School of Education

My dedication is to support the creation of schools that deliver high quality success to all student groups, especially those groups that have historically not been well served by public schooling, like African American students, Latino students, students from low income families, student from families that do not speak English at home, students from other cultures, students with disabilities, girls in math and science, lesbian/gay/bi/transgender students, or any other group not receiving the benefits of a high quality education.

I am especially focused on this in urban areas where the majority of children of color live and go to school. I am also dedicated to framing urban areas in terms of their strengths and assets while critiquing the inequalities and addressing the challenges. I consider the so-called achievement gaps to be mainly a function of the way schools and urban centers work rather than a function of those student groups on the lower side of such gaps or their parents and communities. At present our urban schools come nowhere close to working well for the historically marginalized students so we need to envision and create learning environments that do work well for all students and all student groups. To accomplish this, we need to not be defensive or to avoid difficult issues or claim there is only one right way to go forward, while at the same time treating all people with respect, appreciation, and care.

• Ph.D., Ohio State University, Educational Policy and Leadership With Cognates in 1) Public Policy and Management and 2) Research Methodology (Quantitative and Qualitative)
• M.S., Kansas University, Educational Counseling
• B.S., Kansas University, Education—Language Arts Major and Social Science

• EDUC-T 620 Issues in Urban Education
• EDUC-T 690 Early Inquiry in Urban Education
• EDUC-T 700 Research Seminar in Urban Education
• EDUC-T 750 Doctoral Seminar in Urban Education
• EDUC-Y 611 Qualitative Inquiry in Education

• Instructional Leadership
• Qualitative Research Methodology
• Race and Racism in Schools
• School and District Leadership
• School and District Reform

• 2006 Master Professor Award from the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), the premier national educational leadership research organization
• 2008 Nominated for President, American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• 2009 Nominated for Council Person at Large for American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• 2005-11 University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), Executive Committee
• 2002 Chair of dissertation of Sherry Marx, who won both the AERA Division D Dissertation of the Year Award for Methodology and the AERA Division G Dissertation of the Year Award, the only dissertation that has won the dissertation awards of two different divisions
• 1999 Nominee for Vice-President of Division G of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)

• U.S. Dept. of Education School Leadership Grant with Austin ISD, 2002-2005, Co-Author, $1.8 million (wrote with Kathryn McKenzie, but did not manage the grant).
• Texas STAR (School Technology and Readiness) grant, Principal Investigator, ~$250,000 (did not write the grant but had administrative oversight of the grant and was PI during a portion of the time).
• Texas Education Agency STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Grant, Principal Investigator, 2006-2010, $1,838,657 (PI for four years; Co-wrote the original grant with Gerri Maxwell in 2006).
• Texas Education Agency sponsored Aggie STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Grant, Co-PI, 2010-2011, $500,000 2010-11; $800,000 2011-13; funded for six years for a total of $2,800,000 (PI for four years, then Co-PI ; principal author of the 2011-13 grant application).
• Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning, Principal Investigator, 1/2008-8/2008, ~1.5 million annually (occupied an administrative position overseeing the grant).
• Richardson Foundation, Texas School District Research Project, Co-P.I., 1999-2001, $450,000 (co-authored with Linda Skrla and Joe Johnson and was a researcher on the project).
• Richardson Foundation Research Grant, Proposal author, 2008-2010, $175,000 (authored the grant application with Linda Skrla and am participating in the research as a Co-PI).
• Richardson Foundation Research Dissemination Grant, Co-Principal Investigator, $200,000.
• Professional development contract with Waco ISD, PI (managed the services of the contract), 2008-10, $190.999.75; 2010-11, $46,995.

• University Council for Educational Administration
• American Educational Research Association