About the Book
“This book comes to us in a moment when many educators feel overwhelmed and disillusioned by the weight of systemic challenges…Transformative Teacher Education arrives as a beacon of possibility, reminding us that change is not only necessary but achievable.”
— Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Columbia University, Forward, p. xx
Transformative Teacher Education: Disrupting Pedagogy, Practice, and Ideology to Forge Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education is for anyone who believes in the transformative power of education.
This edited volume documents the collective journeys of over 20 faculty members across more than a dozen Pennsylvania institutions of higher education as they worked to embed Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CRSE) into teacher preparation. Grounded in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and frameworks like Targeted Universalism & CRSE, the book offers both reflection and strategy for disrupting traditional approaches to teaching and learning. At a time when DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) is under attack, this work affirms that justice must remain central to the mission of teacher education. The chapters share how we made sense of policy, navigated resistance, and found solidarity through community.
Transformative Teacher Teacher Education can be purchased from Emerald Publishing, Amazon, Target, and other booksellers.
Cover art by Delaney Kegel. Cover design by House of Beautiful Business.
“How did my own schooling experiences prepare me—or not—for engaging with culturally relevant and sustaining education? What biases or assumptions am I bringing into my teaching practice?”
p. 325
The audience for this book includes anyone who cares deeply about the future of education and equitable outcomes for all learners, regardless of their location or role in the educational ecosystem. This includes faculty members and higher education leaders, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, district leaders, principals, superintendents, and state department of education officials, policymakers, families, community members, and anyone else committed to how people are supported to thrive through education.
The text is organized into three main sections: sense-making, system-level implementation of CRSE, and course-level implementation of CRSE. Each section is followed by reflection questions, like the one at left, and suggested activities to help readers of a variety of roles and backgrounds apply what they have read.
Meet the Co-Editors
Donna-Marie Cole
Dr. Donna-Marie Cole stands at the forefront of transformative education as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC) and an Assistant Professor of Professional & Secondary Education– Instructional Design Technology at East Stroudsburg University. Her career includes pivotal roles such as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Higher Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and Inaugural Director of the Institute of Educational Governance and Leadership (IEGL). Dr. Cole’s research illuminates the lived experiences of Black girls, addressing issues of race, equity, and educator diversity with unwavering dedication. A stalwart advocate, she leads the charge in dismantling systemic racism and fostering equitable outcomes for all students, shaping the very fabric of public education with her visionary leadership and impassioned advocacy.
Juliet Curci
Dr. Juliet Curci seeks to advance and expand equity and access in education in her roles as Assistant Dean of College Access and Persistence and founding Director of the Center for Reimagining Excellence, Access and Transformation in Education (CREATE) with Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Curci was a classroom teacher in Philadelphia district and charter schools and directed school and community partnerships for Temple’s teacher education program before focusing on Philadelphians' access to postsecondary education and increasing the number of teachers of color in Pennsylvania. She co-founded the Temple Education Scholars dual enrollment program, the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium, and the PA Teacher Education CRSE Initiative, as well as other equity-focused coalitions and initiatives. Dr. Curci’s work as a community organizer and activist is rooted in her staunch commitment to ensuring all learners have educational experiences through which they can thrive.
Luca Poxon
Luca Poxon is a facilitator, writer, and educator originally from Oakland, California. Luca is Project Coordinator for Temple University’s Pennsylvania Teacher Education Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CRSE) Initiative. In this role, he convenes communities of practice of teacher educators and K-12 educators across Pennsylvania who are working to advance CRSE in their teacher preparation programs, school districts, and classrooms. Luca is also the Project Coordinator and a Core Member of the Philly Children’s Movement, a child- and family-centered racial justice organization centered in Northwest Philadelphia.
Origins of CRSE in Pennsylvania and the Community of Practice
“While teacher educators across Pennsylvania largely acknowledged the importance of including culturally relevant and sustaining education within their programs, the overwhelming sentiment from these teacher educators was that they did not have background knowledge or expertise regarding how to do so.”
Context for the Work
—Donna-Marie Cole, Juliet, Curci, Kelly McGinn, & Luca Poxon
Kelly McGinn
Temple University