Jonathan Kaplan (he/him/his)

Jonathan Kaplan, Senior Policy Analyst, conducts research on education and tax policy issues to support the equitable allocation of state resources. Jonathan has authored various studies on educational policy and funding in California, including analyses of how state and federal policies impact public K-12 and postsecondary education and how California’s K-12 school funding compares to that in other states. Jonathan’s work on tax policy includes analyses of California’s corporation tax as well as providing analytical support to help public education advocates understand how tax revenue affects funding for California’s K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities.

Before joining the Budget Center in 2006, Jonathan taught law and United States history for seven years in Martinez, California, where he also served as chair of Alhambra High School's Social Science Department. Jonathan’s classroom experiences working with English learners motivate his interest in policies that promote multilingual educational opportunities. Jonathan holds a master's degree in education from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received his bachelor's degree in history from Yale University.

Jonathan enjoys cooking, seeing live music, and spending time outdoors with his spouse and son, especially biking, hiking, and skiing.