2021 Annual Meeting—Public Good: Power and Possibilities
 
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Public Good: Power and Possibilities Sessions

This series is developed by AERA 2019-2020 President Vanessa Siddle Walker and the 2020 annual meeting co-chairs Sheryl Jones Croft and Michelle A. Purdy. They have transformed what would have been the 2020 presidential sessions into a special “Power and Possibilities” series for the 2021 Annual Meeting. The series includes 26 of the original presidential sessions and a special opening session that will launch the series and frame its focus.

Public Good: Power and Possibilities Sessions Flyer [Click here to view PDF]

A Culturally Responsive Approach to Mental Health in Schools

Monday, April 12, 9:30 am - 11:00 am 

Session Participants:
Curriculum Trauma: Investigating the Mental Health Impact of Biased Curriculum Content
Stephen D. Hancock (University of North Carolina - Charlotte)
The Well-Being Agenda in Education: Triumph or Tyranny for Children's Mental Health?
Catriona O'Toole (Maynooth University)
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Mental Health in Schools
Sejal Parikh Foxx (University of North Carolina - Charlotte)
The Medicalizing of Mental Health Issues of Migrant Young People Which Are More Commonly the Result of Exclusionary and Racist Immigration Policies
Elaine Chase (University College London)
Chair: Stephen D. Hancock (University of North Carolina - Charlotte)
Discussant: Stephen D. Hancock (University of North Carolina - Charlotte)

Abstract:

Education professionals have recognized the impact of mental health on students' learning and achievement, documenting consistently the ways mental health affects students’ college completion, coursework deadlines, exam performance, financial stability, and successful transition from high school to university life and into the work force. Complicating the challenges faced by students are also the demands placed on university staff who are hired to support mental health. Often these staff are themselves overly stressed and at risk of burnout. In this session, scholars explore an array of symptoms of poor mental health on university campuses and consider the ways universities are successfully, and unsuccessfully, seeking to promote the emotional health of their student body and staff.

Assessment Literacy: The Heart of Teacher Education

Sunday, April 11, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Cindy M. Walker (Research Analytics Consulting, LLC)
Participant: Angela Woods (DeKalb County School District)
Discussant: Catherine S. Taylor (University of Washington)
Participant: Arturo Olivarez (The University of Texas - El Paso)
Participant: Debbie Durrence (Gwinnett County Public Schools)
Participant: Mark Holtzman (McKeesport School District)
Participant: Carl Cohn (Claremont Graduate University)
Participant: Michael J. Feuer (The George Washington University)
Participant: Calvin Watts (Superintendent of Kent, Washington Schools)

Abstract:

Many educators and educational researchers believe that large-scale standardized achievement tests are misused and abused, that they are the cause of the achievement gap, and that they do little to improve teaching and learning. The purpose of this session is not to refute these beliefs, but to sound an alarm bell for the need of teacher education programs to instill a deep conceptual assessment literacy in pre-service teachers. Participants will provide various perspectives as to why it is imperative for teachers to understand how to interpret and use evidence to make sound instructional decisions, create and utilize valid and reliable assessments to use in their classrooms, and evaluate the use of large-scale mandated tests, with respect to validity.

#Collaborations: Using Social Media to Enhance Partnerships, Learning, and Understanding

Saturday, April 10, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Session Participants:
Engaging and Empowering Practitioners as Researchers and Scholars Through Social Media Platforms and Mentorship
Aaron Jermaine Griffen (DSST Public Schools)
Educators Meet the Fifth Estate: A Social Media Vantage Into Teachers' Curation and Students' Success
Kaitlin T Torphy Knake (Michigan State University), Kenneth A. Frank (Michigan State University), Jiliang Tang (Michigan State University)
Always Tweet: How Socially Networked Researchers and Practitioners Are Solving the Social Network's Problems
Michael Caulfield (Washington State University)
Chair: Joseph E. Kahne (University of California - Riverside)
Discussant: Joseph E. Kahne (University of California - Riverside)

Abstract:

Social Media dominates many facets of professional and personal life, and the medium has changed how individuals interact with another, receive their news, and understand the world around them. Scholars, administrators, teachers, and organizational leaders have created collaborations about how to best use social media to enhance mentorship, learning, and understanding. In this session researchers and organizational leaders will address a) social media’s potential to advance productive interactions among researchers and practitioners and to enhance how teachers work together and curate information to improve student success, and b) researchers and organizations’ partnerships to counter students’ absorption of misinformation and to develop students’ ability to become more digitally literate.

