Research Institute ForSocial Equity

Charity Scott, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration and a faculty researcher at the L. Douglas Wilder School’s Research Institute for Social Equity. Research interests in education policy and management are informed by experience as a K-12 classroom teacher in an urban setting and prior work with community organizations advocating for improved education outcomes. Utilizing public administration theory across policy and management topics—such as representative bureaucracy and governance—and employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Scott focuses on racially and socially equitable, community-inclusive research that prioritizes community issues and existing intersectional power dynamics.

Scott’s work examines the institutional environments in which schools operate and the influence of powerful actors—including nonprofit and philanthropic organizations—that have shaped educational policy and contributed to the emergence of new publicly funded educational service providers, such as charter schools and private voucher schools, thereby diversifying the K-12 marketplace. Scott is particularly interested in how these changes within the educational and broader urban landscape impact the experiences and outcomes of students—especially those who have been historically disadvantaged—as well as their families and communities. Additionally, Scott explores how communities and individuals engage in school governance to influence the policy process, fostering community self-determination within education.