November 2018 Newsletter

School of Education Researchers Contribute to Major Analysis of PreK-12 Education in California

Over the past decade, California’s PreK-12 education system has seen a variety of reforms—new academic standards and assessments, the Local Control Funding Formula, advancements in data systems—yet despite these changes, a new research project reports that California lags behind other states when it comes to important educational metrics. California’s students still face some of the largest achievement gaps in the nation, schools continue to see a lack of adequate funding and many young Californians miss out on high-quality early childhood education.

School of Education researchers Michal Kurlaender and Sherrie Reed, along with graduate students in the Graduate Group in Education and Department of Economics, recently contributed to Getting Down to Facts II, a national collaborative research project led by Stanford University and Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). “Getting Down to Facts II is intended to help inform California’s education policy,” said Reed, “and the project comes at a pivotal time, as we will see a new State administration take over next January. This project identifies the successes of the changes that have occurred in education over the last decade, and shines a light on the areas where California still struggles and where there’s room for adjustments and new investments.” Learn more about the project here.

CANDEL Student, Alumna Appointed to UC Davis Student Affairs Leadership Positions

Congratulations to current CANDEL student Kayton Carter and alumna Mayra Llamas (EdD ‘17) on their new leadership positions within UC Davis’s Division of Student Affairs! Carter has been named Executive Director of Strategic Academic Retention Initiatives, while continuing to serve as the director of the Center for African Diaspora Student Success. He will have the task of completing the strategic plan for the university’s retention initiatives. His duties also include establishing operations manuals and emergency procedures for the centers. He has worked at UC Davis since 2012.

Llamas has been appointed Executive Director of Community Resource and Retention Centers. She had been serving as the interim executive director for the past 10-plus months and has worked at UC Davis for more than 12 years. She previously served as operations manager of the student-run, student-initiated Student Recruitment and Retention Center. We are excited to see more of the CANDEL community leading programs that support students across campus.

PhD Candidate Araceli Gonzalez Named NYU Faculty First-Look Scholar

Congratulations to School of Education PhD candidate Araceli Gonzalez on being named a NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Faculty First-Look Scholar! The Faculty First-Look Scholar Program provides professional development opportunities for current doctoral/terminal degree students from historically underrepresented groups who are preparing for faculty or related scholarly careers.

Gonzalez is also this year’s recipient of the School of Education’s PhD Scholarship Award Funded by the Leadership Fund. As the daughter of migrant farmworkers in the San Joaquin Valley, Gonzalez examines education equity and access in rural school districts. Her research addresses the dearth of knowledge on rural education and illuminates the historical legacy of racialized labor, gender, class, and power relations in and outside of educational settings.

EVENTS

Dean’s Leadership Circle Celebrates Impact of Philanthropy

Last month, Dean Lauren Lindstrom welcomed to campus our alumni and friends whose philanthropic leadership continues to advance excellence at the School of Education. The Dean’s Leadership Circle Luncheon is an annual celebration of those who have significantly supported student scholarships, faculty research, community outreach and other programs that make a difference in the lives of researchers, teachers and students. Members of the Dean’s Leadership Circle have an extraordinary collective impact on education at the local, regional and national levels. We thank them for their support!

Transformative Justice in Education Lecture This Week

The School of Education’s Transformative Justice in Education Center welcomes Dr. H. Richard Milner, IV to campus on November 8. Milner is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair of Education and Professor of Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.Centering issues of justice and equity, Milner will discuss the challenges we face in education and share five imperatives necessary to more successfully meet the complex needs of students. The lecture will take place at the UC Davis Student Community Center Multi-purpose Room, starting at 5 p.m. Please register to attend.

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

New Video Highlights Interdiscipinary PhD Program

PhD students in the UC Davis Graduate Group in Education draw on mentors and coursework from across the university to shape their unique academic path to a doctoral degree. The program’s rigorous standards, nationally and internationally recognized faculty, and emphasis on social justice and equity prepare graduates to be effective educational researchers. Hear from current students and recent alumni in our newest video about why they chose the Graduate Group in Education’s PhD program.​