Leading Equity

Order the Leading Equity Book Today! 

Sarah Said

Sarah Said is an educator who has served in various roles: Teacher, Assistant Principal, Dean, Curriculum Coordinator and Multilingual Coordinator. Sarah is an advocate for the students she serves and is a strong voice in education. She has been published in various publications such as Learning for Justice, EdWeek Teacher, The Teaching Channel and Edutopia.

Show Highlights

•  Integrating Yoga in the classroom
• SEL for multilingual learners
• Trauma informed practices
• SEL strategies

Connect with Sarah

Twitter

4 Ways to Reduce Smartphone Distractions

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

Order the Leading Equity Book Today! 

Dr. Dionne McLaughlin

Dionne V. McLaughlin: Executive Director of Critical Reflections on Racial Equity Inc. (CRREI) and an Associate Professor at North Carolina Central University. She is a British-born Black Jamaican American educator who is an experienced bilingual principal. Recent publications: Book: Personalized Principal Leadership Practices: Eight Strategies for Leading Equitable, High Achieving Schools, Book Insights: How Expert Principals Make Difficult Decisions.    

Dr. McLaughlin has led workshops on culturally responsive teaching, leading equitable schools and making effective leadership decisions for teachers, principals/assistant principals. Presentations: MDA Conference, Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) Fall Professionals Conference, ASCD, NASSP, Illinois Principals Association Conference and NAESP.  

Show Highlights

• 8 Equity Strategies 

Connect with Dr. McLaughlin

Website

Create academic affinity groups and scholar support programs for African American and Latinx students

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Amplifying Student Voices Program

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

A. Lin Goodwin, Ph.D

A. Lin Goodwin (葛文林) is the Thomas More Brennan Chair of Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College. Prior to joining Boston College, she was Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong (2017-2022) and Vice Dean at Teachers College, Columbia University (TCCU) in New York (2011-2017), where she was also held the Evenden Foundation Chair in Education. Professor Goodwin served as Vice President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)—Division K: Teaching and Teacher Education (2013-2016), and is currently a Senior Research Fellow of the Learning Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. She recently received the Spencer Foundation Mentor Award honoring her work with emerging academics and doctoral students; she was named the inaugural Ruth Wong Professor of Teacher Education by the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in 2015. She is the recipient of several multi-million-dollar U.S. federal grants to support TR@TC, an innovative teaching residency program at TCCU that she designed and launched in 2009; the program is currently in its 13th successful year.

Dr. Goodwin has authored over a hundred publications focusing on teacher/teacher educator beliefs, identities and development; equitable education and powerful teaching for immigrant and minoritized youth; international analyses and comparisons of teacher education practice and policy; and the experiences of Asian/Asian American teachers and students in U.S. schools. Her publications appear in top journals such as Teachers College Record, Journal of Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Urban Education and Review of Research in Education. Recent publications include “Lessons from an expert teacher of immigrant youth: A portrait of social justice teaching” (with Rebecca Stanton) in Equity and Excellence in Education, and “Professional knowledge for successfully teaching diverse students: A comparative analysis of perspectives from South Africa, Canada and Hong Kong” (with HKU colleagues Hoang, Chian and Au), Handbook of International Teacher Education. She has been recognized for her research and scholarship with awards such as Distinguished Researcher from the AERA SIG: Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans, and Distinguished Scholar from AERA’s Committee on the Role and Status of Minorities in Educational Research and Development (now Committee on Scholars of Color).

Show Highlights

• When the local language is the biggest barrier for students
• Forgetting about the human side of our students
• Case study on master teaching
• Key teaching strategies

Connect with Dr. Goodwin

Faculty Page

Lessons from an Expert Teacher on Immigrant Youth: A Portrait of Social Justice Teaching

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today! 

Peter Bjorklund, Jr., Ph.D.

​Peter Bjorklund Jr., PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego in the Department of Education Studies and lecturer in the Human Developmental Sciences Program. His work centers on social network analysis, belonging, trust, and well-being in K-16 settings.

Ramon Stephens

Ramon Stephens is a PhD Candidate in Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego and incoming Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University. Ramon brings 20 years of experience in equity, diversity and inclusion work. His research focuses on identity and sense of belonging for children and adults. Ramon is a UC President's fellow, Baker Fellow, S.E.E.D Fellow and a recipient of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) teaching award at UC San Diego. His work supports equity based programming and collaborative partnerships that foster diversity, cultural competence, and organizational development. Ramon is the founder and Executive Director of The Conscious Kid, an education nonprofit dedicated to supporting families, educators and organizations in learning about and taking action against systemic inequity and racism. Ramon has presented his research at conferences including Stanford's Race, Inequality, Language and Education (RILE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). He currently teaches two courses on critical media literacy and DEI in the Human Developmental Sciences program at UC San Diego.

