Blog Posts

EIA Committee is recruiting new members!

3/1/2021

AERA Division A is seeking four scholars to serve two-year appointments on the Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee (EIA). The committee responsibilities include: (1) assisting the committee chair and co-chair in providing leadership on issues related to equity and inclusion across the division; (2) participating in regular committee meetings; (3) planning of EIA sessions and mentoring initiatives; and, (4) other leadership responsibilities depending on committee needs and member’s expertise.

Applicants must have demonstrated knowledge and experiences actualizing equity, inclusion, and social justice, and ability to work in highly collaborative environments.

To apply, please submit (1) a one-page statement of purpose and (2) most recent CV to Daniel Liou and Katherine Rodela at [email protected] no later than March 26, 2021. Early career scholars, graduate students, and scholars from underrepresented communities in the academy are encouraged to apply.

To learn more about current members and their commitments, visit: http://aeradivisiona.org/equity-inclusion--action-blog.html (Since you are already at the EIA Blog webpage, please scroll down!)

Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee: LIterature in action (LIA) Call for proposals

2/23/2021

Literature in Action (LIA)

AERA, Division A: Equity, Inclusion & Action (EIA) Committee
Call for Proposals for Anti-Racist Books for Virtual Discussion Forum
Spring 2021

Division A: Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee (EIA) is seeking proposals for the first book to be featured in Literature in Action, an exciting new virtual discussion forum. The selected book will assist Division A members in developing and enacting anti-racist leadership practices.

Literature in Action will include three (3) interactive virtual sessions that will critically engage participants (approx. 50) in focused discussions around anti-racism (and other critical equity and social justice issues such as coloniality, immigration, decolonization, ableism, whiteness). The discussion facilitator(s) will assist participants in developing actionable anti-racist leadership practices. The goal for participants is to read, discuss, and act.

For Potential Authors:

What: One (1) book will be selected for the 2021 Division A Literature in Action (LIA) virtual discussion forum. We anticipate at least two (2) additional books will be featured in 2021 and 2022.

Who: Author(s) of books that focus on anti-racist leadership are encouraged to submit a proposal to have their book featured in the Literature in Action virtual discussion forum. Books should have been published between 2015 and 2021. Authors must be current Division A members.

How: Click on this link https://forms.gle/s7h31SVVZA6xPhX28 to submit a 500-word proposal that includes the following information:

Author(s) name, affiliation, and contact information.
Title and brief description of your book.
A brief description of the ways in which your book will support Division A members in developing and enacting anti-racist leadership practices.
A brief description of how you envision engaging with participants in one (1) or more of three (3) one-hour virtual discussions of your book and the development of actionable anti-racist leadership practices.

When: Deadline for proposals is March 15, 2021
● Notification of Selected Author(s): March 29, 2021

For Potential Participants:

Once the featured book is selected, members of Division A will be invited to participate in the inaugural Literature In Action virtual discussion forum. Participants will be asked to commit to three (3) one-hour virtual sessions to be held in May 2021. The first 50 members who sign up will receive a complimentary copy of the featured Literature in Action book. Additional details to be provided.

If you have questions regarding the Literature in Action discussion forum, please contact Dr. Karen Ramlackhan (EIA Committee Member) at [email protected].

Tentative Timeline

February 23: Call for proposals issued for the first featured book.
March 15: Proposals due to Division A, EIA Committee
March 29: Notification of the selected book/author(s)
April: Division A members will be invited to participate in the inaugural Literature in Action virtual discussion forum.
May: Literature in Action discussion forums (3 in total—one-hour each) will be held

Introducing the 2020-2021 Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee

8/30/2020

Dear Division A Colleagues,

Today, we continue our journey together to (re)center equity and social justice in Division A. As the new chair and co-chair of the Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee, we are committed to this collective work that was started by our predecessors, who sought broader and more intentional approaches to fostering equity and inclusion within the Division. By way of introduction, we are the children (Daniel) and grandchildren (Katherine) of low-income immigrants, the first in our families to attend college, multilingual faculty of color, and possessors of deep personal investment in public schools. We also operate on Indigenous lands in the pursuit of equity and social justice via building coalitions in solidarity with colleagues and community partners. With a great sense of humility and gratitude, we look forward to serving you during this time of extraordinary challenges and possibilities in our society and the world.