Educators Take Action on Climate Change and Sustainability

Monday, April 12, 2:50 pm - 4:20 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Oren Pizmony Levy (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Chair: Joseph A. Henderson (Paul Smith's College)
Participant: Megan Bang (Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy Learning Sciences)
Participant: Christopher Emdin (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Participant: Meredith McDermott (New York City Department of Education)
Participant: Marcia McKenzie (University of Saskatchewan)
Participant: Frank Niepold (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Abstract:

Should educators function simply as recipients of policies prescribed bu individuals outside their schools or should educators speak directly about school conditions and student needs? In this session, the perspectives of research, journalism, and practice are incorporated to frame a conversation exploring the possibilities inherent in, and the attending risks of, professional educators working actively to eradicate injustice in schools. Both current practices and visionary possibilities are addressed.

I Am More Than a Ball: Rethinking Student-Athletes' Contributions and Challenges

Saturday, April 10, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm

Session Participants:
Chair: Jamel K. Donnor (William & Mary)
Discussant: Jamel K. Donnor (William & Mary)
Participant: Eddie Comeaux (University of California - Riverside)
Participant: Susan Mullane (University of Miami)
Participant: Amy Perko (The Knight Commission)
Participant: James W. Satterfield (Missouri State University)

Abstract:

Professional athletes occupy a unique space in the American landscape as they excel in sports and become role models, but they can encounter resentment when they advocate as American citizens. Student-Athletes are no different. From P-20, student-athletes are part of billion dollar industries that cater to the competitive U.S. spirit, and the entwinement of sports and education remains a multi-faceted enterprise that helps students fulfill hopes and dreams as athletes but can also complicate their lives and educational experiences. This session brings together researchers and organizational leaders to examine pressing concerns of P-20 student-athletes, including the ethical and equity dilemmas faced in schools and higher education institutions, the strengths and challenges of earning paid endorsements, and the rewards and consequences for speaking out about injustices.

Other People's Treasures: The Challenges in Collecting, Telling, and Protecting Community Stories

Monday, April 12, 11:10 am - 12:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Imani Perry (Princeton University)
Participant: Calvin Cooley (Summer Hill Heritage Group)
Discussant: Sherick A. Hughes (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Participant: Kimberly Springle (Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives)

Abstract:

The Documents recounting the activities of African American schools across the South prior to desegregation often failed to become part of easily accessible archival collections, thus challenging the ability of researchers to write comprehensive portraits of earlier periods of African American educational history. Today, efforts to locate, preserve, and digitize these records are increasing. But, what kinds of perplexing questions of ownership, representation, and reciprocity must accompany these important strides to achieve preservation? This session overviews current preservation efforts and raises critical questions of representation as researchers acquire increasing access. It also explores the concurrent challenges confronted by local communities as community museums seek to preserve and publicize their own histories.

Preparing for Tomorrow Today: Foundation-Building for a New Generation of Educational Researchers

Friday, April 9, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm

Session Participants:

Chair: Dèsa Karye Daniel (The University of New Mexico)
Participant: Tessa Johnson (University of Maryland - College Park)
Participant: Gloria J. Ladson-Billings (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Participant: Mary Christine Duenas (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Participant: Barbara Thelamour (The College of Wooster)

Abstract:

Education scholars must go beyond providing their graduate students with advanced knowledge and skills. They are also tasked with developing a new generation of critical, innovative scholars. Courageous mentorship can create brave spaces that empower future generations to lead in socially-just ways. but understanding power, privilege, and oppression are key for generating such spaces. Thus, early career educators need explicit training that cultivates ideals of advancing social justice, eradicating oppression, and moving society towards equity. During this session, panelists will share how they courageously mentor and support emerging critical scholars with these goals in mind. Students and scholars are invited to engage with the panelists.

