“I just want to know that I’ve helped as many students as possible, especially students who have experienced what I’ve experienced,” said Pacheco, a New York City Department of Education administrator who is graduating this May with his Ed.D. from the Graduate School of Education. “I want to make sure that our kids know [their worth].” 

Pacheco serves as executive director of school support and operations for New York City Transfer High Schools, a district of 42 schools that supports students who have dropped out or fallen behind in credits. He enrolled in GSE’s highly ranked Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy program to help him better support his students. His coursework has taught him how to lead with empathy, apply his research to his work, and learn from his failures, he said. 

“It’s really changed the way that I look at my work, from the small things to the big things,” said Pacheco. 

Earning a $500K Grant to Help Students, Thanks to Fordham 

In his Leading Instructional Improvement course at Fordham, which teaches students how to apply academic theories to real-life problems, Pacheco and fellow doctoral student John Sullivan designed a remote academic program that helps nontraditional students earn their high school diploma. In 2022, Pacheco and Sullivan were awarded a $500,000 grant from the New York City Department of Education to turn their idea into reality. 

This spring, they will launch a three-month-long pilot program based on their idea, which will support the city’s high school students who are struggling to complete their high school education. Among the students are new migrants who are simultaneously working to support their families. Their program will allow students to continue working while remotely completing their high school education. 

“[Their] remote academy is an exemplar for the kind of theory-to-practice connections we hope doctoral candidates will make, and will be a great benefit to NYC youth,” said associate professor Elizabeth Stosich, Ed.D., who taught their Leading Instructional Improvement course.  

‘I Love to See Our Kids Succeed’ 

Pacheco previously worked as a field support liaison at New York City Transfer High Schools for four years. He’s also worked in nonprofits and the city’s Department of Youth & Community Development. More recently, Pacheco helped to prepare a grant proposal on behalf of New York City Transfer High Schools that received about a million dollars to support students in their schools who are from asylum-seeking families, he said. 

“Our kids are some of the most vulnerable. At some point in their lives, they experienced something that set them back in their academic career,” Pacheco said. “I love to see our kids succeed … Anything that I can do to help a kid graduate and get on a career path, I’ll do.”

These were some of the words of encouragement and inspiration that Fordham President Tania Tetlow shared with the Graduate School of Education (GSE) Class of 2023 on Monday, May 22.

At the diploma ceremony, held in front of the Walsh Family Library on the University’s Rose Hill campus, Fordham bestowed master’s and doctoral degrees upon students across GSE’s programs, from newly minted classroom teachers and school psychologists to educational leaders and administrators looking to advance in their careers.

Accelerated Teaching Program Leads to ‘Amazing’ Job

For Margaret Costikyan, the day capped a five-year journey that began in 2018, when she enrolled at Fordham College at Rose Hill as an undergraduate. She knew she wanted to become a classroom teacher—and she knew Fordham’s accelerated five-year Master of Science in Teaching program would get her there faster.

Now, having earned an M.S.T. one year after receiving a B.S. in psychology and sociology, she’ll be teaching full time at the Bronx public school where she did her student teaching.­

“The school where I was placed, PS 71—the community there is amazing,” Costikyan said. “I’ve met so many teachers who want to support me as a first-year teacher, so I’m really excited and thankful to Fordham for that.”

A Focus on the Socioemotional Needs of Children

Fordham GSE’s partnership with the New York City Department of Education was a draw for Samantha McCusker, who received a master’s degree in school psychology.

“Being able to use that as a connection to network was a big point,” McCusker said, adding that when she initially met with professors at GSE, “it just felt like home to me.” Since 2021, her second year in the program, she’s been working as a school psychologist in Harlem, and she takes pride in being able to serve her students.

“Learning from the kids that I’m around and how they live, and seeing how I can best support them, is probably the most impactful part of my job,” she said.

The socioemotional needs of students have been front of mind for most educators, especially as schools have tried to catch up from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning, and all the associated stressors.

Shannon Urabe, who completed the online M.S.T. program, began teaching sixth and seventh graders at the Windward School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side during her time in the program. She has felt increasingly optimistic as she’s watched her students readjust to in-person learning.

“Seeing how the kids have swung back around from COVID and seeing how they’re re-learning how to engage with one another has been good to see. They’re embracing connecting with one another,” said Urabe, whose parents came from Hawaii to watch her graduate.

Finding Community—and Benefiting from Program Flexibility

Urabe said the flexibility of the online program was a big factor in her grad school experience. “It was an easy transition [beginning the program in August 2020, during COVID],” she said, “because they were already prepared for this type of learning,”

The flexible nature of GSE’s programs was also a draw for Joseph Dujmovic, a Queens native who earned a Master of Science degree in the Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy division. Over his two years in the program, which included courses in person and online, he was able to keep up with classes while spending summers in Croatia and working as division head of the upper school at the Academy of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village.

Dujmovic said he appreciated receiving one of the faith-based scholarships Fordham offers to employees of Catholic schools, and he built close relationships with faculty. A particular highlight, he said, was a class with adjunct professor Anthony Miserandino, Ph.D., GSE ’77, ’84, on implementing change at an institutional level. “It was incredible, and he’s been a great mentor ever since.”

For Maria Cimina, who began the master’s program in mental health counseling fully online in 2021 but transitioned to in-person classes over her two years, building close relationships with her cohort was central to her experience. She became one of the leaders of the Student Association for Mental Health Counseling, a network for both students and alumni of the program, with Professor Eric Chen, Ph.D., calling her “a star of our mental health counseling student leadership team.”

