Cassidy Klutts, Ph.D.

Dr. Cassidy Klutts is the assistant director of governance for the K-12 Education Office, where she provides training and support to the governing boards of both new and existing Hillsdale Member Schools. Prior to joining Hillsdale, she earned her Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Arkansas’ Department of Education Reform. Her research covers classical and Christian education, school finance, board governance, and school choice initiatives, and her doctoral dissertation examines the growth and governance of classical and Christian education in America. Cassidy also serves on the board of directors for Anthem Classical Academy in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

What is the most inspiring part of your job?
"In addition to working alongside edifying colleagues for an institution that means the world to me, I am grateful for the opportunity to support classical school boards. Governance is a difficult yet worthy task."

Favorite classical quote:
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point." —C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Research 

• Which Characteristics Do School Boards Value When Hiring Heads of School? Experimental Evidence from American Christian Schools, Association of Christian Schools International, 2024
• The Growth and Governance of American Classical and Christian Schools, University of Arkansas, 2024
• How Michigan Schools Spent Their Extra Pandemic Funds, Mackinac Center, 2024
• The Demand of Texas Parents for Classical Charter Schools, Texas Public Policy Foundation, 2023
• Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, and Nonpublic Dollars, School Choice Demonstration Project, 2021
• Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities, School Choice Demonstration Project, 2021
• Making it Count: The Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Seven U.S. Cities, School Choice Demonstration Project, 2021