Pushing Against the Status Quo: Cultivating Diverse Teachers, Leaders, and Schools for 21st Century Students

Sunday, April 11, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Deborah Loewenberg Ball (University of Michigan)
Discussant: Lynn Gangone (American Association of Colleges for Teachers of Education (AACTE)
Discussant: Terah Talei Venzant Chambers (Michigan State University)
Participant: Noelle Witherspoon Arnold (The Ohio State University - Columbus)
Participant: Sheryl Jones Croft (Kennesaw State University)
Participant: Julie Gorlewski (University at Buffalo - SUNY)
Participant: Susan Moore Johnson (Harvard University)
Participant: Muhammad Khalifa (The Ohio State University - Columbus)
Participant: Theresa Perry (Simmons College)

Abstract:

As we approach the mid-21st century, the US public school student population will increasingly include more Black and Brown children and children in poverty. They will continue to attend schools plagued by the status quo—racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, linguicism, ableism, and heteronormativity. By acknowledging the challenges encountered by higher education scholars and administrators as well as public school teachers and leaders, this session brings together those dedicated to cultivating diverse teachers and leaders who will push against the status quo to create the schools we need. Using this framework, session participants and attendees will tackle the challenges of recruiting diverse teachers and leaders, the curriculum that best prepares such teachers and leaders for the profession, and how teachers and leaders create school environments where all students succeed.

Reclaiming a Black Pedagogical and Leadership Model in Teaching and Learning

Monday, April 12, 9:30 am - 11:00 am 

Session Participants:
Chair: Sheryl Jones Croft (Kennesaw State University)
Participant: Pamela Benford (DeKalb County School System)
Participant: Kofi Lomotey (Western Carolina University)
Participant: Nadia Behizadeh (Georgia State University)
Participant: Miyoshi Juergensen (Kennesaw State University)
Participant: Tiffany D. Pogue (Albany State University)
Participant: Cierra Willis (DeKalb County School System)

Abstract:

Although differing terminology has been utilized to capture the pedagogical and leadership style of African American teachers and principals, a consistency of beliefs and behaviors can be documented historically and contemporarily in a variety of settings. This session seeks to synthesize the tenets of these cultural practices and consider whether the pedagogical and leadership style of African American teachers and principals should be utilized more extensively in contemporary teacher/leader preparation programs and in ongoing professional development.

Responsive or Visionary: The Role of Schools of Education in Shaping Educational Outcomes for All America's Children

Friday, April 9, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm

Session Participants:

Chair: Patricia Albjerg Graham (Harvard University)
Participant: Prudence L. Carter (University of California - Berkeley)
Participant: Kathryn B. Chval (University of Missouri - Columbia)
Participant: Valerie Kinloch (University of Pittsburgh)
Participant: David F. Labaree (Stanford University)
Participant: Priscilla Wohlstetter (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Participant: Stephanie J. Rowley (Teachers College, Columbia University)

Abstract:

Governmental policies and federal/state funding are key components to the educational landscape for schools of education, frequently both enhancing and inhibiting the capacity to prepare educational leaders. This session explores the ways schools of education position themselves within this context. Should researchers create programmatic possibilities that align with governmental policies? Should they generate new visions aligned with research but differing from governmental visions? What are the risks for education schools, students, faculty, and school communities if new visions for pedagogy and practice differ from federal mandates? In this session, education leaders discuss their visions of how Schools of Education might position themselves in pedagogy, research, and practice in a climate that increasingly diminishes the need for professional preparation in education.

The Mis-education of America: The Role of Educators and Curriculum in Preparing Democratic Citizens

Sunday, April 11, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm 

Session Participants:
Discussant: Christopher M. Span (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Participant: Roxana Daylen Duenas (Los Angeles Unified School District)
Chair: Jarvis Ray Givens (Harvard University)
Participant: LaGarrett Jarriel King (University of Missouri - Columbia)
Participant: Amy Stuart Wells (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Participant: McClellan Cox (St. Philip AME Church/Association of Professional Chaplains)

Abstract:

In the history of American education, citizenship arguments played a pivotal role in conceptualizing the importance of education as a tool to prepare students to engage democracy. This session evokes this fundamental vision of the purposes of American education, considering both the activities of Americans historically omitted in the vision of democratic engagement and the possibilities for citizenship preparation for the current generation. Although framed in America, it also appropriates the experiences of other countries wrestling with similar questions.