We want to extend our gratitude to last year’s EIA committee chair, Dr. Lolita Tabron, for her leadership in working toward the Division’s equity agenda. More specifically, we thank Dr. Tabron for her extraordinary vision in pinpointing key areas of need and her tireless work in increasing the committee’s capacity to respond to those needs. Additionally, through her efforts, we now have a doctoral candidate on the committee. This is a first of many steps in strengthening the committee’s relationship with graduate students and emerging scholars.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated preexisting social injustices including unrelenting whiteness and white supremacy; a widening economic gap; human rights abuses; governmental suppression of free speech and free press; the totality of anti-Blackness; and anti-immigrant, xenophobic, and neoliberal social structures that prioritize the economy over human dignity and welfare, all of which stand in staunch opposition to equity and social justice efforts everywhere.

Educational leaders have opportunities to actively challenge such threats to the human condition. We consider leadership complacency in a time of global crisis a form of complicity in existing hierarchies, inequities, and injustices within our schools and broader communities. We have been inspired by the leadership of rising activists in the United States and around the world calling for Black Lives Matter, such as 8-year-old Nolan Davis, who organized and led Black Lives Matter protests for hundreds of young people in Kirkland, Missouri.

We have also seen labor organizing in unprecedented ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an example, Blanca Olivares and other Latinx and working-class employees organized a series of strikes calling attention to inadequate health protections and compensation for workers at seven fruit-packing facilities in Yakima Valley, Washington.

In Dallas, Georgia, Hannah Watters, a White high school student, posted a photograph on social media depicting a crowded school hallway in which no one was wearing masks or social distancing, both key CDC guidelines to avoid contracting COVID-19. Watters was initially suspended by the superintendent for conduct, but in her interview, she expressed no regret as her concerns were for the safety of her community. In explaining her actions, Watters quoted the late Representative John Lewis in stating, “This is some good and necessary trouble.”

In New York City, Asian American actor William Lex Ham and rapper China Mac organized hundreds of protesters to march on the streets of Brooklyn to show their support for an 89-year-old Asian American woman who was assaulted and set on fire by two unknown men (the victim did not sustain serious injuries because she was able to put out the flames). The protesters suspected this incident was a hate crime related to anti-Asian racism and sentiments associated with COVID-19 and were angered by the police force’s decision not to classify the case as a hate crime. As of now, that investigation is still ongoing.

In Portland, Oregon, countless mothers of all races coordinated support for the Black Lives Matter movement by standing on the frontlines of protests as they were tear gassed by federal agents. These women subsequently created a national movement called Moms United for Black Lives, now led by local Black activists.

Across North America, not only have health care workers risked their lives on a daily basis during the pandemic, but thousands have participated in peaceful demonstrations against police brutality and racism in medicine and have promoted the health, well-being, and self-determination of Black and Indigenous people and other People of Color under the organization White Coats for Black Lives.

These are just a few examples of the dynamic leadership spreading around North America in response to the injustices magnified by the pandemic. Respectfully, we invite you to join us and other leaders who are actively challenging the coloniality of power in their local contexts. These acts of resistance can help us to reimagine the role of educational leadership in a time of global crisis.

As a committee, we have already hit the ground running this summer by developing group norms and brainstorming an equity agenda for this academic year. We are committed to sustaining an open and continuous conversation about equity and social justice. To begin with, we would like to hear your concerns and ideas for ways to center the humanity of the politically marginalized in this year’s Division A activities. In addition, we intend to update our communication with members of the division through the newsletter.

