Joshua Cowen

Joshua Cowen is a professor of education policy at Michigan State University and, for the 2024-25 academic year, Senior Fellow at the Education Law Center. He has been studying vouchers and other school choice programs since 2005. He has also partnered with state agencies, legislatures and other organizations on evaluations of a variety of education policies related to student development and teacher retention. Over the last two years, Cowen has written, testified and spoken widely on the harmful effects of voucher programs. His work has appeared in outlets like the Brookings Institution Chalkboard, Time Magazine, the Hechinger Report, the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Josh Cowen’s new book, The Privateers (Harvard Education Press: September 2024), is an inside look at voucher policymaking within the broader culture war battles.

Email Josh Cowen at jcowen@msu.edu