Transforming STEM Education Toward Equity and Social Justice: Insights From Research and Organizational Stakeholders

Monday, April 12, 2:50 pm - 4:20 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Xueli Wang (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Discussant: Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Participant: Lorelle Espinosa (American Council on Education)
Participant: Karen A. Marrongelle (National Science Foundation)
Participant: Ebony Omotola McGee (Vanderbilt Peabody College)
Participant: Sarah Rodriguez (Texas A&M University-Commerce)
Participant: Aaron Thomas (University of Montana)

Abstract:

This session brings together scholars and organizational stakeholders to tackle longstanding equity issues in STEM education. How do we resolve persistent inequities in students’ access, learning, persistence, and educational and career success with regard to STEM fields of study? What are some of the creative success models that help alleviate underrepresentation and enhance experiences and success of historically underserved populations based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, first-generation status, and other important identities? Based on their experiences and expertise, organizational stakeholders and scholars on this panel collectively interrogate these questions and current efforts to achieve equity and social justice for underrepresented students navigating STEM education.

Unraveling the Complicated Asian American Educational Experience

Saturday, April 10, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm

Session Participants:
Chair: Stacey J. Lee (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Discussant: Yoon K. Pak (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Participant: Vichet Chhuon (University of Minnesota)
Participant: Sally Chen (Chinese for Affirmative Action)

Abstract:

The term “Model Minority” was a conservative counterpoint to the Civil Rights Movement and popularized in the 1960s to characterize the increasing number of Asian Americans in the United States who seemingly succeeded better educationally and economically than other people of color. Yet, decades of research problematizing the “Model Minority” demonstrates that Asian Americans have a myriad of academic outcomes. These variances inform how Asian Americans experience education and how they contend with racial policies and practices as evident with the recent Harvard affirmative action case. This session brings together scholars and organizational leaders to explore more deeply the Asian American P-20 educational experience. They will discuss the need for data disaggregation, the material realities of underserved Asian American ethnic groups, and contentions about race, educational equity, and affirmative action.

With the Community for Radical Change and Equitable Justice: Scholar-Activists Advancing Black Lives Matter and Coalition Building

Sunday, April 11, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Michelle A. Purdy (Washington University in St. Louis)
Participant: Jon Hale (Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Participant: Jamila Lyiscott (University of Massachusetts – Amherst)
Participant: Keisha L. Green (University of Massachusetts - Amherst)
Participant: Keona K. Ervin (University of Missouri)
Participant: Charles H.F. Davis, III (University of Michigan)

After the School-to-Prison Nexus: Restorative Justice, Prison Education, and Other Action Steps

Saturday, April 10, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Session Participants:
Just Discipline in Urban Schools: Tough Challenges and Promising Solutions
James P. Huguley (University of Pittsburgh)
When Racial and Restorative Justice Intersect: A Case Study From a Predominantly Black District
Rowhea M. Elmesky (Washington University in St. Louis), Olivia Marcucci (Johns Hopkins University)
Doing Schools Differently: The Power of Restorative Justice to Transform the System of Education
Michele Hamilton (Natomas Unified School District)
Imprisoned Curriculum: The ROOTS Program and Prisoner-Led Healing
Roger Chung (Laney College)
Chair: Maisha T. Winn (University of California - Davis)
Chair: Lawrence Torry Winn (University of California - Davis)
Discussant: Maisha T. Winn (University of California - Davis)
Discussant: Lawrence Torry Winn (University of California - Davis)

Abstract:

Research and data increasingly show evidence of a school-to-prison-nexus with disproportionate school suspensions and expulsions for Black and Brown children in comparison to their White counterparts. Moreover, incarceration rates are at some of the highest levels in history. Much work continues to examine how and why these realities exist. Yet, there are also enormous efforts to respond to the nexus and to improve the lives of those incarcerated. In this session, scholars and organizational leaders forward the implementation of restorative justice practices and prison education projects. Presenters will offer interdisciplinary perspectives about how restorative justice affects the individual, classroom interactions, school culture, and district change, and how prison education, in partnership with higher education institutions, can offer healing and understanding.

