Category Archives: Community Engaged

Student Spotlight | Kyah Cobb and Robert Abarca

The SJSU Lurie College of Education provides a range of opportunities to support students in their academic endeavors to become transformative educators, counselors, therapists, and leaders.  We spoke with our Communicative Disorders and Sciences students Kyah Cobb and Robert Abarca, who were able to collaborate with Professor Paul Cascella on a research project that explores communication supports for elders dually diagnosed with intellectual disability and dementia.  Listen to their insights in the podcast below!

The project has two focus areas: 1) a systematic review of the literature, and 2) the development of a new rating scale identifying positive communication supports for people with dual diagnoses. To date, the systematic review has surveyed and analyzed contemporary peer-reviewed academic journal articles, doctoral dissertations, professional organizations’ webpages, and professional blogs. Initial results suggest two findings. First, there is a gap in literature
describing communication supports for people with dual diagnoses versus people with dementia. Second, dementia-alone recommendations are rarely applied to people with a dual diagnoses. To date, a draft of the new rating scale is in the pilot-phase of verifying its reliability and validity.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Communicative Disorders and Sciences Students Kyah Cobb and Robby Abarca

“The whole research project is about the connection between intellectual disabilities and dementia.  What we have been looking into focuses on aspects of Down syndrome and the correlation in communication strategies for those who are also dual diagnosed with dementia.”

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Educators of Impact | Hilaria Bauer

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Hilaria Bauer below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Hilaria Bauer

“Impact through direct action and compassion the way Dr. Bauer leads her district. Whether it is working with community organizations to open family resource centers on our school campuses, or revamping the counseling support district-wide, Dr. Bauer understands that individual student socio-emotional needs have to be met before they can thrive in the classroom. Dr. Bauer works tirelessly to provide care and support to her district’s 9,000 + students, families, and staff.”

Student Spotlight | Joanna Gaeta and Samuel Bland

The SJSU Lurie College of Education provides a range of opportunities to support students in their academic endeavors to become transformative educators, counselors, therapists, and leaders.  We spoke with our Special Education Department graduate students Joanna Gaeta and Samuel Bland, who were able to collaborate with Assistant Professor Saili Kulkarni on a research project that examines beliefs about disability and race among special education teachers of color.  Listen to Joanna and Samuel’s insights below!

SJSU Lurie College of Education Special Education Department Students Joanna Gaeta and Samuel Bland

“We are currently working on studying special education teachers of color and what their beliefs are about disability and race.  We’re trying to see how do teachers position themselves to help out our students when we see disparities – whether it’s behavioral issues or academic issues within the school setting – and then how we as the special education teachers contend with that on the education front.”

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Student Spotlight | Critical Bilingual Authorization Pathway

The SJSU Lurie College of Education provides a range of grants to students to support their academic endeavors to become transformative educators, counselors, therapists, and leaders.  We spoke with SJSU Lurie College of Education Critical Bilingual Authorization Pathway (CBAP) students Adriana Priego, Heather Simonovich, Jazmin Mendez, Olivier Castañeda, Raul Leon, Rubby Barajas, and Stephanie Muñoz, who received grants to pursue various professional development initiatives.  Listen to their insights below about how they adjusted their focus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  More information about the pathway, Bilingüismo y Justicia, is available at sjsu.edu/education/academics/cbap

SJSU Lurie College of Education Critical Bilingual Authorization Program CBAP Podcast

“Even when students are coming in now, students are just recently applying to the credential program are calling me – because I had them in classes in my undergrad – and asking me, ‘What do you think about this bilingual program? Or what do you think about me going into the credential program?’  I’ve said, ‘Definitely apply for a credential program and also apply for the bilingual program’ because … I had three job offers for three bilingual schools and I had to pick what school I wanted to go to and what worked best for my family.  It was because of this program, that I was able to get job offers that prepared me for the future.”

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Congratulations to our Lurie College Strategic Plan Grant Recipients

During the Spring 2020 semester, the SJSU Lurie College of Education adopted a new 3-year strategic plan after over a year of conversations, deliberations, and reflections among faculty, students, and staff.  The strategic plan focuses on 4 priority areas – community engaged, interdisciplinary, culturally sustaining, and holistic.  Faculty, staff, and students were then able to apply for grant funding for projects that aligned with these priority areas.  Congratulations to all of our teams who were awarded funding for the following projects for the 2020-2021 academic year!

