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Raise Your Hand for Equity in Education

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Teacher shortages, lack of diversity, outdated policies, inequitable access - learn how to be a part of the evolution of the education system at the American University School of Education.

AERA Award and Faculty Presentations

The American Educational Research Association's Meeting

Faculty and alumni presentations and an award were given.

Dr. Cheyenne Batista '22 (pictured center with Dr. Samantha Cohen and Dr. Amaarah DeCuir) was awarded the prestigious AERA Division A 2023 Award for Outstanding Dissertation, and many SOE faculty presented at the Annual Meeting in Chicago on April 13-16. It is the largest annual gathering of scholars in the field of education research.

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Stronger Start Documentary Series

LEARN ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN DC

FROM AN INFORMATIVE DCTV DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Watch the insightful first episode of the documentary series, Stronger Start: Building Better Child Care, which details the challenges of (and solutions for) early childhood education in Washington, DC, highlights our Child Development Associate (CDA®) program, and features SOE Dean Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy.

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SIEEJ 2023 Homepage Promo Image

Educators: Register Now

Theme: Eradicating the Stigma: Prioritizing Mental Health in PreK-16 Education

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AU held an in-person commencement procession for the Class of 2021.

Education ·

The 2023 Commencement at the School of Education

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Community-Based Heritage Language Schools Conference

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Faculty, Staff, Student, & Alumni Accomplishments

  • Dr. Brian L. McGowan, Provost Associate Professor in the School of Education, was quoted in a U.S. News and World Report article about what commuter students need to know. [June 6, 2023]
  • Dr. Ocheze Joseph, Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education, was quoted in this Ed Surge article on how teachers who take part in tutoring enter the field with greater experience. [May 30, 2023]
  • Dr. Amaarah DeCuir has been selected as an American Educational Research Association (AERA) Leadership for Social Justice Action Committee member. [May 17, 2023]
  • Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy and SOE Child Development Associate (CDA) program Assistant Director Gabrielle Harris are featured in the five-part DCTV documentary series, Stronger Start: Building Better Child Care. Watch all five episodes here. [May 17, 2023]
  • SOE Sr. Professorial Lecturer Dr. Phelton Moss delivered the keynote address, "Building Racially Just Schools: Addressing Salient Issues Facing Students Who Have Been Racially Minoritized,” at the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) Institute. [May 17, 2023]
  • Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Gregory. C. Hutchings, Jr., joined the Black Agenda Radio's podcast episode, "School Safety for Black Students," to discuss a recent study reflecting that law enforcement has a more significant presence in Black and Latino schools than in white schools. [May 17, 2023]
  • This summer, SOE Sr. Professorial Lecturer Dr. Phelton Moss will launch a new podcast, All Means All, discussing education policy issues with a focus on underserved groups. Stay tuned to our social media platforms for more details. [May 17, 2023]
  • Urban Teachers program faculty member Dr. Deepa Srikantaiah co-wrote a Holistic Education Review article, "Plurality, Equity and Meaning Making with Indigenous Knowledges," about how indigenous knowledges differ from Western scientific concepts, and their importance in education. [May 17, 2023]
  • SOE Sr. Professorial Lecturer Dr. Phelton Moss became a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Education Innovation Education Fellow and penned an op-ed, "Book Bans: An Act of Policy Violence Promoting Anti-Blackness," for The Crisis. [May 17, 2023]
  • Assistant Professor Dr. Emily Peterson was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award and $1.3M grant to examine the role of curiosity in students' learning about scientific phenomena. [April 15, 2023]
  • Associate Dean Dr. Corbin Campbell penned a USA Today op-ed, "Should You Use College Rankings to Pick a Good School?" Campbell's new book, Great College Teaching: Where It Happens and How to Foster It Everywhere, will be released next week. View the video of her recent book talk here. [April 15, 2023]
  • Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth A. Worden released a book, Citizen Education in a Divided Society: Lessons from Curricula and Practice in Northern Ireland, about teaching citizenship after the Northern Ireland conflict. [April 15, 2023]
  • Professorial Lecturer Dr. William Thomas wrote an article on motivational awareness, "Discovering Motivational Awareness with African Epistemology," for Medium. [April 15, 2023]
  • Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Antonio Ellis, Professor Dr. Sarah Irvine Belson, and SOE students contributed chapters to the book, Critical Literacy and Its Impact on Black Boys’ Reading Readiness. [April 15, 2023]
  • Professorial Lecturer Dr. Tracy Spesia co-authored a chapter, "Embracing edTPA: Our Journey With Data-Informed Practices," in Effectively Using Data for Educator Preparation Program. [April 15, 2023]
  • Professorial Lecturer Dr. Terence Ngwa wrote a review of the book, Re-Envisioning Education: Affirming Diversity and Advancing Social Justice. [April 15, 2023] 
  • Sr. Professorial Lecturer Dr. Altheria Caldera authored a CTRL Beat article, "Black Faculty and the AB(USE) of Power," examining the responsibilities of Black faculty members dealing with the subject of anti-Black racism. [April 15, 2023]
  • SOE Dean Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy and Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, President Emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges, co-authored a call to action for higher education faculty and staff in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. [March 17, 2023]
  • Dr. Cheyenne Batista (EdD ’22) was awarded the prestigious American Education Research Association (AERA) Division A 2023 Award for Outstanding Dissertation for her dissertation, “‘I Am Not Scary. I Am Strong. There’s a Difference.’ Disrupting Misogynoir and Transforming Interpersonal Conflict for Black Women Education Leaders: A Multiple Case Study.” [March 17, 2023]
  • In March, the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Conference included SOE ITEP faculty Dr. Elizabeth A. Worden, Dr. Michael Gibbons, Dr. Jisun Jeong, and program alum Adam Medadi (MA '22) as members of its planning committee and as presenters and participants. [March 17, 2023]
  • In a video interview on Faculti - an academic streaming platform covering the latest research, analysis and educational support resources - Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr.Altheria Caldera offers her insights on classroom management in urban schools.  [March 17, 2023]
  • Instructional Coach for Urban Teachers in Dallas and SOE Adjunct Instructor Calago Hipps shares his reflections on Black History Month and his inspiration to become an educator. [March 17, 2023]