Boys and Men of Color: New Possibilities for Engaged and Collaborative Education Research and Practice

Sunday, April 11, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: James Earl Davis (Temple University)
Participant: Travis J. Bristol (University of California - Berkeley)
Participant: Roderick L. Carey (University of Delaware)
Participant: Christopher Chatmon (Kingmakers of Oakland)
Participant: Brian L. Wright (The University of Memphis)

Abstract:

Drawing on the historical significance of collaborative efforts to advance education opportunities and possibilities, this session will bring together organizational leaders and researchers whose work focuses on boys and men of color in education. The purpose of this session is to highlight emerging research and organizational developments that both enhance and contest what we know about boys and men of color. Panelists representing a well-regarded educational organization in the San Francisco Bay Area will be in thoughtful and constructive conversation with education researchers. Issues of identity, pedagogy, professional practice, pathways, and policy that inform improved education and life outcomes will be discussed.

Educators as Advocates for Justice in Education

Sunday, April 11, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Elizabeth Todd-Breland (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Participant: Edith Bazile (Black Educators' Alliance of Massachusetts)
Participant: Aaron Jermaine Griffen (DSST Public Schools)
Participant: Tyrone C. Howard (University of California - Los Angeles)
Participant: Jessica Martell (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Participant: Ray Salazar (Chicago City Teacher)
Participant: Mariana Souto-Manning (Teachers College, Columbia University)

Abstract:

Should educators function simply as recipients of policies prescribed bu individuals outside their schools or should educators speak directly about school conditions and student needs? In this session, the perspectives of research, journalism, and practice are incorporated to frame a conversation exploring the possibilities inherent in, and the attending risks of, professional educators working actively to eradicate injustice in schools. Both current practices and visionary possibilities are addressed.

Examining and Rethinking the Complexities and Challenges of Rural Education

Saturday, April 10, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm

Session Participants:
Discussant: Susan C. Faircloth (Colorado State University)
Participant: Catharine Biddle (University of Maine)
Participant: Nicholas Hillman (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Participant: Mara Casey Tieken (Bates College)
Participant: Sheneka M. Williams (Michigan State University)
Participant: Trudy Blackwell (School Board in Caswell County, North Carolina)
Chair: Sabrina Klein (University of California - Los Angeles)

Abstract:

This session aims to shine a light on the dire needs of rural education. Each of the four panelists interweaves the following themes into their presentations: 1) the typology issues of rurality, and the negative stereotypes often applied to rural students and communities; 2) the need to give appropriate attention to urban, suburban and rural educational research; 3) the diversity of the student population, both strengths and challenges, curricular issues (STEM), learning disabilities and gifted education, social and physical distance, resource isolation; and finally 4) the infrastructure, jobs, and capitals of rural education. This panel highlights promising areas of scholarship and practice as well as the critical issues rural educators confront.

Missing the Lessons in Plain Sight: A Script of Possibilities from the Legacy of HBCUs

Saturday, April 10, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Session Participants:
Chair: Jelani Favors (Clayton State University)
Participant: James D. Anderson (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Participant: Beverly D. Tatum (Spelman College)
Participant: Dawn B McLin (Jackson State University)
Participant: Roz Fuse-Hall (SACSCOC)
Participant: Amorae Times (Prarie View A&M College)
Participant: Kayla Smith (Spelman College)
Participant: Jaylen Lowe (Morehouse College)
Participant: Xavier McClinton (Florida A&M University)

Abstract:

The public imagination is often dominated by the challenges minority-serving institutions face related to funding and enrollment. Yet, many minority-serving institutions model forms of educational support and programming that continue to produce students who are successful in a variety of fields, particularly in the sciences. Drawing on the voices of leaders of successful institutions and programs, this session explores essential curricular, programmatic, and climate elements that lead to institutional success. In particular, the session considers the ways all institutions of higher education might learn from these models.

Planning Cities for Justice and Joy: The Power and Promise of Engaging Young People and Schools

Monday, April 12, 11:10 am - 12:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Deborah McKoy (University of California - Berkeley)
Participant: Karen Chapple (University of California-Berkeley)
Participant: Linn E. Posey-Maddox (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Participant: Elizabeth Aviles (University of California - Merced)
Participant: Ron Ashford (Former Director of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Participant: Amanda Eppley (University of California - Berkeley)
Participant: Pedro A. Noguera (University of Southern California)
Participant: Libby Schaaf (Mayor for the City of Oakland)

Abstract:

How can young people and city leaders collectively tackle today’s historic levels of gentrification and displacement to thrive together in an uncertain future? Although traditionally researched, planned, and operated separately, the future of our cities and schools are inextricably linked, and this connection is especially salient today in the San Francisco Bay Area. This panel will explore the power of young people to resist the dismantling of their schools, communities, and social networks through engagement in Y-PLAN (Youth - Plan, Learn, Act, Now!) action research initiatives in Oakland and Silicon Valley. Students have been working as participants in an intergenerational community of practice with city planners and technology leaders to collect and analyze community data and generate solutions to stabilize their communities, together.