Despite these global leadership challenges, we remain hopeful that education can serve to transform the present human condition. Through our work, we continue to find fulfillment and gratitude in seeing the power of leaders like you and other social justice educators who are working for change in incremental and profound ways. We see these aforementioned examples of social justice leadership guiding our collective work at a time of urgent challenges to social transformation.

It is our distinct pleasure to introduce our 2020-2021 EIA committee members, whose profiles can be found below. We look forward to working closely with all of you throughout this academic year.

In health, justice, and solidarity,

Daniel D. Liou & Katherine C. Rodela
Chair and Co-Chair, Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee

Meet the Committee Members!

Joshua Bornstein

Joshua Bornstein is presently Assistant Professor and Director of the Educational Leadership program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Bornstein has served as teacher, union leader, principal, staff developer, and school board member. He has worked in urban, rural, and suburban communities in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. His research focuses on inclusive educational leadership that eliminates race, class, gender, disability, and first language as predictors of student success.

Dr. Joshua Bornstein
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Teaneck, NJ, USA
[email protected]

Dr. Floyd Cobb
Executive Director, Teaching and Learning Unit
Colorado Department of Education
Denver, CO, USA
[email protected]

Floyd Cobb

Floyd Cobb is the Executive Director of the Teaching and Learning unit at the Colorado Department of Education. Additionally, he’s an adjunct faculty member at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, where he teaches courses on social inequality through the lenses of race, class, and gender. In 2017, Dr. Cobb was awarded the Ruth Murray Underhill Teaching Award for excellence in teaching, which is given to one adjunct faculty member at the university. He has published numerous articles and book chapters and is the lead author of the book Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity, which focuses on dignity as a key component of equity implementation. He is also the author of Leading While Black (2017), an autoethnography detailing his reflections on the Black experience in educational leadership.

Ramon Goings

Ramon Goings is an Assistant Professor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture interdisciplinary doctoral program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Goings’ research interests are centered on exploring the academic and social experiences of gifted/high-achieving Black males PK-PhD, diversifying the educator workforce in K-12 and higher education, and investigating the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities to education and society. Dr. Goings is the author of over 50 scholarly publications, including four books. His scholarship has been featured in leading academic and popular press outlets, including Teachers College Record, Journal of Teacher Education, Journal of School Leadership, Adult Education Quarterly, Gifted Child Quarterly, Inside Higher Ed, Education Week, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Dr. Goings earned his Doctor of Education degree in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University, Master of Science in human services from Post University, and Bachelor of Arts in music education from Lynchburg College (now University of Lynchburg).

Dr. Ramon Goings
Assistant Professor of Language, Literacy,
and Culture
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD, USA
[email protected]

Dr. Hilary Lustick
Assistant Professor of Qualitative Methods
Lowell College of Education, University of Massachusetts
Lowell, MA, USA
[email protected]

Hilary Lustick

Hilary Lustick is an Assistant Professor of Qualitative Methods at the University of Massachusetts Lowell College of Education, where she teaches in the Educational Leadership EdD and Research, Education, and Evaluation PhD programs. Dr. Lustick studies restorative practices, social emotional learning, and other preventative approaches to school discipline and climate. She also studies the role of emotion in critical reflexivity and how we can mentor rising scholars to recognize and privilege emotional ways of understanding data.

James Martinez

James A. Martinez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he also serves as the Assistant Director of the Center for Educational Leadership. After working as a mechanical engineer for seven years, Dr. Martinez served as a classroom teacher and school administrator for 18 years. Dr. Martinez’s research is focused on factors that influence support for and by school administrators, including service to underrepresented populations. He has expertise in mixed method and action research (intervention) methodologies.