  • Senior Professorial Lecturer Dr. Amaarah DeCuir co-authored the newly released book, Islamic-Based Educational Leadership, Administration and Management. [February 15, 2023]

  • School counseling professionals, led by Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, penned a letter in The Chronicle of Higher Education about the recent Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies course debate. Read the letter here. [February 15, 2023]

  • Assistant Professor Dr. Robert Shand wrote a National Education Policy Center (NEPC) review, The System-Level Effects of Denver’s Portfolio District Strategy: Technical Report. He was also was quoted in two articles highlighting timely topics: policies allowing school choice and community schools. [February 15, 2023]

  • Dr. Altheria Caldera, Senior Professorial Lecturer, wrote an op-ed for The Hechinger Report, "Growing Up in the South, I Had No Chance to Learn About My Own Heritage and Culture." [February 15, 2023]

  • In this 60-second video, Associate Dean Dr. Corbin M. Campbell describes her research on student-centered teaching and equitable student outcomes. [January 18, 2023]

  • Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Anderson Worden published the book Citizenship Education in a Divided Society: Lessons from Curricula and Practice in Northern Ireland, based on her ethnographic research in Northern Ireland. The e-book is available with hard copies out in late January. [January 18, 2023]

VIEW ADDITIONAL FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Dr. Gary Deshun Hamilton EdD ’23 gave a rousing graduate student speech, "The Bold Promise of Tomorrow" at SOE's Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony. [May 17, 2023]
  • Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) MEd program student Bailey Haines will serve as President of SOE's Graduate Student Council, alongside fellow EPL students Angeliki Paper-Kosiori (Vice President), Kissiah Valle (Dir. of Finance), Derrick Brown (Dir. of Communications), and others. [May 17, 2023]
  • AU education alum Florence Elizabeth Carmichael Adams will turn 100 this August. Read her grandson Jason Campbell's fascinating Washington Post op-ed, "My Grandma Has Always Made the Hardest Things Seem Simple — Even Living to 100." [May 17, 2023]
  • SOE secondary education majors Alli Sattler and Nathaniel Smith presented research projects virtually in conjunction with AU's Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning (CTRL) Student Partners program. Sattler presented "Increasing Inclusivity in STEM Classrooms" and Smith presented "Varying Means of Participation to Support All Learners." [May 17, 2023]
  • Emily Warshaw, a student in the Master of Arts in Special Education program, was quoted in an article about her taking part in the Future of Work Institute that took place in April. [May 17, 2023]
  • Amanda Muniz as the AU Recipient of the Maryland Association of Teacher Educators - Distinguished Teacher Candidate Award for 22-23. [May 17, 2023]
  • EdD 2022 alum Dr. Cheyenne Batista was awarded the 2023 Division A Outstanding Dissertation Award at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in Chicago. [April 15, 2023]
  • Shareen Fernanders (EdD '23), Gary Hamilton (EdD, '23), and SOE faculty contributed chapters to the book, Critical Literacy and Its Impact on Black Boys’ Reading Readiness. [April 15, 2023]