“Finding a space in the community was really important for me,” Cimina said. “We had such a strong cohort, and it was really important to reinvest in the people and the work that we were doing, and really drive home how important it was to be present on campus.

“There’s a beautiful sense of community. If you’re willing to take advantage of that, the program itself will expand in value tenfold.”

First in Their Families

Lori-Ann Andrews was inspired to pursue a dual degree in early childhood and early childhood special education at the Graduate School of Education, where she wanted to “utilize the downtime” that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrews, who is in her seventh year teaching, saw a need to provide support to students receiving special education services.

“I’m getting chills right now,” she said. “Every day, I see children across the board where they need services pertaining to special ed, but they’re not getting those services, because the general ed teachers don’t have the knowledge as to what to look for. As a special ed teacher, I will be able to make sure that those students receive all the services that they need.”

Andrews was surrounded by her family, many of whom traveled to see her graduate.

“I’m really so proud of her, I actually flew in from Florida to be able to support her,” her sister Cavell Lilly said. “She really is amazing.”

Andrews said that earning a master’s degree with her family’s support felt very significant

“I’m the first [in my family]to receive a master’s degree, so it’s breaking that generational curse.”

Mardoqueo Arteaga, who earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and served as the president of the Graduate Student Government, said a speech six years ago by Joseph M. McShane, S.J., then president of Fordham, inspired him to enroll in the doctoral program.

“I was a DACA recipient,” said Arteaga, referring to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows young people brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country. “In 2017, Father McShane sent out a message that was pretty convincing about this place being a place where I felt safe to come—and inclusive. I knew I wanted to get a Ph.D., and I thought this would be a good place to kind of be intellectually free, while also knowing that the community was rather supportive of someone like me.”

Arteaga, who goes by Marc, will be starting work as an economist with KPMG. He views earning a Ph.D. as both a privilege and responsibility.

“It’s a privilege to do so because I know that my family, and where I come from—you don’t have those kinds of opportunities,” he said. “But more than anything, I also consider it a responsibility, because I’m changing a narrative that would otherwise remain unchanged.”

New York City: The Finance and Fintech Capital

Shafrin Mustafa said that the reputation of the Gabelli School of Business’ MBA program and its location drew her in.

“I know that they had a really great reputation and it was located in New York, and this is where I wanted to be,” said Mustafa, who is graduating with an MBA with a double concentration in finance and fintech.

Mustafa, who is from Canada, said her time in the program flew by, as she’ll be starting work with American Express in July.

“It’s been a very exciting journey. It almost feels like it just started yesterday so I can’t believe we’re here already.”

Research for Single Mothers and Education

Three students graduating with their doctoral degrees from the Graduate School of Social Work, Carolyn Peguero Spencer, Danielle Jimenez, and Denise Gosselin, said that they leaned on the community they developed at Fordham.

“You really have to have a beautiful cohort to get through. You’re not going to get through this alone,” said Spencer, a licensed clinical social worker, who got her master’s at the Graduate School of Social Work in 2000. She decided to return for the doctoral program to finish some “unfinished work.”

“I just saw a lot of things and we didn’t have data for it and research for it, so I was told, ‘You do it. You research it.’”

And so she did, putting together her thesis on single mothers in the Latina community, titled Intersecting Identities, Education, and Economic and Subjective Well-Being: A Qualitative Testimonio Study Among Latina Single Mother Community College Students.

Additional reporting by Patrick Verel

“I learned so much, from issues related to disproportionality of students with disabilities in a particular school district, to what motivates students of color to pursue a Ph.D. in school psychology,” said José Luis Alvarado, Ph.D, dean of the Graduate School of Education, in his congratulatory address to the students. “We look forward to seeing your presentations at AERA, AEA, NASP, and all the professional organizations you belong to.”

The annual event started last year, thanks to an idea from a doctoral student. The retreat portion of the event featured speakers and workshops, where students learned how to prioritize their mental health and pursue a career with their doctoral degree. Later in the day, keynote speaker Shaun Woodly, Ph.D., an award-winning educator, professor, and consultant, spoke about the importance of relationships in their work, as well as self-care. He also talked about something deeply personal to him. 

“He shared his experience and mistakes he made as a new teacher—using fear in the classroom as a behavior management strategy and how his own upbringing impacted how he viewed student behavior. This led to speaking about … how culture impacts behaviors and our response to behaviors, which in turn impacts how we view and engage in research,” said Annie George-Puskar, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair of GSE’s doctoral planning committee. 

Improving Childhood Disability Services for People with Autism

At the end of the evening, students displayed their research posters and shared their findings with guests. 

Four doctoral students in the school psychology program interviewed young adults with autism about receiving childhood disability services. They found that the study participants felt like they were stigmatized and that services often felt more like a study hall, rather than individualized support in academic and social skills.

When services are created and research is done on interventions for the community, the autistic voice is often not included, said the team. 

“This is another way to get the autistic voice out there and into academic spaces where researchers and service providers can see this information,” said doctoral student Sam Mogilski, adding that all four group members have loved ones who are on the spectrum, and that their team will share their research at the annual American Psychological Association conference this August. 