Dr. James Martinez
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville, TN, USA
[email protected]

Dr. Catherine O’Brien
Associate Professor of Government
and Public Affairs
AERA Research on the Education of Deaf Persons Special Interest Group Chair
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC, USA
[email protected]

Catherine O’Brien

Catherine O'Brien is an Associate Professor of Government and Public Affairs at Gallaudet University. She is also the chair of the AERA Research on the Education of Deaf Persons Special Interest Group.

Karen Ramlackhan

Karen Ramlackhan is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida. Her research intersects matters of policy and leadership to understand the systemic and structural mechanisms that create disparate outcomes for marginalized populations.

Dr. Karen Ramlackhan
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL, USA
[email protected]

Tanishia Williams
Doctoral Candidate
Public and Urban Policy
The New School
New York, NY, U.S.A.
[email protected]

Tanishia Williams

A teacher, leader, researcher, and advocate for children, Tanishia Williams has worked to redesign education for the past 20 years. A true transformative leader, Ms. Williams has reformed schools and districts to promote student achievement through creative practices, innovative approaches, and reimagined solutions. Rich in experiences with marginalized students from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, Ms. Williams has consistently demonstrated skills in creating, facilitating, and managing programs customized to meet the needs of students with disparate achievement outcomes. Ms. Williams has contributed to the field by working tenaciously to break ceilings and build pathways for those whose access to education is devoid of resources. Guided by her belief that equity in education is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time, Ms. Williams’s research is grounded in building tools for schools to use to measure, address, and eradicate inequity within their academic programming, climate, and culture.

Katherine Rodela

Katherine C. Rodela is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Washington State University on the Vancouver campus. As a third-generation Mexican American and first-generation college student, Katherine is committed to being a community-engaged scholar whose research focuses on leadership for educational justice and diversity, with particular emphasis on equity-oriented school and district leadership and Latinx parental leadership and community organizing in education.

Dr. Katherine Rodela
EIA Committee Co-Chair
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
Washington State University
Vancouver, WA, USA
[email protected]

Dr. Daniel D. Liou
EIA Committee Chair
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Innovation
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
Glendale, AZ, USA
[email protected]

Daniel Liou

Daniel D. Liou is an associate professor of educational leadership and innovation at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. His research examines three interrelated themes regarding how the sociology of expectations fosters conditions of equity and justice in the educational pipeline: (1) curriculum and instruction, (2) school and community leadership and transformation, and (3) higher education.

Q&A with EIA Chair Lolita Tabron

12/23/2019

Division A Newsletter: What does the EIA committee do? What's the mission/purpose of the committee?

Chair Tabron: The Equity and Inclusion Council (EIC) is one of four social-justice related committees within the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and is comprised of the following: twelve appointed members (committee chair from each division), one elected chair charged with EIC oversight, one AERA Staff Liaison, and two AERA Council Liaisons.

Division A promotes EIC’s social-justice agenda through its long standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in research, partnerships, community engagement, and leadership practices. Division A’s Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee (EIA) reviews the Division’s practices to ensure the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion. In particular, EIA engages in continuous self-reflection in order to align its programming, subcommittee work, and support for the Graduate Student Council/Jackson Scholars Network with EIC’s mission and purpose.

EIA committee members are excited about the upcoming year and remain committed to fostering authentic dialogue and action. The EIA committee is thrilled to welcome four new members to advance this work! The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee now comprises:

Co-Chairs:
Lolita A. Tabron, University of Denver
Daniel Liou, Arizona State University

Returning Members:
Elizabeth Gil, St. John’s University
Katherine Rodela, Washington State University-Vancouver

New Members:
Floyd Cobb, Colorado Department of Education
Ramon Goings, University of Loyola-Maryland
Hilary Lustick, Texas State University-San Marcos
Karen Ramlackhan, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg

Division A Newsletter: What does the EIA do? What’s the mission/purpose?