Public Good: Power and Possibilities Series -- Opening Session

Friday, April 9, 10:40 am -11:40 am

Session Participants:

Chair: Felice J. Levine (AERA)
Participant: Sheryl Jones Croft (Kennesaw State University)
Participant: Michelle A. Purdy (Washington University in St. Louis)
Participant: Vanessa Siddle Walker (Emory University)

Race-Conscious Education Policies: Collaborative Strategies for Just Schooling

Sunday, April 11, 10:40 am - 12:10 pm 

Session Participants:
Hack the Gates: A Research-Practice Partnership to Advance Equity and Transform College Admissions
OiYan A. Poon (The Spencer Foundation)
Integrating K–12: The Case of New York City
Matt Gonzales (New York University)
Legal Interventions on Segregation in Education
Cara McClellan (NAACP - Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.)
How Desegregation's Past Matters Today
Ansley T. Erickson (Teachers College, Columbia University)
The Changing Contemporary Role of the Federal Government in Civil Rights Policy
Erica Frankenberg (The Pennsylvania State University), Genevieve Parker Siegel-Hawley (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Civil Rights Policy and the Role of the Courts
Christopher Edley, Jr. (University of California - Berkeley)
Chair: Janelle T. Scott (University of California - Berkeley)
Chair: Elizabeth H. DeBray (University of Georgia)
Discussant: Kathryn A. McDermott (University of Massachusetts - Amherst)

Abstract:

Political polarization about the role of race in crafting educational policies is once again heightened in an era of protracted debates about school choice, gifted and talented or specialized high schools, affirmative action, and desegregation. This proposed symposium will bring together researchers who study several aspects of race conscious policy in education. Researchers will discuss their work with civil rights organizations, professional associations, teachers’ unions, and philanthropies to ensure that the work of realizing a racially just society is mutually informative across and within research and organizational sectors. This interactive, multiracial, and multimodal panel will encourage and maximize discussion and debate on current and past efforts to expand race conscious policies while avoiding the mistakes of the past.

Reframing the Economics of Education to Center Equity: Exploring Collaborative Approaches to Promote Finance Policies for the Public Good

Sunday, April 11, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Karen DeMoss (Bank Street College)
Participant: Bruce D. Baker (Rutgers University)
Participant: Cyrus Driver (National Public Education Support Fund)
Participant: Solana Rice (Liberation in a Generation)
Participant: Rhonda Randi Weingarten (American Federation of Teachers)

Abstract:

While early research in the economics of education centered equity concerns, the past few decades embraced efficiency and accountability, based largely on a belief that money was not a driving factor in educational outcomes. New research increasingly demonstrates that money does matter, offering the field a chance to redirect discussions about education finance to better support equity. The panel--including non-profit, union, and academic leaders--will engage the historic and emerging assumptions behind the economics of education and explore how researchers and organizational stakeholders can promote stronger policies for equity.

Rights, Difference, and the Future of Inclusion for Students With Disabilities

Friday, April 9, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm

Session Participants:
Chair: Alfredo J. Artiles (Stanford University)
Participant: Subini Ancy Annamma (Stanford University)
Participant: Govinda Budrow (Fond du Lac Tribal And Community College)
Participant: Steven Eidelman (University of Delaware)
Participant: Holly Jacobs (University of Massachusetts - Boston)
Participant: Jean Robertson (San Francisco Unified School District)
Participant: Karrie A. Shogren (The Life Span Institute & Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities)

Abstract:

This moderated discussion will focus on the rights and responsibilities of inclusion for students with disabilities in schools today. Multiple perspectives from research, policy, and practice will be shared. Panelists will tackle such issues as the affordances and constraints of inclusion rights; the historical entanglements of disability with race, gender, and social class; and the paradigm wars between special education and disability studies scholars. Lessons and insights will be offered within the context of policy, educational practices and programs, research, personnel preparation models, and family/community partnerships.