Identifying What Students Want to Learn in Civics Education 

Robert Niewiadomski, a doctoral student in the innovation in curriculum and instruction program, presented his team’s research on civics education for middle school students. One of their major findings is that students want to see more critical reflections on current events, including the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“Based on our research, we recommend that classrooms include students’ experiences, their interests and voices, current events, and things that students’ see on social media or mainstream media, and make connections to whatever content is being taught to them in history or social studies classes,” said Niewiadomski, adding that their research was accepted in the International Journal of Educational Reform and will soon be published. “We are going to live in a country shaped by this generation. We want to change our society for the better—not erode it.”

On Feb. 7, Fordham’s Graduate School of Education hosted a panel discussion at the Lincoln Center campus, “Threat or Opportunity? The Impact of AI on Education,” where five experts explored how AI can impact students at all grade levels—and why sometimes, we learn better without fancy chatbots. 

A Tool for Bilingual Learners

Artificial intelligence can provide personalized learning experiences for students, particularly bilingual learners, said Rogelio Fernández, Ph.D., GSE ’95, an education consultant and adjunct professor at Fordham and CUNY. AI can not only provide multisensory engagement but also provide a low-risk environment where students can learn English, he said. 

“They can put on headphones and listen to the English language, perhaps poems and songs, and take risks that they did not take in general classrooms where there are four, five students who are English speakers—who might make fun or bully them because of their accent or because of their incorrect grammar,” said Fernandez. 

AI can also be a time-saving tool, said Layla Munson, a New York City Department of Education administrator and GSE doctoral student in curriculum and instruction. It can generate a basic first draft of an assignment or project, which students can enhance, she said. In addition, AI could help students below grade level catch up with their peers. 

Potential Perils of AI 

However, one of the biggest issues with programs like ChatGPT is bias, said the experts. ChatGPT, for example, relies on data available to the general public in order to provide information to users. But the sourced data focuses on dominant voices, while leaving out the marginalized.

AI can also widen the educational divide for already marginalized students, said Nicole Zeidan, Ed.D., Fordham’s assistant director of emerging educational technology and learning space design and an adjunct professor at GSE.  

“Some of those digital divides can include the lack of access to the actual technology itself, a lack of internet connectivity … the lack of devices … biases in AI, and algorithms in data can have a lack of cultural sensitivities,” said Zeidan. “The technology may not be able to understand certain perspectives or experiences in different cultures as well.” 

Why You Should Still Memorize Your Multiplication Tables

Edgar McIntosh, Ed.D., GSE ’20, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Scarsdale Public Schools, recalled a group of fifth graders who told him they wanted to get rid of homework—and for a legitimate reason. “Homework is so boring that I can just ask Alexa, and Alexa can [give me the answer],” said one boy.  

We need to rethink some homework assignments, said McIntosh. But there is still value in asking students to do things like memorize their multiplication tables, rather than rely on a calculator. This builds a foundation of information inside our brains that we can convey at the tip of our tongue—sometimes, even faster than the time it takes to type a problem into a calculator, he said. From that knowledge, we can build a deeper and more complex understanding of how our world works.

The Singularity of the Human Voice 

There is also value in writing essays without the help of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT can write an essay, but even middle school students can tell that it wasn’t written by a person, said McIntosh.

“They knew, as eighth graders, that this essay lacked a real voice,” said McIntosh, who spoke with students in his district that experimented with the chatbot. “It sounded a little canned, even if it was doing tricks and writing in certain styles. They were able to identify that it was lacking a certain human quality and that the machine does not have the sophistication yet—or may never have the sophistication—to provide the kind of nuance that a human being can.” 

Future of AI in Education

There are still big questions about using artificial intelligence in the classroom, said the experts. How do we train educators to use AI in the classroom? What do teachers do with the free time gained from efficiently using AI? Should AI be regulated, and if so, by whom? (“We cannot leave it in the hands of the industry. It didn’t work out well with social media,” quipped the event moderator, Robert Niewiadomski, an assistant clinical professor at GSE.) 

AI also poses an important philosophical question, said Kevin Spinale, S.J., Ph.D., an assistant professor in curriculum and teaching at GSE: “We have to dwell on what this tool is and what its capacities are, but at the same time, to reconsider who we are. … We want, desperately, a human response, who hears what is important to us and responds to it in their own importance.”

No matter how much our technology changes, it’s important that we remember one thing—the unique power that each person possesses, said Munson. 

“Our voices are powerful. We’re going to leverage these tools in very responsible ways,” she said. “And we’re going to be better—together.” 

Technology for a New Generation of Teachers

About 50 people attended the panel, mostly students who are, or aim to be, educators themselves. 

Onica Jackson, a GSE doctoral student and a sixth grade English teacher in Queens, New York, said she thought the event was a good introduction to helping students. 

“Another big takeaway was the collaboration of teachers to start the conversation around it, but there are many limitations contingent on the equality of the use of AI,” she said. 

Gabriela Shpijati, FCRH ’24, a psychology major in the five-year education track program with GSE, said she came to the event because she was interested in learning more about AI—one of the most significant forms of technology in her generation. 

“I came into the event not knowing if I sided with AI or against it. But after learning more about it, I think it’s mostly important to …  understand that it has to be used as an enhancer in order for the best results to come from it,” she said. 

The event was co-hosted by the Kappa Delta Pi honor society and GSE’s Innovation in Curriculum and Instruction Ph.D. Program, with support from Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate dean of GSE; Aida A. Nevárez-La Torre, Ed.D., chair of GSE’s curriculum and teaching division; Annie George-Puskar, Ph.D., an assistant professor in curriculum and teaching; and event moderator Robert Niewiadomski, who leads the Kappa Delta Pi honor society committee that hosted the event. The panel is part of an inaugural GSE speaker series called Critical Issues and Contemporary Education, which will host events twice a year. 