Chair Tabron: Division A Vice President, Dr. Susan Faircloth, has charged EIA with: a) developing programming that bridges the research-to-practice gap; b) involving local and indigenous communities in research, partnerships, and leadership practices, c) elevating student voices in EIA’s activities to promote equity and inclusion; and d) acknowledging and engaging of senior scholars to highlight their contributions and encourage the mentorship of junior scholars. EIA has prioritized Faircloth’s vision by supporting the Jackson Scholars Network and Graduate Student Council, as well as intentionally focusing on collaborative projects across divisions. Additionally, EIA has utilized an equity audit to review Division A program proposals and presentations. Ultimately, EIA strives to improve future programming and mentoring opportunities to further advance efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the division.

Division A Newsletter: What sessions did the committee organize at AERA 2019? What are the plans for AERA 2020?

Chair Tabron:
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee hosted two successful sessions during the AERA 2019 Annual Meeting in Toronto focused on mentoring and social-justice as a tool for healing trauma. First, our signature mentoring session, Early and Mid-Career Mentoring for Equity-Focused Faculty: Navigating the Promotion and Tenure Process and Authenticity, highlighted a core part of EIA’s mission – engaging senior scholars to help mentor junior scholars on successfully incorporating equity-focused work into their research, teaching and service. This interactive session drew faculty seeking senior scholar insights regarding the navigation of academia while also pursuing a social justice research agenda and/or the integration of scholar activism through teaching, research, and service. The mentor scholars included: Drs. David DeMatthews, Mark A. Gooden, Julian Vasquez Heilig, Sonya Douglas Horsford, Ann Ishimaru, Zeus Leonardo, Gerardo R. López, April L. Peters, and Jim Scheurich.

EIA Mentoring Session, AERA 2019- Toronto

In addition to the highly anticipated mentoring session, EIA organized a session exploring the ethics of caring. During this session entitled A Call for Bold Leadership: Disrupting Inequities that Cause and Stem from Trauma in our Schools and Communities, participants identified ways to disrupt inequities causing and stemming from trauma in our PK-12 schools and communities, and in higher education to allow healing through critical systems of community-centered and justice-oriented support. The featured panelists were: Drs. Lisa Bass, Rebeca Burciaga, Susan Faircloth, Decoteau Irby, and Cheryl Matias.

EIA is currently planning two dynamic sessions for the 2020 AERA convening. First, its signature mentoring event will highlight a core part of the committee’s mission – engaging senior scholars to mentor junior scholars on the successful incorporation of equity-focused work into their research, teaching and service. Second, EIA is planning a special session focused on a contemporary issue in education. Be on the lookout for more details about these two “must see” sessions!

Meet the DIVISION A Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee

9/24/2019

Join the Equity, Inclusion, & Action Committee at two important AERA Sessions in Toronto!

3/20/2019

A Call for Bold Leadership: Disrupting Inequities that Cause and Stem from Trauma in our Schools and Communities

Division A Vice Presidential Session #2
Date: Sunday, April 7, 9:55-11:25am
Location: MTCC, 200 Level, Room 201D

Abstract: We are living in times where our educational institutions, both K-12 and higher education, and communities are increasingly experiencing traumas such as mass deportations, detainment, and separation from families, teen suicide stemming from LGBTQ+ discrimination and gender violence, police shootings and an inequitable justice system, displacement and homelessness from natural disasters, race-based trauma, and gun violence in schools. Trauma intersects with history, culture, race, gender, ability, sexuality, language, and location and disproportionately affects those who are most marginalized. In this interactive session, we will have a panel discussion followed by small group critical conversations about ways we can disrupt inequities causing and stemming from trauma in our K-12 schools, communities and in higher education so that we can begin to heal by building critical systems of support that are community-centered and justice-oriented.