SJSU Lurie College of Education Faculty and Staff Group Photo 8x10

“Creating an Inclusive Climate: Queering Our Classrooms and Our Campus”

If you’re hoping to make your class, office, or programming more accessible for and supportive of your queer and trans students and coworkers, be on the lookout for upcoming training sessions and a professional learning community supported by the Strategic Plan Seed Grant. “Creating an Inclusive Climate: Queering Our Classrooms and Our Campus” represents a partnership between the Lurie College of Education and The LGBT Youth Space to offer introductory and advanced trainings at the department and college level around topics like pronouns and vocabulary terms, the hidden curriculum in our classes, and creating opportunities for authentic self-expression. We will also be hosting a Professional Learning Community for faculty and staff who want to more deeply engage in the work of transforming their corner of the campus into a queer-affirming space. For more information, please contact Dr. Robert Marx at robert.marx@sjsu.edu.

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Educators of Impact | Mike Espinoza

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Mike Espinoza below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Mike Espinoza

“Mike is so deeply connected to his students and supporting them to bring their full identities into the classroom and school and to use those identities to help them flourish as students. His caring and commitment are a model for transformative teaching!”

SJSU Early Childhood Student-Alumni Network (ESAN) & Summer Film Series

The purpose of ESAN is to create an interdisciplinary group of current pre-service San Jose State University students and alumni working in the Early Childhood field and engage students in the Early Childhood Institute’s mission of supporting each and every child from the start. In this video, Lurie College student / ESAN President Julia Doan and Lurie College faculty / ESAN Advisor Andrea Golloher discuss their organization and their Lurie College Summer Film Series discussion.

ESAN is also hosting a discussion about The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation on Wed., Jul. 1, 5pm.  To receive to join the discussion, register via this Google form.  To get connected with ESAN, email esansjsu@gmail.com.

For more information about the Early Childhood Institute, visit sjsu.edu/education/eci. For more information about the Lurie College Student Organizations, visit sjsu.edu/education/organizations.

Educators of Impact | Veronica Weaver

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Veronica Weaver below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Veronica Weaver

“Veronica is an early childhood special education teacher in Santa Clara County and has been actively working with families of students with disabilities to fight for inclusive educational preschool supports for students with disabilities. After the transition to Shelter-in-Place, Veronica’s role dramatically shifted as she had to provide online supports to students and their families amid COVID-19. Veronica rallied folks to provide digital stories/read alouds for her students! She is passionate about supporting inclusive education for all and has incorporated this into her Ed.D. program for her dissertation research using frameworks such as DisCrit and community cultural wealth!”

Educators of Impact | Margaret Isied

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Margaret Isied below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Margaret Isied

“Margaret Isied is an Educator of Impact because of her outstanding professional expertise and leadership.  She currently works as the Lead Academic Counselor at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Jose, where she manages a team of five counseling professionals.  Always focused on student success, she has increased four-year college application acceptances for low-income and students of color and expertly collaborated with community organizations, teachers, administrators, and families.  A graduate of our Counselor Education program, Margaret has intentionally continued her professional development with designations as a College Admission Specialist and Counseling Data Specialist for ASCA.  She also leads the PublicSchool Counselor Committee for the Western Association for College AdmissionCounseling and has facilitated the dramatic increase in the organization’s public school counselor membership by 400% over two years.  Concurrently, she created professional development resources and has made compelling presentations at conferences.  In February 2020, Margaret was the kickoff speaker at the WACAC Legislative Conference in Sacramento where she brought the public school counselor perspective to life.  Margaret remains integrally connected to our program and recruited the majority of her Lincoln High counseling staff to attend the Sunday  CTC accreditation meeting.  Margaret is knowledgeable, collaborative, and leads with passion and impact.”

Student Spotlight: Erin Enguero

Learn about Erin Enguero, an SJSU alumni and current credential student in the Teacher Education – Multiple Subject program at the SJSU Lurie College of Education.  Erin was also the recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship for Exemplary Teachers for the 2019-2020 academic year!

Connect with Lurie College at https://linktr.ee/sjsulurie to receive more news about academic and student life!  Video recorded by Brian Cheung Dooley and edited by Sydney Ahmadian. Music by Chris Haugen.

Attend Our K-12 Online Teaching Academy

The SJSU Lurie College of Education has established a FREE K-12 Online Teaching Academy from Monday, June 15 – Tuesday, July 14 to support pre-service teacher candidates and current teachers to strengthen their online teaching skills and adapt to our current circumstances.  Each webinar will feature a 60-minute presentation and conversation on a different topic with a current educator and include 30-minutes for attendees to engage in conversation with one another to expand their knowledge, resources, and networks.  Sample webinar topics include:

  • “Rethinking Assessment For the Google Generation”
  • “Synchronous & Asynchronous Tools for Distance Learning”
  • “Developing Classroom Community in Online Spaces through Humanizing Practices”
  • “Techquity- Culturally Responsive Teaching in the 21st Century Classroom”

To learn more and register for as many webinars as you’d like to, visit sjsu.edu/education/k12-academy.  Please also help spread the word to anyone who you think will find this of interest!