Q: How would you describe your priorities in your first year as dean?

A: GSE is an amazing place. There are lots of talented faculty and staff. My focus has been on creating a great foundation for the work that still lies ahead. When I met with the staff and the faculty, I shared with them my top three priorities that are easy to remember. Priority number one, students first. Priority number two, students first. Priority number three, students first.

Q: How are you planning to increase student enrollment?

A: We have amazing programs, and we want to make sure that students have the opportunity to be trained by our exemplary faculty. One such program is our accelerated master’s program. We have a value proposition that the quality and the rigor they’re going to get here is unmatched. In the accelerated master’s program, undergraduate students are able to enroll in graduate courses during their senior year and those courses count towards their undergraduate degree and towards teacher certification. In the end, students save a year’s worth of tuition as they finish their Master of Science in Teaching plus teacher certification in one additional year beyond the completion of the undergraduate degree.

Fordham undergraduates understand this to be a great value. Students who graduate from Fordham are proud to be Fordham graduates. So, we want to serve students who are currently in our undergraduate programs and who realize the benefits of continuing their education to earn their graduate degree and teacher certification from us in just one more year. I have worked with one of our clinical faculty to try and grow it, and we’re definitely moving in the right direction. I see us reaching 150 students in about three years. 

Q: How are you working to diversify the student body and the faculty?

A: We implemented a system that allows us to track the diversity of the applicant pool so that we know whether we’re being successful in recruiting a sufficient number of diverse faculty from underrepresented groups. We are continuing to work on plans to launch a doctoral fellowship for Ph.D. candidates who aspire to be faculty in higher ed. We’re a doctoral training institution that is training tomorrow’s faculty. Why can’t we create systems that make it possible for students of color, students from underrepresented groups, or students who are committed to working with diverse communities, to earn these Ph.D.’s at Fordham and to go and work as faculty?

Q: What do you feel has changed the most for teachers in the last 15 years?

A: The biggest and most recent impact has been the consequences of COVID. Most teachers went through their preparation programs and were equipped to teach in traditional modalities—that is, in person, face-to-face. COVID forced every teacher to teach their students remotely. That goes along the lines of what has really changed for teachers, which is the overwhelming influence that technology has had on teaching and learning. Whereas teachers 10, 15 years ago, focused most of their efforts on in-class, in-person experiences, teachers today are dedicating a whole lot of time to having a web presence or email responses. Our programs have to adapt to ensure that we train teachers who are prepared to address the varied needs of the students they serve and are able to thrive in today’s schools

Q: How would you describe the state of teacher satisfaction today?

A: There is a segment of the teaching force is under tremendous pressure from political influences that are encroaching on teachers’ ability to teach their students. A survey from April 2022 called the Merrimack College Teacher Survey found that 56% of teachers are satisfied or very satisfied with being a teacher. But not all is well, many still feel that their salary is not fair, which goes to the issue of public funding for education and the need to focus on teacher compensation. What’s interesting is, some teachers are also more satisfied than others. Male teachers tend to be more satisfied than female teachers with their compensation, and secondary teachers or high school teachers are more satisfied than elementary teachers. 

Teachers often feel overwhelmed not just by the time that they spend teaching, but all of the other demands as well. In fact, the Merrimack survey noted that Black teachers, more so than white or Hispanic teachers, spend more time working outside of the classroom. That’s because of community engagement, and making connections with parents through after school activities.

Q: What role do you see GSE playing in addressing this problem?

A: One of the things that we’re involved in is advocacy in trying to ensure that teacher compensation is fair and equitable. Local districts have to contend with state allocations for funding, and until those issues are addressed at the state and national levels, those pervasive kinds of challenges will remain. In addition to advocacy to increase public funding for school teachers, we’re also preparing teachers who understand that many of us choose the career not because of the pay, but because of the impact that it’s going to have on others. This in no way implies that we believe that teachers should be paid less. We believe that teachers deserve compensation that is commensurate with their level of training as professionals. Current levels of teacher compensation need to increase to retain and attract the best talent out there.

Q: It seems like with nonprofit jobs, the word vocation gets used as a justification to pay a smaller salary. Do you agree?

A: Of course, but that’s not an excuse. Just because it’s a vocation does not mean that you underpay individuals who are choosing to go in that career. It should be appropriately respected and compensated, because teaching is foundational for all other careers. The preparation of teachers will ensure that we have individuals who are well prepared to earn business, science, or law degrees. It was a teacher who taught those students how to read. It was a teacher who taught them basic mathematics. It was a teacher who inspired them to pursue whatever their dreams are. Teachers should not end up in a situation where they have to take second and third jobs just to keep their job. Lawyers don’t do that. Brokers on Wall Street don’t do that. Why do we expect teachers to do that?

Q: Can you expand a little bit upon how the needs of students have changed, particularly with respect to what they need from teachers and counselors when it comes to mental health? How has GSE been confronting this issue?

The socio emotional health of students is a very real need, and it’s been there all along. It has just come more up to the forefront because of the sort of dramatic increase in school violence. I worked with kids with significant emotional behavioral disorders. I know that those needs have been there all along; it’s just that now those kids have access to weapons of war. Teachers also have to contend with issues like cyberbullying.

