Loyola’s School of Education to host virtual panel featuring educator perspectives on reckoning with our past in schools

Loyola University Maryland’s School of Education will host a virtual panel of educators sharing their perspectives in “Educator Perspectives: Reckoning with our Past in Schools” on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, at 5 p.m.

During the panel event, Loyola’s School of Education faculty will begin with a brief historical context of critical race theory’s influence in K-12 education, why and how it has been a part of our schools. Panelists will dive deeper and continue with a discussion on what is needed at the school and district level from teachers, school leaders, students, parents, and community members. Stephanie Flores-Koulish, Ph.D., professor and program director of Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice, will moderate the discussion.

"I am excited to engage in a conversation on the importance of teaching for societal equity,” said Flores-Koulish. “Currently, we are seeing a backlash against such measures in various jurisdictions around the country, and we find it alarming, especially given that as a Jesuit institution, we were founded on principles of justice and equity. Our students at Loyola, who reflect and study the history of public education, uncover the ways that they have experienced and/or witnessed inequities in classrooms, and in turn we provide strategies to ensure that they discover new ways to interact with students such that equity is always top of mind. In the end, we wish for our students to realize that each student deserves to be respected and challenged to meet his or her own potential, while learning the importance of self-respect and respect of others for the many differences they bring to schools and our broader society.”

Panelists include: 

• Stephanie Flores-Koulish, Ph.D., professor and program director of Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice
• Marie Heath, Ed.D., assistant professor of Educational Technology
• Regina Young, Ph.D., affiliate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction for Social Justice program and retired English teacher for Prince Georges County Public Schools

“As the School of Education, we are committed to fulfilling the promise of public education, working together to address systemic racism and social and educational injustices that impact students, families, and communities,” said Afra Hersi, Ph.D., interim dean of Loyola’s School of Education. “The struggle for justice must be grounded in critical analysis of our nation's legacy of racial injustice in K-12 education. This event will bring together leading scholars and educators engaged in the work of social justice, creating a space for critical reflection, dialogue, and collaboration.”

The event is free and open to the public. Online registration is available.

The Loyola University Maryland School of Education provides leading undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs that prepare effective, ethical educators, educational leaders, and counselors to improve learning for all children. Our nationally accredited and state-approved undergraduate and graduate programs equip our students with the knowledge, skills, tools, and support to become exceptionally prepared, social justice-minded educators, and educational leaders. For more information, visit www.loyola.edu/school-education.