The Tales from the Classroom Team
Daniel L. Castner
Assistant Professor, Bellarmine University
Dr. Daniel Castner is an assistant professor of early childhood education and teacher leadership at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. His experiences teaching kindergarten for 15 years in an Ohio public school inspire a scholarly interest to understand early childhood educators’ capacities to function as democratic curriculum leaders in the current era of standardized, top-down accountability. Daniel’s recent work has been published in journals such as Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue and Leadership and Policy in Schools. With Monica Miller-Marsh, he co-authored a chapter in The Sage Handbook of Research on Teacher Education titled, Critical Approaches in Making New Space for Teacher Competencies. Additionally, alongside James Henderson and Jennifer Schneider, he is the co-author of a forthcoming book, Fundamentals of Curriculum Leadership: Problem Solving Artistry for Democratic Societies.
Anita S. Charles
Director of Teacher Education; Associate Chair Education Department, Bates College
Dr. Anita Charles is Director of Secondary Teacher Education at Bates and previously taught high school English for over ten years. In the past, she has taught a wide variety of ages and abilities, from first graders in Jersey City, NJ, through adult learners, teaching subjects as diverse as French and Alternative Education programming. As a Fulbright Scholar in India from January to May 2016, Anita taught undergratuates and explored issues of literacy and inclusion in preK-12 schools and programs. Her dissertation entitled “‘It’s Just Part of What We Do’: Adolescent Interactions with Multimodal Texts Across Social Spaces,” won two national awards. She holds an M.Ed. from Harvard in Human Development and Psychology, with a special focus on Language and Culture. She previously published a chapter in an anthology entitled The first Year of Teaching: Real World Stories from America’s Teachers.
Bradley Conrad
Associate Professor, Capital University
Dr. Bradley Conrad is an associate professor in the Education Department at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where he teaches in the teacher education program. He graduated with a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver in 2011. Bradley was a high school English teacher, department chair, instructional coach, and new teacher mentor in public schools, primarily in urban areas, for over 10 years. He has published several articles in the areas of curriculum, creativity in education, teacher dispositions, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
Cheryl DoBroka
Professor, Capital University
Dr. Cheryl DoBroka is a secondary Language Arts educator who has dedicated her life’s work to teaching and mentoring generations of learners. With a career that spans public school, charter school, college, and university teaching, her work is supported by a rich cross-disciplinary foundation of composition and literary studies, educational anthropology, and intercultural competence. In practical application of her research, her students join her in community-engaged learning opportunities that serve families across cultures through literacy tutoring and teaching intercultural sensitivity by sharing quality multicultural children’s literature. Dr. DoBroka is one of the original collaborators who envisioned both the foundations and inspiration for gathering diverse stakeholders into significant conversations that will shape the future of education.
Alison G. Dover
Assistant Professor, California State University, Fullerton
Dr. Alison G. Dover is a first generation college graduate, a former urban high school English Language Arts teacher, and an Assistant Professor in the Secondary Education Department at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Dover's research examines social justice-oriented teacher agency in K-12 and teacher education contexts, with an emphasis on curricular, pedagogical, and activist responses to unjust and restrictive policies. Her recent publications include Preparing to Teach Social Studies for Social Justice: Becoming a Renegade (2016, Teachers College Press),and articles in Teaching and Teacher Education,The Educational Forum, English Journal, and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. To learn more about Alison’s teaching and scholarship, visitwww.alisongdover.com or follow her on Twitter at @AlisonDover1.
Ashleigh Franco
Lead Instructor, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Ashleigh Franco is currently a lead instructor with the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. She has a vast array of experience from the past decade in public and public charter schools including kindergarten and first grade lead teacher, grade level chair, new teacher mentor, literacy interventionist, and coach. She completed her doctorate in 2015 and her research focuses on educators’ narratives—both nationally and internationally.
Sandra L. Guzman
Assistant Professor, Endowed Chair in Education, University of the Incarnate Word
Dr. Sandra L. Guzman Foster is an Assistant Professor and the Sister Theophane Power Endowed Chair in Education at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Sandy currently teaches in the Doctoral Program in the Dreeben School of Education at UIW. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Sandy has many years of experience in the education field. Her experiences include teaching in K-12 public schools, a community college in Texas, and at the university level in Texas, Arizona and Colorado. Additionally, Sandy has experience developing curriculum for both face-to-face and online programs in higher education. She has published works in the areas of technology, pedagogy, curriculum, teacher education/preparation/professional development, and educational policy.
Jill L. Hare
Secondary English Language Arts & Drama Teacher, Silver High School, Silver City, NM
Her nearly 25 years as an educator has taken teacher/researcher Dr. Jill L. Hare on a journey that includes the development of English Language Arts (ELA) and drama classes at all levels of the public education spectrum. From heading up the ELA department to developing a collaborative regular education and neurologically diverse life skills class student-produced drama program, to leading workshops integrating the arts into core curriculum, Dr. Hare is focused on working towards learning opportunities for all educational stakeholders.
Dana L. Haraway
Associate Professor, James Madison University
Dr. Dana L. Haraway is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. In her position, she strives to train and support the next generation of middle and secondary educators. Her interests include responsive classrooms, restorative justice, positive classroom management, and assessment.
Kimberly Mahovsky
Assistant Professor, University of Northern Colorado
Dr. Kimberly A. Mahovsky is an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado specializing in math methods for elementary education along with supervising student teachers within the College of Teacher Education. Kim has 10 years of teaching experience in elementary education before pursuing her master’s degree at Regis University and her doctorate at University of Denver with both degrees in curriculum and instruction. Along with directing a National Science Foundation grant, she has presented her work on the effects of high-stakes testing on classroom/pedagogy, conceptual understanding in mathematics, and teacher accountability under a standardized curriculum at several national conferences.
Joie N. Lê
Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Mizel Institute
Dr. Joie Norby Lê is the Director of the Curriculum & Instruction for the Mizel Institute, a non-profit organization committed to developing a more educated, conscious and empowered community through the Mizel Museum and Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) programs. She also teaches English Composition at the Community College of Denver. As a teacher, she specializes in working with at-risk youth and marginalized student populations with a focus in culturally responsive pedagogy. Her research interest focuses on poststructural philosophy to examine the mechanisms of standardization and its impact in education. She is a contributing author for adoptee-related forums and a guest speaker as a member of the diaspora of Vietnam War refugees.
Christy M. McConnell
Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado
Dr. Christy McConnell is an Associate Professor of Educational Foundations and Curriculum Studies in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. Her research interests include aesthetic and ecological perspectives of curriculum and teaching. She is the former Editor for Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue and has published several articles in the area of curriculum, ecological education, and the arts in education, the latter of which can be found at http://www.crispateaching.org. Her piece titled "Complementary Curriculum: The Work of Ecologically Minded Teachers" can be found in The Curriculum Studies Reader.
Tim Price
Educational Consultant
After teaching English, writing, history and research methods in both public and independent schools for the past 15 years, Dr. Tim Price recently decided to shift his focus towards educational consulting, research and advocacy. Having completing his doctoral studies in 2015 at the University of Denver, he he wanted to create the space, time and freedom to further pursue his academic interests on a broader scale. His research ad professional interest lie in the development of holistic curriculum and public policy. Along with being an institutional researcher for schools looking to adopt a more asset-based approach to curriculum and teacher evaluation, Tim also works with local and regional organizations that advocate for adolescent health and well-being.
Nancy Stockall
Professor, Sam Houston State University
Dr. Nancy Stockall earned her doctoral degree at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Before earning her degree she worked for 19 years in an inner city public school district as a special education teacher and administrator. Professor Stockall conducts research in the area of Early Childhood Special Education and is the recipient of the several awards including the Annual Dissertation Award Competition, Kent State University, and the American Educational Research Association Early Education for Children with Disabilities, Outstanding Dissertation Award. Her research on inclusion has been published nationally and internationally continuing to give voice to the efficacy and social responsibilities of educating all children in general education classrooms. She is the author of over 100 publications and presentations.