Our Center for Educational Partnerships offers ongoing professional development for equipping existing teachers to support the social-emotional health of their students. That’s a huge component in our pre-service preparation. It’s always been in our program, but now it’s emphasized even more so. 

Q: What advantage does GSE have over other schools by virtue of being part of a Jesuit university?

Our curriculum is grounded on principles of equity and social justice and and in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis. We aim to train teachers who address the needs of their students a whole person. There is so much potential in every child, and our professors understand that our teachers are driven by those Jesuit principles of seeking justice and using education as a way to transform individuals and families and communities. St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, was committed to seeking truth and in doing so, trying to create a more just world that addressed inequities and unfairness. I believe that every teacher that we prepare is always seeking truth and justice. 

The reason we place teachers [in field placements]in high need schools is that’s where our teachers are needed the most, and that’s where we believe they can make the biggest impact. Part of the reason is in some ways is to inoculate GSE students to the harsh realities of what’s out there in schools while they’re receiving support. We’re preparing candidates for the what the real world is like, where they’re most likely to end up, but also most importantly, where they’re going to have the biggest impact on students who need them. 

We need a teaching force that understands the challenges of school districts that are diverse and have high needs, and that is committed for the long term. Those students deserve the stability and the support of long-term teachers, not just those who are putting in their “time in” before moving onto wealthier districts. That’s what St. Ignatius would want you to do.

Q: Any final thoughts as you begin your second year? 

A: It’s been just a pleasure getting to meet the faculty, my colleagues and my peers. I feel really welcome and supported. I couldn’t ask for a better situation to be in.

“Trying to address race and racism in the curriculum was something that I and a lot of faculty members were trying to do on our own, and grant funding provided by Fordham helped us to support each other in doing this work,” said assistant professor Elizabeth Leisy Stosich, Ed.D., who co-hosted the retreat. 

The retreat was specifically designed for members of GSE’s division of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy. It was the most recent part of a two-year-long journey initiated by Stosich and her colleague Elizabeth Gil, Ph.D. The two educators sought to bring equity and anti-racism to their own division at Fordham—a program that prepares educators for leadership responsibilities and positions.   

A Collaborative Effort with Prestigious Educational Leaders

During the 2021-2022 school year—the first year of grant funding—five ELAP faculty members worked together to center equity and anti-racism in five of their program’s graduate courses. With this year’s funding, they wanted to include students and alumni—educators themselves who possess unique perspectives in leading equity and anti-racism work. 

“The most rewarding aspect of coming together was working in community with one another to do deep and meaningful work that is ongoing,” said Gil. “Our faculty’s willingness to share their syllabi and receive feedback was also key for us to delve into strengthening our courses and programs. People’s willingness to share their instructional plans can sometimes be a challenge, but these instructors were willing to be vulnerable in order to help us all improve in our practice.”

The all-day retreat was attended by 11 members of the ELAP program, including former New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter, who recently graduated from Fordham with her Ed.D. and now serves as an adjunct professor at GSE. Together, they analyzed five course syllabi in their program. 

‘A Major Impact on Our Curriculum’ 

First, they looked at the syllabi’s mission statements and adjusted words to make them more powerful and actionable, said doctoral student Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi. Next, they analyzed core assignments and pointed out things that the professors had missed, she said. Who was the author? Did they have a “white-centric” mindset on what leadership should look like? Did the syllabus include resources written by diverse authors who could provide a different perspective?

“I’ve always thought that you can’t criticize the instructor. At the end of a course, you often fill out these surveys that feel very surface-level … But this retreat was so open and interactive. It was a safe environment for us to all talk, and it gave us a voice,” Ruiz-Giovinazzi said. “It created a sense that feedback does matter.” 

The retreat was partially facilitated by Edward Fergus, Ph.D., an expert on leading for equity and anti-racism who works extensively with schools and districts. Fergus, who served as the keynote speaker at the 2020 Barbara L. Jackson, Ed.D. Lecture, helped the team to create conditions where they felt comfortable about doing this important, yet sensitive work, and gave them guidance on how to revise their courses and the overall ELAP program. The ELAP faculty plan on sending their revised syllabi to Fergus, who will provide additional feedback for revisions. Then they will incorporate their revamped syllabi in their actual classes as early as this fall, said Stosich. 

“In total, we will have revised 10 of our courses to center equity and anti-racism. This will have a major impact on our curriculum,” said Stosich. 

Lyntonia Gold, a second-year doctoral student in the ELAP program, said that the decision to include current students and graduates from all programs—including those who studied online and at the Rose Hill campus—allowed a broader range of feedback given to faculty. 

“Including a diverse set of stakeholders from various areas of an organization and gathering a variety of perspectives is essential to building a program that values equity and anti-racist practices at its core,” said Gold, who is also an executive director in strategic partnerships for advancing collective equity in the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion. 

The retreat may have long-lasting impacts beyond Fordham. Ruiz-Giovinazzi, a Bronx-born Puerto Rican who serves as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Nyack Union Free School District, said that she wants to encourage her district’s teachers to share their syllabi with each other and provide constructive feedback, too. The retreat was also influential in a more emotional way.  

“I find it very hopeful that the professors took the time to do this work. I was in awe that these conversations were even happening, and I was emotional while driving to the retreat. I was nervous about taking the day off because I’m new in this school district,” said Ruiz-Giovinazzi, who started her position last spring. “But my superintendent was like, ‘This is important work. Go ahead.’ … All of this makes me feel a sense of hope for where education is going.”