The National Education Association: Co-Creating New Models for Learning and Power in America's Schools

Saturday, April 10, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm

Session Participants:
Labor-Management Collaboration
Bernadine Futrell (National Head Start Association), Andrea Walker (National Education Association)
The Community Schools Movement
Andrea I. Prejean (National Education Association)
Chair: Leigh K Kennedy (National Education Association)
Discussant: Saul A. Rubinstein (Rutgers University)
Discussant: Julia A Daniel (University of Colorado - Boulder)
Participant: Virginia Adams Simon (California State University)
Participant: Jennifer M. Locke (National Education Association)
Participant: Erika D. Taylor (National Education Association)

Abstract:

Researchers have long lamented the disconnect between research and practice, but in spite of representing millions of educators, teachers unions are rarely included in research-practice partnerships. How can meaningful partnerships help us co-create the public school systems our students deserve? This session presents current examples of the NEA working in collaboration with other stakeholders to improve educational outcomes. It features NEA’s labor-management partnerships that ensure educator voice in decisions; Community Schools that leverage community services to transform schools; and a networked improvement community that is improving new educator support systems. A panel of researchers will discuss implications of these practices for the research community, exploring new possibilities for bridging the chasm that has existed between AERA and the NEA for many years.

Turning the Neoliberal Tide in Academia to Advance Social Justice

Sunday, April 11, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 

Session Participants:
From Neoliberal Multiculturalism to Postliberal Racialism: Or, Education After Color Blindness
Zeus Leonardo (University of California - Berkeley)
Controlling Images: Institutional Stereotypes of Engagement of Low-Income Families, First-Generation Families, and Families of Color
Judy Marquez Kiyama (The University of Arizona)
Chair: Soribel Genao (Queens College)
Participant: Leslie D. Gonzales (Michigan State University)
Participant: Gaëtane Jean-Marie (Rowan University)

Abstract:

Neoliberal ideologies influence every aspect of society and higher education including infiltrating the practices of higher education leaders who have adopted free market values. The result is a set of institutional policies that shape the ways universities function, from pressuring scholars to invest in chasing “prestige” to soliciting successful rankings, increasing revenue and achieving other quantifiable metrics of “impact.” This panel discussion explores the challenges of advancing scholarship for social justice in this climate of neoliberal politics.

What Happens When Scholars Become Activists: Possibilities and Perils

Saturday, April 10, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm

Session Participants:
Participant: Megan Bang (Spencer Foundation)
Participant: Cheryl Crazy Bull (American Indian College Fund)
Participant: Kahele Dukelow (University of Hawai‘i Maui College)
Discussant: Patricia Maringi Gina Johnston (Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi)
Participant: Margaret J. Maaka (University of Hawaii - Manoa)
Participant: Sharon Nelson-Barber (WestEd)
Chair: Huia Tomlins Jahnke (Massey University)
Participant: Linda T. Smith (The University of Waikato)

Abstract:

Scholar-activists, who continue to push for the dismantling of white supremacy, settler colonialism, and all of their manifestations, confront pressing issues from the state-sanctioned shooting of unarmed Black individuals to the protection of Indigenous land and water. Some straddle the roles of academic and organizational leader; protest and advocate for change locally, nationally, and internationally; support colleagues and students; and offer profound commentary and research to address pervasive inequities. In this session, scholar-activists will address how scholar-activism originates, explore the possibilities and drawbacks of scholar-activism, consider how scholar activism can be sustained through a career, and reflect on potential outcomes when scholar-activists courageously address pressing issues.

Preparing Professionals to Serve Diverse Communities: Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching, Health Care, and Law

Saturday, April 10, 4:10 pm - 5:40 pm 

Session Participants:
Chair: Monica M. Cuddy (National Board of Medical Examiners)
Discussant: Christine E. Sleeter (California State University - Monterey Bay) 
Participant: Alicia Fernandez (University of California - San Francisco) 
Participant: Jyothi Marbin (University of California – San Francisco) 
Participant: Ascanio Piomelli (University of California)
Participant: Kenneth James Varner (University of Nevada - Las Vegas)