Chair:
Dana Thompson Dorsey

Participants:
Lolita Tabron, Moderator
Lisa Bass
Rebeca Burciaga
Susan Faircloth
Decoteau Irby
Cheryl Matias

Early and Mid-Career Mentoring for Equity-Focused Faculty: Navigating the Promotion and Tenure Process and Authenticity

Division A EIA Session
Date: Monday, April 8, 8:00-10:00am
Location: MTCC, 200 Level, Room 201D

Abstract: Given the current political and social climate in which we live, engaging in social justice work as a faculty member in the field of education is more critical than ever before. However, larger institutional reward systems often reflect hegemonic values, privileges, and power structures, which means this work is not always easy, acknowledged, valued, or supported in academia. This interactive mentoring session is geared towards faculty who want to gain insights from senior scholars on how to successfully navigate academia while also pursuing a social justice research agenda and/or engaging in scholar activism through their teaching, research, and service. The session will focus on exploring questions such as: How do I stay true to my commitment to social justice and equity and still appeal to grant funders? How can I increase my scholarship impact through both traditional and non-traditional outlets? How can I organize my equity-focused work so that it is more likely to be recognized and rewarded in the promotion and tenure process?

Chairs:
Dana Thompson Dorsey
Lolita Tabron

Participants:
David DeMatthews
Mark A. Gooden
Julian Vasquez Heilig
Sonya Douglas Horsford
Ann Ishimaru
Zeus Leonardo
Gerardo R. López
April L. Peters
Jim Scheurich

REFLECTING ON AERA 2018 AND WELCOMING NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO THE EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACTION COMMITTEE

6/23/2018

Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh
Lolita Tabron, University of Denver

The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee hosted one pivotal session during the AERA 2018 Annual Meeting in New York City, titled “Advocating for equity through teaching, research, and service: Social justice scholars offer mentorship on how it’s done.” This interactive session returned by popular demand and has become one of our signature events that allows us to highlight a core part of the committee’s mission – engaging senior scholars to help mentor junior scholars on successfully incorporating equity-focused work into their research, teaching and service. This year, the four senior scholar mentors were: Dr. Maria Luisa Gonzalez, Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at El Paso; Dr. Kofi Lomotey, Bardo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University; Dr. Ann Ishimaru, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Washington; and Dr. Muhammad Khalifa, Robert H. Beck Professor of Ideas in Education in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota.

Based on feedback from session participants in previous years, the EIA Committee utilized a small-group workshop format, which allowed the attendees to talk and interact with each senior scholar for approximately 15-20 minutes before rotating into another small group with a different scholar. The scholar mentors graciously and candidly shared stories and advice that included personal ah-ha moments, philosophical food for thought, and practical nuggets of truth. For instance, one of the senior scholars opined that one “can’t do this [equity-focused] work until you own how you were complicit in the bias, stereotypes, and injustices happening in schools.” Another scholar stated that social justice teaching in higher education must include “moral leadership, moral courage, and moral outrage, which is channeled into something positive to bring about real change.” On the more pragmatic side of things, a senior scholar boldly proclaimed that “an [educational] institution is simply a tool in a tool kit that is preparing you for the job you want, so don’t allow an institution to make you into who you don’t want to be.”

These senior scholars shared their experiences and words of wisdom with approximately 20 session participants (excluding the EIA Committee members). While the majority of participants were Division A members, there were also members from Divisions G, J, and L represented at the session. Additionally, there were several participants from other countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom. These participants were all in different stages of their academic and professional careers – some were new graduate students and recent doctoral graduates and others were junior faculty members or district-level school leaders. There were also other senior faculty and college administrators in attendance, as this session has become a meaningful opportunity for them to gain insight on how they can better tailor their support and expand their knowledge base of the contemporary issues junior scholars encounter in the field and in the academy.

Overall, participants left reenergized on how to intentionally and unapologetically pursue an equity-focused, social justice agenda in their research, teaching, and service. Some pictures below capture how engaged participants and senior scholars were in the small-group discussions.

The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee is excited about the year ahead and remains committed to offering opportunities for authentic dialogue and action. We are thrilled to continue this work with three new members!