“As a doctoral student who came into the program online during the pandemic, I thought it would be wonderful to bring our doctoral programs together,” said Tricia Clarke, a member of GSE’s doctoral planning committee who proposed the event. “Having an outlet where we could share our research and talk about our work out loud has moved us from the classroom to a wider space where we could see the impact of our work and learn from each other.” 

The all-day event featured presentations and panels co-designed by students and faculty. In one panel, GSE alumni spoke with students about how they can use their degrees outside of academia. In another panel, faculty outlined best practices for students who want to publish their scholarly research. The event, which was sponsored by the GSE Dean’s Office, also featured presentations from Amy Sarika Persaud, Ph.D., a psychologist in Fordham’s Counseling and Psychological Services who spoke about how students can prioritize their mental health during school, and keynote speaker Alfredo Artiles, Ph.D., a professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education who reflected on his own journey and offered advice for the next generation of educators. 

In years past, GSE has hosted research celebrations, but this spring marked the first time that it also hosted a retreat for students within the school’s five doctoral programs, said Annie George-Puskar, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair of GSE’s doctoral planning committee.

“Academia can be isolating, so it was great to see our students get excited about research, celebrate their work, and feel inspired by one another,” said George-Puskar. “Our committee hopes that this event continues to grow so that we can celebrate the important research that our students contribute to the field of education.” 

Perceptions of Miscommunication in Multilingual Families

At the end of the day, students at different stages presented their scholarly work, including first-year doctoral students at the early stages of their research and students scheduled to defend their dissertations by the end of the year. 

Tricia Clarke, a student in the innovation in curriculum and instruction program, is examining the perception of miscommunication between staff in early child education programs and multilingual students and their families in collaboration with her classmates and faculty mentor Diane Rodríguez, Ph.D.

Clarke and fellow doctoral students Lovell Quiroz and Robert Niewiadomski are currently surveying teachers, administrators, and parents in a study called “Channels of Communication in Multilingual Communities: Insights From an Early Childhood Education Program.”

“Our main question is, how do parents, teachers, and administrators perceive the communication process among multiple stakeholders of an early childhood program in a rural multilingual community?” said Clarke, who is also an adjunct faculty member at Fordham and Lehman College. 

What Do Educators Think About Bilingual Learning? 

Natalie Madison Dronne, a student in the contemporary learning and interdisciplinary research program, presented her dissertation, “From Monolingual to Bilingual: Teacher Languages and A New Dual Language Program.” Madison Dronne’s project focuses on the Brooklyn school where she works as a full-time teacher, which serves many non-native English learners who have never participated in a bilingual program. In 2017, her school was mandated to establish a bilingual program. For her dissertation, Madison Dronne decided to interview teachers and administrators at her school about their beliefs on language learning for children.

“My study captures this moment in time where for the first time, instruction is switching from monolingual to bilingual in some classrooms. I’m examining how educators understand this new program, whether or not they support it, and how that’s connected to program sustainability,” Madison Dronne said. 

One of her top research takeaways was that educators’ stated beliefs can be different from their actions—not because they are being disingenuous, but because of the rules, regulations, and money issues that prevent them from accomplishing their original goals. 

“All these bilingual programs were mandated in New York State because English language learners were not making progress. And so at a time when all these bilingual programs were mandated to be opened and are now being hopefully sustained, it’s important to understand the ideological landscapes at these schools for the success of these programs,” Madison Dronne said.

Building Crisis Ready School Leaders

Daren Khairule, a student in the educational leadership, administration, and policy program, is researching how schools can be better prepared for large-scale crises like Hurricane Katrina, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While working with school districts, we realized that we didn’t have a succinct crisis management plan and team that could have guided us through challenges during the pandemic,” said Khairule, who also serves as a coordinator of instructional technology at BOCES of New York State, a program that provides educational programs, services, and professional development to school districts within the state. “I felt that our organization needed to develop a more succinct and robust methodology for building a crisis management team going forward.”

In his project, “Building Crisis Ready Leaders through Learning Circles, Simulated Based Training, and After Action Reviews,” Khairule researched crisis management plans from not only educational institutions, but also the business, sports, and military sectors. There isn’t a silver bullet for crisis management in any industry, he said, but there are best practices that can be lifted from those industries and incorporated into schools. Among them are learning circles (group discussions led by an expert where educators share their knowledge and discuss best practices), simulated based trainings (role-playing workshops where educators study a specific crisis and figure out how they could’ve handled it better), and after action reviews (workshops where teams unpack what worked and what didn’t to help refine an organization’s response to future crises).

“Looking at those different industries helped me realize that, as an educational institution, we’re not leveraging proven strategies that are helping other industries manage crises,” Khairule said. “If we can use some of the strengths that these other industries offer, then we can be better change agents and crisis management leaders during difficult times.”

Alvarado previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cal State Los Angeles, the founding dean of the College of Education at California State University Monterey Bay, and associate dean of the College of Education at San Diego State University. He developed the Teacher Pathway Program, a partnership between California State University Monterey Bay and community colleges in the Salinas Valley region that educates underserved first-generation college students predominantly from diverse backgrounds. At the College of Education at California State University Monterey Bay, he also cultivated a diverse community of students and faculty; over 70% of new faculty hires were from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds.

