October 2019
Nearly one hundred AERA leaders and representatives gathered in Washington, D.C., on October 24–25 for the 2019 Coordinated Committee Meeting (CCM). CCM provides an opportunity for AERA’s committees not only to address their goals but also to come together collectively to further AERA’s mission.
During the opening session, “Working Together Well—Moving Forward as a Collaborative Enterprise,” AERA President Vanessa Siddle Walker gave a preview of the two-day meeting and the group’s four common task sessions. In framing the work of the attendees, she noted the “extraordinary” collective knowledge of AERA and its members, then asked: “What do we do with this knowledge? What is the responsibility of knowledge in this historic moment? What does it mean to step into this historic moment?”
AERA Committee Members (left to right): Andrew Ho (Chair, Research Advisory Committee), Sean “Jack” Buckley (Chair, Government Relations Committee), Mariana Souto-Manning, (Member, Committee on Scholars of Color in Education), Tessa Johnson (Chair-Elect, Graduate Student Council), Gustavo E. Fischman (Chair, International Relations Committee), Crystal Laura (Chair, Equity and Inclusion Council), Margaret Maaka (Chair, SIG Executive Committee), Kristen Renn (Chair, Committee for Scholars and Advocates for Gender Equity in Education), Patricia McDonough (Chair, Annual Meeting Policies and Procedures Committee)
After Walker’s introduction, the attendees first broke into small groups to discuss the meaning of working together and collaborating successfully in a group setting. They agreed that openness is a key component of creating successful spaces for discussion and collaboration. Next, the committee chairs gave brief overviews of their committees’ work and priorities. From their statements, attendees learned how certain themes and challenges cut across the work of all of the committees. The group then visited the historic Ford’s Theatre, a trip that helped them draw connections between current and past historical moments.
Later that evening, AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine welcomed the attendees to the grand opening of the AERA Convening Center, a new community space created to advance the field. This space provides a welcoming environment for connecting research to policy and practice, and communicating with diverse publics.
During the final joint session on Saturday, Walker and Levine each gave presentations that focused on the importance of connecting AERA and education researchers to broader stakeholders, and the importance of building coalitions. Attendees then broke into small groups to brainstorm on the current state of AERA. Attendees were asked to consider the future of AERA and how the association could serve the membership and the public good. The attendees’ recommendations, which ranged from issues of advancing equity to improving communication between AERA and members, will help AERA Council and staff in future planning.