division A Vice president's message
Spring 2019
Countdown to Toronto!
Yes, as hard as it is to believe, we are 23 days out from AERA. In this newsletter you will see that there is a lot to look forward: Division A sponsored sessions, Graduate Student Council sessions, award recipients, and lots of opportunities to sit and chat with colleagues and/or wave to them in the hallways on your way to another session. It’s these personal and professional interactions that make AERA what it is and make us who we are as a field. So our hope is that you will pause during the conference crazies to learn from each other, share with each other, and enjoy each other’s company.
The year began with the Winter Council Meeting in Santa Monica, CA. The division VPs, members-at-large, and graduate student representative met with the AERA President and headquarters staff to discuss issues facing AERA (including the program publication timeframe) and the need to advocate for educational research and policy. Each division also reported on their work and conference plans, so it was a great opportunity to think about ways to improve our own Division. We were also able to spend half a day at Roosevelt High School in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. During that time, we visited classrooms, met with students, and heard about California’s new Ethnic Studies Curriculum requirements from teachers and school leaders. As a former practitioner, it was wonderful to immerse myself – even if briefly – in a school and to be able to ground our discussions in the sights and sounds of young people and the educators who care about them. In the photo below you will see the Council, along with Roosevelt educators and students, on the roof of Roosevelt High School, with downtown LA in the background.
Countdown to Toronto!
Yes, as hard as it is to believe, we are 23 days out from AERA. In this newsletter you will see that there is a lot to look forward: Division A sponsored sessions, Graduate Student Council sessions, award recipients, and lots of opportunities to sit and chat with colleagues and/or wave to them in the hallways on your way to another session. It’s these personal and professional interactions that make AERA what it is and make us who we are as a field. So our hope is that you will pause during the conference crazies to learn from each other, share with each other, and enjoy each other’s company.
The year began with the Winter Council Meeting in Santa Monica, CA. The division VPs, members-at-large, and graduate student representative met with the AERA President and headquarters staff to discuss issues facing AERA (including the program publication timeframe) and the need to advocate for educational research and policy. Each division also reported on their work and conference plans, so it was a great opportunity to think about ways to improve our own Division. We were also able to spend half a day at Roosevelt High School in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. During that time, we visited classrooms, met with students, and heard about California’s new Ethnic Studies Curriculum requirements from teachers and school leaders. As a former practitioner, it was wonderful to immerse myself – even if briefly – in a school and to be able to ground our discussions in the sights and sounds of young people and the educators who care about them. In the photo below you will see the Council, along with Roosevelt educators and students, on the roof of Roosevelt High School, with downtown LA in the background.
Continuing that line of thinking, we are trying to include Canadian scholars, practitioners, and students in our Division A sessions. We will be hearing from colleagues from the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and local leaders. In that way we hope our conference experience will be informed by their voices. In addition, the Graduate Students Council is promoting a service project and asking Division A members to bring books and school supplies to donate to local schools. Please consider packing some crayons and children/young adult literature along with your sweaters and scarves!
Our Division Secretary, Susan Faircloth, is finishing her term this year. She has been an important source of support and information for the Division and all its members. We also have three graduate students stepping down from the Graduate Student Council: Ann Iaccopucci, Lamarcus Hall, and Briseida Elenes. Please join me in thanking all of them for their commitment and service.
You should also have received some information from AERA about volunteering to review proposals for the 2020 conference. The deadline to volunteer is May 13, so you have plenty of time, but wanted to get it into your calendars sooner rather than later.
In the coming weeks we will be rolling out our new social media presence, beginning with Twitter. We see social media as a way to enhance our communication with and among our members and connecting with issues facing educational leaders, researchers, and policymakers. Our handle is @DivA_EdLead and we hope that you will follow us as soon as we begin!
Lastly, let me extend an invitation to our annual Business Meeting on Saturday, April 6, at 6:35 p.m. in the MTCC, 200 Level, Room 202B (and don’t forget to bring your school supplies). Our joint reception with Division L, UCEA, and SAGE Publications will be immediately afterwards, in 100 Level, Room 101. I hope to see you there and, please, look for me during the Conference! Safe travels!
Sinceramente,
Mónica Byrne-Jiménez
Vice President
Fall 2018
Dear Division A Members:
The leaves are starting to turn on campus and the morning air has a definite chill. It is mid-term and all of a sudden the semester seems to be rushing towards December. As I talk to colleagues and ask how they are doing, the common response is “busy.” Mid-term gives us an opportunity to pause, breathe, and re/think before the end-of-semester rush. In that spirit, I want to share some musings …
- Given the intense pace of our lives, it’s important to remain grateful and to celebrate. So I want to thank the hard-working team that makes Division A “go.” Susan, along with Melanie, Kelly, Katherine, and Priya, who keep the wheels of communication moving. Cristóbal and Soribel who worked closely with section chairs (Detra, Decoteau, Vincent, Erica, Sarah, and Catherine) to create a stellar program. Dana and Lolita, who make sure our plans and actions reflect our commitment to equity and inclusion. And Donna, who represents the voice and interests of our graduate students. It inspires me that there are such dedicated scholars across the country who I can call friends and colleagues.
- In my courses and in my own work I attempt to strengthen the relationship between practice and research, between practitioners and researchers. We need to stay connected to the communities that we belong to, care about, and include in our research. This extends to how we engage, as a division, with local school communities during the annual AERA conference. To help us with that, I reached out to friend and colleague Ann Spence-Lopez, faculty and Provostial Advisor for Access Programs at the Ontario Institute in Education at the University of Toronto. With her help and that of the faculty at OISE, we hope to provide spaces for the voices of local educational and community leaders. I will keep you up-to-date as our plans evolve.
- During September I had to travel quite a bit – all “work related." And during those multiple flights I was able to do one of the things I love: read … for fun. I read three books (Sing, Unburied, Sing; The Hate U Give; and We Fed an Island). Since I returned I haven’t cracked a book. This has made me think about how we so often talk about finding balance and/or work with our graduate students to make sure they maintain a sense well-being, and yet we find it so difficult to make time to care for ourselves. It’s a funny thing that we need help from each other to take care of ourselves! Recently, Edutopia tweeted, “Three things that students need to hear from teachers: I believe in you. You have a purpose. How are you, really?” We need to hear this from each other, too, I think. We need to know that there are people who believe in us, who understand our purpose, and who care about us. If we can make our community a safer, more welcoming place for more of us, then we have been successful as leaders, colleagues, and human beings. I hope you will join me in this effort!
Sinceramente,
Mónica Byrne-Jiménez
Vice President