At Fordham, Alvarado is responsible for setting and implementing the vision of GSE, which offers more than 40 master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nearly three dozen fields of study. 

In a Q&A with Fordham News, he spoke about his humble beginnings and how they shaped him into an educational leader. 

You had a challenging childhood. What lessons did you learn? 

I was born in the city of Mexicali, Mexico, which borders southeastern California. As my siblings and I progressed in school, my parents who worked as farm laborers, felt that it was time to immigrate and try to escape poverty. In the U.S., our family of six first lived in a one-room shack. We struggled, but there was always a sense of love and togetherness. My mother worked in citrus packing sheds, where she packed grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. My father worked all sorts of crops. I learned my work ethic from my parents, who tried so hard to do better for us children. But growing up, I realized that working hard wasn’t sufficient. As hard as my parents worked, we were still poor. And as I saw the struggles that my two brothers faced—one of them involved in gangs and substance abuse—I knew I needed to do something different.

What set you on a path toward college? 

In my junior year, I told my guidance counselor I wanted to go to college. She leaned back in her chair, looked at me, and said, ‘College is not for you. You should go to a trade school instead.’ My parents raised me to be respectful, so I didn’t say what I was thinking. But I thought, ‘You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m capable of doing.’ I don’t believe anyone in my high school knew what I was capable of because they just saw another Mexican kid—a throwaway kid. 

My goal was to graduate from college, become a counselor, and take her job. I wasn’t prepared to attend a university because most of my high school experience was remedial. But in community college, I finally felt academically challenged. I fell in love with learning. And I realized that revenge wasn’t my motivator anymore. Whatever I became, I would be in a position to help others. 

You’ve lived and taught on the West Coast for a long time. What brought you to Fordham? 

I love teaching and working with students. But at this point in my career, I see my role as a facilitator: supporting the highest quality preparation for tomorrow’s educational leaders. I feel like I can make a greater impact by supporting the faculty who do that and the staff who support the programs. 

Fordham is an institution that lives by its values: a commitment to social justice, equity, human rights, and to serving underserved communities. I’ve lived my life professionally and personally in a way that aligns well with Fordham as an institution, and certainly the GSE. It felt right.

As dean of the Graduate School of Education, what are your main goals for the upcoming academic year? 

I am interested in engaging faculty and staff in strategic planning, increasing student enrollment, and diversifying our faculty and the students we serve. Research shows that students who are taught by teachers who reflect their ethnic and social backgrounds tend to do better academically. Having teachers who are well-prepared and experts in their field is necessary, no matter what. But when you also have teachers who also reflect the ethnic background and cultural experiences of their students, that’s an even better deal. 

How has being a first-generation college graduate changed your life? 

Education allowed me to break the cycle of poverty for myself and my children, who are both college graduates. They didn’t have to struggle the way our ancestors struggled. What I did is not just for me—it’s for every generation that comes afterwards. 

I wouldn’t be here without the help of so many people, especially my parents, Ignacio and Angela. They always supported me, even though they didn’t know quite what I was trying to do. We were really poor, but somehow my mother ended up with a credit card. The only reason she got it was to put gas in my car so I could drive to my community college. 

Being in education humbles you. You come to realize that people may not have a formal education, but that doesn’t mean they’re not smart. My father went to school until third grade, but he’s one of the smartest men I’ve ever known. He just never had the opportunity. Every day, I try to live up to his potential. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

“I know what it’s like to be an inner-city kid, and it’s not always easy. I feel like I can help kids who may not like school, who may see me as part of the establishment. I want to let them know that I’m someone just like them, who ended up accomplishing their goals and actually getting into their career, regardless of what my background was or what people thought I could do,” said Chevalier, a 2020 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill who will be graduating this May with her master’s degree in adolescence education for social studies from the Graduate School of Education. 

Chevalier grew up in a single-mother household on Bailey Avenue in the Bronx. She attended public schools with many students who looked like her, but she said only two of her teachers were women of color: a Latina second-grade teacher who taught English and a Puerto Rican high school social studies teacher. 

“Those two inspired me to become a teacher because I never had anyone who looked like me in the classroom,” Chevalier said. 

Culturally Relevant Teaching

This past year, Chevalier was a student teacher at IN-Tech Academy MS/HS 368—the same high school she graduated from. She said her goal in all her classes is to create a culturally relevant curriculum where her students feel represented. One recent example is an American history lesson plan where she taught students about not only the 1776 Declaration of Independence, but also another relevant event from that same year—a petition for freedom by slaves. 

“Instead of just teaching my kids about the Declaration of Independence alone, I taught them about how the language of freedom not only inspired the enslaved in the United States, but all over the world, including Haiti,” Chevalier said. “I bring in primary sources that reflect another population that is usually ignored. I want to create a 360-world view of one issue instead of a 180-world view, which is what we’re accustomed to in our history education.”

Her longtime mentor Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D., professor of curriculum and teaching at GSE, said Chevalier is a natural educator who helps her students understand social studies differently.  

“Teaching is not only helping students understand new concepts, but also helping them reexamine how they think,” Rodriguez said. “As a teacher, this is very powerful. In Chantal, it’s innate.” 

As a Fordham undergrad, Chevalier was able to volunteer at a high school in the Bronx, where she taught in a classroom for the first time and realized she was passionate about teaching. This inspired her to pursue her master’s degree in education through the five-year track at GSE, she said. 

“That opportunity provided by Fordham was the catalyst for me becoming a teacher,” said Chevalier, who was accepted to the University through the Higher Education Opportunity Program. 

Anti-Racism Commitment at Fordham Was ‘Life-Changing’

Chevalier said the Graduate School of Education also showed her how to put anti-racism at the forefront of her teaching pedagogy.

“It’s been life-changing to see all of my classes talk about race, especially since many of my classes are Caucasian-driven. They make sure that people who are Caucasian are recognizing the racist ideologies in our society and advocating against them by being anti-racist,” Chevalier said.

A decade from now, Chevalier said she wants to start a nonprofit that provides early internship and college access for inner-city high school students, who often lack opportunities to network and explore potential career paths. For now, her goal is to stay in the Bronx and serve the community she came from. 

“My ultimate goal in life is to make sure that I touch as many students as I can in a positive way, and that students remember me for my rigor, passion, empathy, and ability to connect with them as human beings,” Chevalier said. “I hope I can inspire young Black and brown girls and boys to reach their dreams and to work hard for them, no matter how difficult they are.”

After a historic year centered on racial justice, students from the Graduate School of Education spearheaded the virtual research conference “We’re Speaking: Giving Voice to Empirical Research on Anti-Racism and Social Justice” on April 21, where they presented their research findings and amplified the voices of their peers, especially students from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) community. 

“We thought that it was really important to present research from students’ perspectives, especially given everything that has been going on since the pandemic and more recently, with George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the anti-Asian violence,” said Keshia Webb, a GSE doctoral student in counseling psychology and conference co-chair, who organized the conference with GSE student Nathaniel Pickering and faculty mentor Margo Jackson, Ph.D. 

The three-hour conference came at a timely moment, said Rafael A. Zapata, chief diversity officer, special assistant to the president for diversity, and associate vice president for academic affairs, in his welcoming remarks. 

“The work you’re doing has certainly been highlighted by the events of just yesterday—the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial,” said Zapata, whose office co-sponsored the conference. “Our close look at systemic inequalities and racism needs to continue to be focused on.” 

‘I Needed More Than Coping’ 

Twelve students presented their research to more than 100 virtual audience members. Their research topics focused on pandemic-related issues, including racial discrimination against male Asian international college students and the transition to STEM online learning platforms for urban high school students. They also researched issues that existed long before the pandemic, including the racial identity of multiracial Latinx adults and the sexist culture that can develop among young male athletes. 

GSE student Kayla Wong explored how Black women understand their experiences with racial microaggressions and how they have found ways to heal from their trauma—a topic that hits home for Wong, a Black woman. 

“A lot of research on racism is often focused on exploring how we can educate white people about racism and also on how people of color cope with racial microaggressions, but personally, it didn’t feel like enough,” said Wong. “I think that we need to do more than coping. And I know, personally, I needed more than coping.” 

Sara Skluzacek investigated what happens when school staff attempt to reduce their implicit bias through “individuation,” or replacing stereotypes with personal characteristics, and “creating contact,” or directly interacting with people from different racial groups. She found that participants became more aware of their biases, but they had trouble facing them. 

“I’m still finding my role in this work as a researcher, as a white woman, as a teacher in a racist system, as a mother of a biracial Black boy, and simply as a human who believes in equity and justice,” said Skluzacek, a doctoral student in the contemporary learning and interdisciplinary research program. 

How Research Can Shape Law Enforcement Training

Anna Cait Wade examined how public charter school teachers perceive their role in interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline for girls of color. She found that cultural differences, especially a lack of understanding of the “complexities of race, trauma, and poverty in the classroom,” can result in poor discipline practices and strained relationships with Black female students, but sustained professional development for teachers could help. 

Audience member Lori Wolff, Ph.D., a professor in the Graduate School of Education, asked Wade how her study could inform law enforcement programming and training. Wade, a doctoral student in the school psychology program, said that general research consistently shows that it’s not effective for students, especially Black girls, to have a police officer inside schools. 

“The highly trained teachers or mental health professionals are the ones who understand the intersectionality that their students are experiencing and the unique challenges in their life, and actually having [police officers]there can escalate things quite a bit,” Wade said. “What would be better is to highlight some of the experts in the schools and their practices for sustaining relationships with students, and having that trust so that when a hot moment comes, you’re able to reach [them].”

‘We Shouldn’t Be Learning at the Cost of Clients of Color’

In the Q&A, audience member Juan Carlos Matos, assistant vice president for student affairs for diversity and inclusion, asked student presenters what topics they would like to see in their University coursework to better prepare them as educators. 

Stephanie L. Gutkin said her study participants told her they wanted trained professionals to guide them through the process of broaching race and racism with their clients in the classroom before working with clients.  

“It’s been stated that the first experiences that these [counseling and school psychology]students are having are in practicum sites with clients of color, which is exceptionally harmful as a learning experience, and we shouldn’t be learning at the cost of clients of color,” said Gutkin, who presented her project “Are White Counselor-Trainees Stuck in Theory?: Navigating Race and Racism in Therapy.” 

Each student presenter was awarded $200 in research funding from the Graduate School of Education. They were the first of their peers to present their work in a student-led conference at GSE, said Akane Zusho, Ph.D., interim dean of the Graduate School of Education.

“We really need more events like this—events that showcase the thoughtful, authentic, and rigorous work that our students are doing here at GSE around issues of justice and anti-racism,” Zusho said. “This past year, I really have come to appreciate even more how much better we all are when we center the voices of students.”