Message from SIG Chair
Message from SIG Chair
 
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MEMO: Call to Action on Increasing Membership | Elections
To: Classroom Management SIG Members of AERA
From: President John Andrew Williams III
Date: 27 August 2026
Re: Call to Action: Increasing Membership | Elections

Good Morning, Everyone:
I hope that the end of summer is treating you well. First, on behalf of the leadership team, thank you for voting and remaining a member of this wonderful SIG. Personally, this was the first SIG I joined as a graduate student in 2015. It was not until a few years later when I attended AERA that I was welcomed by wonderful scholars from across the globe whose research changed lives. 

This SIG is impactful, meaningful, and encompasses a plethora of individuals with a vast array of wisdom. However, the SIG needs your help. After discussing with AERA Leadership, the board and I have been informed that we currently only have 57 members, which is down from the 81 members from last year. To remain a SIG and avoid a probationary period, we need to reach more than 75 members. Time is of the essence, as we need to have these members prior to the end of the AERA year, which is Sept 30th of this year.

Our ask:

  • If you know of past members who have strayed away, offer them a personalized invitation to return.
  • If you work with graduate students or undergraduate students, strongly consider reaching out to them to become a member.
  • If you know scholars whose work connects to classroom management (e.g., school discipline, educational leadership, MTSS, RTI, etc.,) please encourage them to consider joining the SIG.
  • The Power of Social Media: Utilize your social media accounts to promote the SIG and opportunities for individuals to become a member.

If even half of the SIG can get one person to become a member, we will have reached the goal to keep the SIG out of probation. 

Here are the instructions for individuals to become a member:
If an individual is not a current member of AERA, they can join both AERA and your SIG online at https://www.aera.net/Membership. Any individual who is a current (2026) member of AERA can add a SIG to their AERA membership at any time by logging in to their membership record at https://members.aera.net/, entering their username and password, and selecting the "Add a Division or SIG" option in the left-hand menu bar. For assistance with joining or renewing, individuals should contact members@aera.net or call 202-238-3200.

As we continue to solidify our existence as a SIG, there are plenty of opportunities to support and gain national level service in the areas of:

  • Social Media
  • Website Design
  • Publication Opportunities
  • And More

Additionally, we have elections coming up soon. The Position of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect will be available, with the description below:

Number of Vacancies: 1
Term Length: 1 year
Position Description: The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect will convene and coordinate the members of the Review Committee who will provide a blind review for the Outstanding Paper Award. There is an automatic succession from Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect to Chair to Secretary/Program Chair, in that order, such that the person elected as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall automatically assume the office of Chair after serving one term (defined as one year) as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and shall then automatically assume the office of Secretary/Program Chair after serving one term (one year) as Chair.

 If you are interested in being put on the ballot, please send me an email with your name, bio, and in the subject line insert SIG ELECTIONS. Please send prior to October 30th

 Again, thank you for reading this email and thank you for your continued support of the SIG. I fully believe we will achieve our goal. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out jwilliams3@tamu.edu

John A. Williams III, Ph.D., ACUE 
Associate Professor in Urban Education
Associate Department Head of Graduate Studies
Department of Teaching Learning, and Culture | College of Education & Human Development 
Texas A&M University 
johnawilliams3.com 

Check out a video for our Urban Education Masters' Program - Here
CEHD Profile |  Google Scholar  | TAMU Profile 
Chair - AERA SIG: Classroom Management
Program Chair – AERA SIG: Urban Learning Teaching and Research (147) 
TAMU Innovative Teaching Fellow (AI Track)
Director and Founder of ULTRA (the Urban Lab for Transformative Research and Assessment) 
Faculty Affiliate at the MACH-III Center at Prairie View A&M University
“Fate rarely calls at us at a moment of our choosing” - Prime
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