Rekha Balu completed her PhD in the Economics of Education program at the Stanford University School of Education. She studies school finance and teacher policies. Her dissertation consists of three essays addressing the measurement, causes and consequences of school district revenue instability. She builds on theory and empirical evidence in education, economics and public administration to address under-explored research questions of immediate policy concern. Working with large-scale panel datasets, she also has studied the role of schools in post-conflict countries, and the impact of health on education outcomes in developing countries. Previously, she served as Associate Director of the Center for Universal Education in Washington, D.C., a Fulbright Scholar in Guatemala, a legislative budget analyst, and a journalist. She received her M.A. in Economics from Stanford University, her Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her B.S. from Northwestern University.