Dr. Jonathan E. Collins, Ph.D. is a community-engaged scholar whose research focuses on democratic governance, racial justice, the politics of education, and education technology. Collins is one of the leading experts on the study of school board politics, and he is responsible for leading a variety of projects focused on improving the American education system through democratic innovation. Collins has received national recognition for his leadership and scholarship. Education Week ranks him as one of the 150 most influential education policy scholars in the United States. In 2021, Collins was selected as an “Emerging Education Policy Scholar” by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). In 2017, he was also selected as a “40 Under 40 Emerging Civic Leader” by the Los Angeles Empowerment Congress.

As an analyst, he has been a regular commentator for Scripps News and the Black News Channel. His written commentary has been featured in the Washington Post, Education Week, the Brookings Institute, and the 74. He writes a regular column for Phi Delta Kappan.

Dr. Collins received a Ph.D. in political science and an M.A. in African American Studies from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), and he received a B.A. in English from Morehouse College.