The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee now comprises:

Chair – Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh
Co-Chair – Lolita Tabron, University of Denver

Members:
Elizabeth Gil, St. John’s University (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Daniel Liou, Arizona State University (two-year term, Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Juan M. Niño, University of Texas at San Antonio (two-year term; Fall 2017-Spring 2019)
Katherine Rodela, Washington State University Vancouver (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)

Because the EIA Committee utilizes a two-year term for members, we will be looking to replace two members after Spring 2019. If you are interested in joining the Division A EIA Committee, please contact Dana Thompson Dorsey ([email protected]), or Lolita Tabron ([email protected]).

INVITATION TO EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACTION SPECIAL SESSION AT AERA 2018

3/29/2018

Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh

As we prepare for the 2018 AERA Annual Meeting titled “The Dreams, Possibilities, and Necessity of Public Education,” we are reminded about how tentative access to a high quality public education is for many young people in our country. Now more than ever we can see the disparate treatment of students based on race, gender, income, ability, religion, and geographic location. Division A’s Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee recognize the onus we have to continually educate and properly equip scholars with the knowledge and tools they need to address as well as combat the increasing disparities in education through teaching, research, and service. Although engaging in such social justice work as a faculty member in the field of education is more critical than ever before, particularly in the current political and social climate in which we live, we also understand that this work is not always easy, acknowledged, or supported in academia. Given these challenges, the EIA Committee cordially invite you to join us in New York at our special invited session, “Advocating for equity through teaching, research, and service: Social justice scholars offer mentorship on how it’s done.”

This interactive session will include four esteemed scholar mentors: Dr. Kofi Lomotey (Western Carolina University), Dr. Maria L. Gonzalez (University of Texas at El Paso), Dr. Muhammad Khalifa (University of Minnesota), and Dr. Ann Ishimaru (University of Washington). This mentoring session is geared towards faculty who want to gain insights from senior scholars on how to successfully navigate academia while also pursuing a social justice research agenda and/or engaging in scholar activism through their teaching, research, and service. The session will focus on exploring questions as: How can you stay true to your commitment to social justice and equity while obtaining tenure and/or promotion? What kinds of strategies can be used in the face of resistance from students, colleagues, and/or your institution? How can you stay mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy while engaging in this work?

We look forward to seeing you at the session on Monday, April 16th from 10:35 am-12:05 pm at the Park Central Hotel, Manhattan A Room. We hope to see you there!

Reflecting on AERA 2017 and welcoming new committee members

7/1/2017

Melissa A. Martinez, Texas State University
Dana Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh

The Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee held two very fruitful sessions during the 2017 AERA Annual Meeting in San Antonio. The first was Building a Wall of Resistance through Critical Solidarities: Attending to our Personal and Professional Needs and that of Others in the Current Political Climate. The second session was Early & Mid-Career Mentoring for Equity-Focused Faculty: Insights from Senior Scholars on Navigating the Pathways of Academia and included senior scholar-administrators Michael Dantley of Miami University, Frank Hernandez of Southern Methodist University, Judy Alston of Ashland University, and Susan Faircloth of University of North Carolina Wilmington. The first session had 15 attendees while the second had 20, not including the EIA committee members. Both sessions were highly interactive and left attendees wanting more!

The first session was birthed out of an expressed need from faculty and students to address the growing concern regarding the disparaging social and political rhetoric related to racial, ethnic, religious, and gender equity, as well as injustices related to immigration. The EIA committee members organized the session to give attendees an opportunity to share experiences from their professional and personal interactions over the past year, discuss how they have addressed negative encounters through their research and teaching, and offer suggestions about making equity-focused work a priority on their campuses and beyond. Feedback from the first session indicated a need to incorporate more time for sharing of “practical concrete steps that people are taking” in their classrooms, particularly in “teaching practices that help students to develop a critical lens.” Attendees also wanted a means to keep in contact and continue the supportive dialogue, storytelling, and sharing of “interdisciplinary practices” within the classroom.

A majority of participants in the second session agreed that the most useful advice shared was to “be authentic to yourself, create strategic relations, and be transparent” as an equity-focused scholar. Most second-session participants also suggested that the committee consider utilizing a workshop format for the mentoring, given the great insight that the senior scholars had to offer. Overall, the structure of the second session seemed optimal and, as one participant indicated, provided a “great opportunity to have meaningful discussions with a variety of people.” Snapshots of the second session capture the small-group discussions with the senior scholars.

The new 2017 EIA Committee plans to utilize the feedback from both sessions as they plan for the 2018 AERA Annual Meeting in New York City. The 2017 Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee now includes:

Chair- Melissa A. Martinez, Texas State University
Co-Chair- Dana Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh

Members:
Rhoda Freelon, Spencer Foundation (two-year term; Fall 2016-Spring 2018)
Juan M. Niño, University of Texas at San Antonio (two-year term; Fall 2017-Spring 2019)
Bernard Oliver, University of Florida (two-year term; Fall 2016-Spring 2018)
Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, Lehman College (two-year term; Fall 2016-Spring 2018)
Lolita Tabron, University of Denver (two-year term; Fall 2017-Spring 2019)

As the EIA committee continues to utilize a two-year term for members, we will be looking to replace three members after spring 2018. If you are interested in being a part of the EIA committee for Division A, please contact Melissa Martinez ([email protected]) or Dana Thompson Dorsey ([email protected]).

Join Division A’s Equity, Inclusion, and Action committee for two special sessions at the 2017 annual meeting!

4/11/2017

Melissa A. Martinez, Texas State University

The Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee will hold two exciting and interactive sessions during our upcoming 2017 AERA Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Both sessions are open and relevant to graduate students and faculty at all ranks and in all roles.

The first session is titled Building a Wall of Resistance through Critical Solidarities: Attending to our Personal and Professional Needs and that of Others in the Current Political Climate. It will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2:45-4:15 p.m. in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Room 213A. The session will be interactive and focus on how scholar-activists (can) address the current and recurrent violence and tensions in our society related to race, gender, LGBTQ+, and other equity issues in light of the current political climate. The session will incorporate individual, small-group, and large-group dialogue and reflection to consider how we have been personally and professionally impacted by the current political climate, what it will take to ensure the needs of our disenfranchised are met, and how we can empower others and each other through our work and build coalitions to reach a state of synergy that will ensure progress towards equity and social justice.

The second session is titled Early & Mid-Career Mentoring for Equity-Focused Faculty: Insights from Senior Scholars on Navigating the Pathways of Academia. It will take place on Sunday, April 30, 12:25-1:55 p.m. in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Room 6B. This session will also be interactive and include four esteemed senior scholar-administrators: Michael Dantley from Miami University, Frank Hernandez from Southern Methodist University, Judy Alston from Ashland University, Susan Faircloth from University of North Carolina Wilmington. They will share their insights about advancing research and leadership agendas that promote educational equity and enact social justice. In particular, the session focuses on considering the following questions: How should I establish and argue for social justice-focused, engaged scholarship in academia? Navigate complex issues of equity in the classroom? Manage sometimes undue service expectations? Decide whether administrative leadership is my next step? Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in roundtable dialogues with each of the senior scholars to discuss ideas and needs. This interactive session is part of an ongoing mentoring initiative to lend equity-oriented faculty in educational leadership, administration and/or organizations valuable mentorship opportunities outside of their academic institutions.

The Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee invites members from all Divisions at AERA to attend these sessions in an effort to spur critical conversation and reflection, and provide a space for hope and healing.

Equity, Inclusion & Action blog

Amanda Jo Cordova
Chair (2024-2025)
Pronouns: She/Her
Assistant Professor
Educational and Organizational Leadership
North Dakota State University

Liliana E. Castrellón
Co-Chair (2024-2025)
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership
San José State University

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