Debra Haas serves as the principal consultant for Haas Policy and directs the research efforts of the firm. Since 1986, Ms. Haas has worked in the areas of public education, school finance research, and long-range planning. She has served as author and editor of numerous policy reports, staff director for special legislative committees, and has been deposed on issues relating to school facilities in the Edgewood school finance litigation.

From 1986 to 1992 she worked for the Texas Education Agency in Department of Research on a variety of projects including the research team for the Edgewood litigation and as the project manager for $5 million in contracts for a legislatively required inventory of all public school facilities. From 1992-1998 she served as a senior analyst at the Texas Legislative Budget Board where she was responsible for ongoing research and evaluation of school finance in Texas.

Debra Haas holds a Bachelor's Degree in Government from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her career has included service on the Editorial Board of the Texas Researcher, published by the Texas Center for Educational Research, and as a member of the board of directors of the American Education Finance Association. She also served as the moderator for the U.S. Department of Education sponsored NCES "Stat Chat" online discussion group for education finance.

In addition to serving as the principal consultant for Haas Policy Consulting, Inc., Ms. Haas has joined the faculty of the LBJ School as a lecturer specializing in educational equity and school finance. Her course, State Financing of Elementary and Secondary Education ­ Understanding the Relationship Between Equality and Equity, is currently being offered to second year Master's degree candidates.

Ms. Haas has also been recognized for outstanding volunteer service by the Austin (Texas) Independent School District, The Austin Children's Museum and Ballet Austin.