  • Dr. Cheyenne Batista (EdD ’22) was awarded the prestigious American Education Research Association (AERA) Division A 2023 Award for Outstanding Dissertation for her dissertation, “‘I Am Not Scary. I Am Strong. There’s a Difference.’ Disrupting Misogynoir and Transforming Interpersonal Conflict for Black Women Education Leaders: A Multiple Case Study.” [March 17, 2023]
  • Lynne Brenner Ganek, SOE Advisory Board member and adjunct faculty member, presented to the Producing Multi-Platform Content class at Canisius College. Students explored and produced an episode of an original podcast series, a video trailer for the podcast series, and related social media content. [March 17, 2023]
  • Students Francesca Smith (EdD '23) and Madelyn Smith (MEd '25) presented at the March 2023 Council for Exceptional Children Convention and Expo. Francesca presented the poster, "Leveraging Biliteracy for Equitable Outcomes in Dual Language English Reading Instruction." Madelyn presented the paper, "Supporting Literacy Identity through Culturally Responsive Practices in Reading Intervention.” [March 17, 2023]
  • In March, the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Conference included SOE ITEP program alum Adam Medadi (MA '22) and faculty Dr. Elizabeth A. Worden, Dr. Michael Gibbons, Dr. Jisun Jeong, and as members of its planning committee and as presenters and participants. [March 17, 2023]

  • Listen to Apple's Science of Reading podcast, "Celebrating Many Meanings: Language Comprehension and Bidialectal Students," featuring Jasmine Rogers (EdD '23). [February 15, 2023]

  • SOE Advisory Board member Tiffany Williams (MA, SPA '07) became the President and CEO of Martha’s Table, a DC-based nonprofit organization focused on developing strong children, strong families and strong communities. [February 15, 2023]

  • Dr. Shayna Cook (EdD '22/MEd '14) was recently appointed to Assistant State Superintendent for the Maryland State Department of Education's Division of Early Childhood. [February 15, 2023]

  • Dr. Afie Mirshah-Nayar (MAT-ESOL), Principal of Paint Branch High School (MCPS), is a finalist for the Mark Mann award, annually presented to exceptional Montgomery County Public Schools administrators. [February 15, 2023]

  • Taylor Myers (MEd '22) attended a Future of Work event sponsored by Deloitte and was interviewed about his experience. [January 18, 2023]

  • Our Future Teacher Tutors program, a partnership with DC Public Schools that seeks to boost below-grade-level readers, was featured in a headline article by The 74 Million. Quoting student Isabel Chae and SOE faculty and staff, it highlights that amid labor shortages, hiring from teacher prep programs like ours could add half a million new tutor candidates nationally. [January 18, 2023]

  • Ann Friedman MAT '98 received the President's Circle Lead Changemaker Award, recognizing her as both a role model and a powerful example of an AU Changemaker for her impactful work in the arena of literacy. She is the founder and CEO of Planet Word, a language arts museum where words and literacy come to life. Read a story about her amazing career and an American University Magazine article about how important words are to her. [November 17, 2022]

  • Dr. Cheyenne E. Batista ’22 won the '2022 CPED Dissertation in Practice of the Year' award. Read more. [September 26, 2022]
  • Students with Education Minor Win DHS Award. AU students and alum created tools to prevent targeted violence. Read more. [July 1, 2022]

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