Show Highlights

·        Sense of belonging

·        Student centered education

·        School belonging and classroom belonging

·        Student-Teacher relationships

Connect with Peter and Ramon

Whoa. You Speak Mexican?”: Latina/o High School Students’ Sense of Belonging in Advanced Placement and Honors Classes

The Conscious Kid

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Rose Kirk

Rose Stuckey Kirk is senior vice president and chief corporate social responsibility officer for Verizon.Rose is responsible for Verizon’s Corporate Social Responsibility investment strategy and programmatic buildout. As a senior leader in the marketing organization, she oversees the strategic direction for all of Verizon’s social impact marketing activity. Rose’s background as a senior leader in various P&L functions has primed her to advance the social innovation work of Verizon.

Show Highlights

• Verizon Innovative Schools
• Eligibility and how to get more information to join the program
• Curriculum and lessons

Connect with Rose

Verizon Innovative Learning is the company’s award-winning education initiative focused on addressing barriers to digital inclusion.

The Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, in partnership with nonprofit Digital Promise, equips students and teachers at select Title I schools across the country with free technology devices, internet access, innovative STEM learning programs and professional development. To learn more and to apply to Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, visit https://verizon.digitalpromise.org/

Leveraging its decade of experience working to help close the digital divide, Verizon is now scaling its education resources, including next-gen learning tools, digitally to reach all K-12 educators nationwide with Verizon Innovative Learning HQ: A free education portal, available at Verizon.com/Learning.

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Yujia Ding, Ed.D.

Dr. Yujia Ding is a scientist by training and a passionate educator with the hope of making science accessible to all individuals, regardless of abilities. She hopes to use her combined personal and professional experiences to strive to break down barriers so all individuals have the opportunity to pursue what it is they have their heart set on. She was selected as one of the Los Angeles Unified School District Rookies of the Year in 2020 - 2021 and is a Distinguished Teacher in Dallas Independent School District.

Show Highlights

• The unemployment rates of STEM individuals with disabilities
• Transition services and IEPs
• STEM education for students with disabilities
• Able bodied idea

Connect with Yujia

Linkedin

Email

My Journey Navigating STEM as a Person Who Identifies with a Disability

Making STEM Accessible: Breaking Down Barriers for Differently Abled Scientists: An Educational Workshop on Understanding Disability and Opening Doors for All Abilities in STEM

How I Encourage Inclusive Teaching in My STEM Classrooms Through Leading by Example

My Personal Recommendations for Ways to Create an Inclusive Environment for Students With Disabilities by Yujia Ding

New Matter: Inside the Minds of SLAS Scientists

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Kathleen Riley, Ph.D.

​Kathleen Riley earned her bachelors in English at Colby College, her master's in teaching at American University, and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania's Reading, Writing, and Literacy program. Her teaching and scholarship interests include adolescent literacy, critical literacy education, teacher inquiry and activism, gender and sexuality in education, and teaching for social justice. Before joining the faculty at West Chester, Dr. Riley taught in the public schools in Washington DC, Fairfax County, VA, Newton, MA, and Boston, MA, in the Upward Bound program for high school students in Philadelphia, and in various master's and doctoral programs at the University of Pennsylvania.

Katie Solic, Ph.D.

Courses Typically Taught: Foundations in Reading, Reading Instruction and Practicum, Assessment and Instructional Interventions in Reading and Language Arts, Reading in the Content Areas, Literacy Practicum and Seminar II Katie Solic earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, her M.Ed. in Reading Education from the University of Florida, and her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Dr. Solic brings experience as a language arts teacher and literacy specialist at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in both public and independent school settings. She began her college teaching experience as an adjunct instructor at West Chester University. Prior to joining the faculty at West Chester University full-time, Dr. Solic served as a Michael Pressley Memorial Research Fellow at Benchmark School in Media, PA. Her research focuses on meeting the needs of striving readers and the teachers dedicated to supporting them.

Show Highlights

• Abolitionist teacher education
• Introducing abolitionist education to teacher candidates
• Feedback and observations from participants
• Opportunities for more participants
• Community engaged teacher education
• Best practices

Connect with Kathleen and Katie

Kathleen’s Faculty Page

Katie’s Faculty Page

Abolitionist Teacher Education in the Contact Zone: Tensions of Facilitating Teacher Candidate Learning in Activist Educator Spaces

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Ryan Oto, Ph.D.

Ryan Oto has taught social studies in Minnesota for 10 years. He earned his B.A. from Carleton College (2009) and received both his M.A. (2016) and Ph.D. (2021) in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota, exploring the ways that teachers worked against anti-Black racism through their relationships with Black and Brown youth. Ryan exists in the space between the academy and K-12 schools, guided by the philosophy that research should improve communities. He has published in scholarly journals such as Race Ethnicity and Education and The Journal of Social Studies Research, and works as an instructional leader for a local public school district, developing anti-racist approaches to teaching.

Show Highlights

• The idea of starting an affinity space
• Participation in affinity spaces
• Creating White Affinity spaces
• Dealing with pushback

Connect with Ryan

We didn’t have to go through those barriers”: Culturally affirming learning in a high school affinity group

Marking the “Invisible”: Articulating Whiteness in Social Studies Education

Becoming Critical: Exploring the confluence of justice, belonging, and love with 6th grade youth

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Amplifying Student Voices Program

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Michelle Pledger, Ed.D.

Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger is the Director of Liberation at the Center for Research on Equity and Innovation, a center that brings together practitioners, researchers and youth to address complex problems of practice in K-12 education and create more equitable, engaging learning environments for all students. She co-directed the Share Your Learning Campaign which spread student-centered practices (exhibitions, student led conferences, and presentations of learning) to 5 million students. Michelle is also a co-designer of annual Deeper Learning conferences across the country, and recently supported the design and facilitation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Networked School Improvement Community of Practice Fall Convening. As a faculty member at High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education, she co-teaches Justice: Self, Schools, and Society in the San Diego Teacher Residency Program, Leadership for School Change in the Master’s Program, and she coaches teachers on liberatory project-based learning. As a Freedom Facilitator, Michelle provides professional development for organizations and districts who seek to liberate self, others, and systems.

Michelle has been recognized as a Yale University Bouchet Graduate Honor Society member, a David L. Clark Scholar, a Billions Institute Fellow, a Chrispeels Doctoral Fellow, a Shoephlin Fellow, a recipient of the National Society of High School Scholars Higher Education Award, as well as the Inter-American Development Award. She was recently awarded the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award by the CSUSM College of Health and Human Services. She earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in social justice education through a joint doctoral program at the University of California, San Diego and California State University, San Marcos. Her research focused on cultivating culturally responsive teaching and classroom management self-efficacy in novice and veteran teachers for the purpose of improving academic opportunities and outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students. She holds a Master’s degree in Pacific International Affairs and a Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a minor in Clinical Psychology. 

Michelle is committed to disrupting inequity in education and cultivating a community of practitioners who honor the lived experiences of all their students and educators. Her book, LIBERATE! Pocket-Sized Paradigms for Liberatory Learning is a must read for any educator who aspires to design educational experiences that are responsive to culturally and linguistically diverse young people. Whether it is through the vehicle of project-based learning, culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogy, or freedom facilitation, her hope is to develop educators and young people who think critically, act empathetically, and live a life of liberation.

Show Highlights

• Liberation
• Contribution and semantics
• Liberating our consciousness
• Liberation work is lifetime work

Connect with Michelle

Michelle’s Website

LIBERATE! Pocket-Sized Paradigms for Liberatory Learning

Email

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Additional Resources

Book Dr. Eakins

Amplifying Student Voices Program

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Order the Leading Equity Book Today!

Kristina Brezicha, Ph.D.

​Kristina Brezicha is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Georgia State University. She holds a dual-title Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University in Educational Theory and Policy and Comparative International Education.

Brezicha’s research interests focus on how education supports individuals’ abilities to equitably participate in the democratic processes at both the local and national levels. Her research considers domestic and international contexts. Specifically, she has studied how immigrant students’ experiences of in/exclusion in their schools has shaped their knowledge, attitudes, habits and dispositions towards the political process in the U.S. and Canada. She has also examined how teachers, educational leaders and school boards have facilitated educational opportunities for diverse student populations. She has presented her work at conferences such as American Educational Research Association annual meeting, University Council for Educational Administration Convention and Comparative and International Education Society Conference.

Before pursuing her doctorate, Brezicha taught kindergarten through fifth-grade special education students in New York City. She holds a Masters of Arts in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters of Science in Urban Education from Mercy College.​

Chandler Miranda, Ph.D.

Professor Chandler Miranda is an urban ethnographer and education scholar who studies the educational experiences of recently arrived immigrant youth in urban public schools. Her research offers a hopeful look at uncommon schools while critiquing U.S. education policies rooted in ideologies of monolingualism, white supremacy, and xenophobia. 

Miranda’s work investigating teacher rhetoric following the 2016 presidential election is published in Anthropology & Education Quarterly (2017) and two co-authored articles that examine the experiences of immigrant students and their families in adverse political climates appear in Harvard Educational Review (2019 and 2021). In 2020, Leadership and Policy in Schools published “Segregation or Sanctuary,” in which Professor Miranda and her colleague argue for the possibilities of counterpublics for immigrant students. In 2022, Equity & Excellence in Education published a cross-case analysis comparing immigrant youth experiences of belonging in urban and rural schools. She has presented this research at the American Educational Research Association, the University Council for Educational Administration, and the American Anthropological Association. Her collaborative work has allowed her to publish critical case studies to look across time, place, and population to advance the field of immigrant education.

Miranda’s teaching experience spans high school to graduate courses.  She taught 9th-12th grade science for seven years in three different schools for English learners in the U.S and Colombia before pursuing a Ph.D.  She taught pre-service teachers at Queens College before accepting her current position at Barnard. 

Show Highlights

• Immigrant-origin youth
• New Americans
• A sense of belonging
• Othering vs. Belonging
• Sense of belonging missteps
• Strategies for creating a sense of belonging for immigrant students

Connect with Kristina and Chandler

Kristina’s Faculty Page

Chandler’s Faculty Page

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Examining School Practices That Support Immigrant Students’ Feelings of Belonging

Additional Resources

Amplifying Student Voices January 19-21

Book Dr. Eakins

Watch The Art of Advocacy Show

Learn more about our Student Affinity Groups

Free Course on Implicit Bias

20 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activities

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies