|
Dr. Nicole Harris
Panel Moderator Dr. Nicole J. Harris holds a Ph.D. in Education with specializations in Higher Education Administration and Multicultural/Multilingual Enrollment Development and a Masters in Higher Education, Student Services from George Mason University. She earned her Bachelors in Music Theory & Composition from Virginia State University. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Harris calls the Washington, DC metropolitan area home. Her 23-year career in education includes: early childhood/elementary music education; private voice instruction; college instruction; higher education administration in academic affairs, admissions, and student affairs roles; and scholarship. Her research interests in higher education institutional culture, policy, planning, and administration–particularly in relation to issues surrounding global education, diversity, social justice and equity initiatives. Dr. Harris studies models used by successful institutions to implement policies and organizational structures contributing to the equity and access to students. Dr. Nicole Harris is currently the Associate Dean for the School of Education; (Interim) Executive Director for the Institute for Advancing Education and the Educator Workforce; and a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Secondary and Higher Education Department at Salem State University. |
|
Dr. Letina Jeranyama
Panelist Dr. Letina Jeranyama is an Associate Professor of Practice at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She received her doctoral degree from Michigan State University. Before her appointment at Clark University, Dr Jeranyama served as an Assistant Professor at Antioch University Seattle. Dr Jeranyama has a passion to improve science teaching and learning K-16. Her research centers around science teaching, learning, teacher preparation and teacher professional development. Her passion and commitment to Clark University's Teacher Preparation Program drives her to continuous program improvement through leveraging school partnerships, building long lasting student teacher relationships which go beyond graduation and cohort models of teacher preparation. Dr. Jeranyama resides in Worcester with her husband. The family has three young adult children. Two of her children are graduates of Clark University. |
|
|
Elena Milius
Panelist Elena Milius is the Chief of Staff for The Teachers' Lounge, a Boston nonprofit organization with a vision of driving unprecedented student outcomes by diversifying the people, thoughts and actions of the educator workforce. TTL’s mission is to recruit, revitalize, and retain Educators of Color throughout the Greater Boston Area and beyond. As the Chief of Staff of TTL, Elena focuses on the strategic expansion of program and partner support. Elena is a proud Boston native and graduate of Boston Latin School. She attended Skidmore College where she earned her B.A. in American Studies and minored in Italian. In 2021, Elena graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on Human Development and Psychology and was awarded the Intellectual Contribution Award by her peers. Elena has spent over ten years working in schools in various leadership roles. She began her career as a teacher resident at MATCH Charter High School. She spent seven years with UP Education Network as a teacher and founding Dean of Students before she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be the Assistant Principal of Culture at Valor Collegiate Academy. Most recently, she was the Managing Director of Alexander Twilight Academy, a free high school and college access program in Boston. Her work in schools solidified her belief that relationships are the most important part of building community. Developing and sustaining strong relationships with children and families is essential to building trust and understanding as we work together towards a common goal. Elena’s commitment to education is deep, critical, and lifelong because her greatest belief is that we, as educators and as a society, must work relentlessly to ensure that we lead transformational classrooms that celebrate the identities of our students and their inherent gifts and genius. |
|
Glennys Sánchez
Panelist Glennys Sánchez is the inaugural Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Lawrence Public Schools. Sánchez has devoted her professional career and personal journey to integrating the voices and participation of systematically marginalized communities in different spaces ranging from nonprofit leadership, higher education, to community engagement research. Glennys served in various leadership roles at Great Schools Partnership leading transformative work in equitable community engagement and diversifying the New England educator workforce. In a previous role, Glennys led the family engagement research and knowledge management initiatives of a non-profit organization based in Boston that prepares educators to engage all families in equal partnerships that are essential to student success. Glennys earned an associate’s degree in business from Northern Essex Community College, a BA in economics from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and an M.Ed. in Community Engagement from Merrimack College, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership at American University. In her adopted home in Lawrence, MA, Glennys serves on the Board of Directors of the Lawrence History Center, as a Trustee of Lawrence Public Library, and as a Trustee of Northern Essex Community College. |
|
|
Dr. Rory Tannenbaum
Panelist Rory P. Tannebaum is an Associate Professor of Education at Merrimack College and the chair of the Education Department. His research focuses on using teacher education to provide meaningful, engaging experiences to best prepare novice educators to succeed in the K-12 classroom. |
Relationship Rich Education:
Nurturing Future Educators Hogan Center 320 Holly Dolan, Clark University
Mariah Mitchell-Labrie, Clark University Lynn Murray-Chandler, Clark University We will explore the four principles of Relationship Rich Education (Felten and Lambert) as they connect to a teacher preparation program and as experienced by a preservice teacher. Participants will reflect on their teacher preparation programs and how they align with or could be enhanced by the four principles.
|
Developing a Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Communication and Literacy Skills Framework
Hogan Center 328 Claire Smithney, DESE
Dr. Joretha Lewis, DESE Malika Ali, Throughline Learning The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is partnering with Throughline Learning to develop a Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Communication and Literacy Skills (CLS2) Framework that will guide the redevelopment of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL. This session will review the development of the CLS2 Framework and provide space for discussion.
|
Culturally Responsive Community-Building Strategies in Teacher Education
Hogan Center 406 Dr. Ryan Ambuter, Elms College
Dr. Tyra Good, Elms College Dominique McDonald, Elms College This workshop will share Elms College’s Cynthia A. Lyons Center for Equity in Urban Education Harambee model for building professional community and sustaining ourselves in the work. Participants will identify struggles teacher candidates face and collectively explore steps to increase educator morale and quality of life through intentional community building.
|
Supporting Supervising Practitioners: Lessons from Massachusetts Educators
Hogan Center 408 Elizabeth Tripathi, Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Dr. Jackie Boivin, Bridgewater State University Dr. Vishakha Agarwal, Massachusetts Teachers Association Massachusetts educators identified a lack of support for supervising practitioners who work with educator preparation programs. In this session, we will share resources created for members and best practices for professional development for school-based educators.
|
Relationships at the Center: Cultivating Relationship-Building Structures with Purpose in Teacher Preparation Programs
Hogan Center 320 Dr. Carmen Ocón, Clark University
Dr. Letina Jeranyama, Clark University Paths to nurture pre-service teachers in education programs are a process that require the centering of purposeful relationships with multiple stakeholders. As pre-service teachers witness current challenges in their school-sites, we’ll discuss examples and challenges of structures intentionally set in place to build trusting relationships during a yearlong teacher program.
|
Designing Ladders in Teacher Preparation: Supporting Retention and Recruitment while Developing Professional Communities
Hogan Center 328 Christopher Clinton, UMass Dartmouth
Traci Almeida, UMass Dartmouth Tired of the status quo in teacher prep? Join us to discover how UMass Dartmouth’s innovative urban teacher partnership transforms recruitment and retention by developing teachers in collaborative classrooms with expert mentors. Hear directly from teachers and administrators on the program’s successes in building supportive professional communities, providing meaningful leadership opportunities, and elevating the voice of effective educators. Take away practical strategies to enhance your local teacher pipeline efforts through synergistic K-12 and university collaborations.
|
Voices of Special Educators: Implications for Teacher Preparation Programs, Schools, and Districts
Hogan Center 406 Nanho Vander Hart, Assumption University
Dr. Samantha Goldman, BCBA The special educator shortage has been a chronic issue. Findings from interviews with special educators across multiple school districts on contributing factors to their retention will be shared. Recommendations for teacher preparation programs and strategies for schools/districts to prepare and support special educators will be discussed.
|
Empowering Future Educators: Growing Resilience and Effective Practice through a Multi-Tiered System of Support for Pre-Service Teachers
Hogan Center 408 Valerie J.C .Annear, Springfield College
Participants will collaboratively discuss the development of robust support systems. Examine the significance of creating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), that addresses academic, social-emotional needs, and retention strategies. Engage in this interactive session to share insights, co-create solutions, and action steps for integrating MTSS principles into your programs.
|