsweek, and the Atlantic Magazine, and has been cited in seven Presidential candidates’ platforms.

Kailey Spencer

As director of research, Kailey Spencer leverages 15 years of experience in education data and policy to develop and oversee EdFund’s research agenda, evaluate proposals, and help connect researchers to policymakers and advocates. She previously worked as a senior research associate at the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, focusing on criminal justice issues, and as a research associate for the New York City Department of Education. Kailey was the senior data analyst for EdBuild, where her work revealed how education funding formulas and school boundary decisions were shortchanging students from low-income families and students of color.

Phyllis Jordan

Phyllis Jordan, the policy and communications director, is responsible for connecting with partner organizations and translating school finance research into actionable tools for policymakers and advocates. Phyllis previously worked as associate director of FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University, where she wrote extensively about Covid-relief spending in school districts and about chronic absenteeism.

Sharon Agnello

Sharon serves as Director of Operations for EdFund, managing day-to-day operations, partnership development, copyediting and product development, and events planning.