SJSU Lurie College of Education K-12 Online Teaching Academy Square

Free Graduate Courses in Emancipatory School Leadership

This July, the SJSU Lurie College is launching our new Emancipatory School Leadership MA Program.  The program has particular resonance as we grapple individually and collectively with issues of institutional racism and structural inequity in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.  Given this urgency, we are offering both of the program’s online summer courses (July 6 – August 7) through SJSU’s Open University free of charge.  If, after two weeks of active participation in the course, students are interested in joining the cohort, they may apply to the program at no cost.  If accepted, they would be able to transfer the units towards the MA and continue with the cohort in the Fall semester (also online).  If interested, please complete this preliminary application or contact Dr. Rebeca Burciaga.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Ed.D Leadership Program Students

Lurie College Faculty Opinion Piece Published in Mercury News

Department of Teacher Education lecturer Ralph McKay wrote a letter to the editor “No mention of serving all in California’s police oath” to the Mercury News and it was recently published!  Give it a read below or by visiting the Mercury News at https://bayareane.ws/2Ap3GI3.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Teacher Education Department Lecturer Ralph McKay

The California police officer’s oath states, “I, (employee name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California.

Does the existing California oath address the practical responsibilities of a police officer’s duty? I think not. “Protect and Serve” are the words we see on the side of many police cars and it is the motto of most police departments; therefore, the words define the mission of the police, which is to “protect” and “serve” the community. The California Police Officer’s Oath makes no reference to these responsibilities.

Since California’s oath is based on constitutional responsibilities which are subject to differing interpretations and includes no mention of an officer’s responsibilities to their community, I propose a rider to the oath which states that a police officer must protect and serve all community members.

Proposed Rider to the California Police Officer’s Oath

“I, (employee name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will protect and serve all of the people of my community.

Student Spotlight | Cristian Ponce

Learn about Cristian Ponce, an alumni credential student in the Teacher Education – Multiple Subject program at the SJSU Lurie College of Education. Cristian was also the recipient of the Emily Devore and Mabel Crumby Endowment for the 2019-2020 academic year!

Connect with Lurie College at https://linktr.ee/sjsulurie to receive more news about academic and student life! Video recorded by Brian Cheung Dooley and Sydney Ahmadian and edited by Sydney Ahmadian. Music by RAGE.

Watch our Teacher Residency Program Info Session

The Teacher Residency Program at the Connie L. Lurie College of Education creates opportunities for teacher candidates to gain valuable professional experience, ongoing professional development, and significant financial support over the course of an academic year, all while decreasing the amount of time needed to complete a credential program. Through effective partnerships with school districts in the region, candidates are paired with mentor teachers and learn how to meet the needs of the students in those districts. Watch this recording from a recent online information session and visit sjsu.edu/education/academics/residency to learn more.

Educators of Impact | Amber Atkinson

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Amber Atkinson below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Amber Atkinson

“Amber has been helping at-risk youth, while studying at SJSU and continued to do so after graduating. She has since moved to Washington DC where she is impacting the youth greatly there by mentoring and inspiring them to always work hard to accomplish success. Amber has her own story about overcoming tragedy but she did not let that stop her, she pushed all of the negativity away from her dreams and that is what she shares with these youth. Being relatable to these youth that come from a hard background makes the work she’s doing that much more meaningful and that is why she is an Educator of Impact.”

Educators of Impact | Justine Huynh Vuong

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni and current Lurie College student Justine Huynh Vuong below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Teacher Eduation Department student Justine Vuong

“With such a rapid shift to distance learning comes equity issues regarding access to online education. Justine has gone above and beyond to ensure that each and every student in her classroom has been provided with the accessibility needed to fully engage in the learning. As a result, 100% of her students have been able to connect in the new online environment.”

Watch the Lurie College Faculty Documentary: South Asian Student Experiences

Lurie College EdD Leadership Program Alumni, Dr. Radha Aravamudhan, and Lurie College Lecturer, Dr. Bob Gliner, produced a documentary film that describes experiences of South Asian students and parents in public schools. The documentary project was funded by the Lurie College Research and Teaching Collaborative Grant and was designed with valuable inputs from Dr. Rebeca Burciaga, Dr. Arnold Danzig and Dr. Saili Kulkarni.

The film shares perspectives from students, parents and teachers and hopes to raise awareness about the successes, struggles and resources needed to meet the needs of South Asian students. The students and families interviewed for the documentary are from a public school district in the south bay area.

Summer Events at the Lurie College of Education

In addition to orienting our incoming fall semester students this summer, we are in the process of organizing various academic, networking, and social events, such as:

  • A K-12 Online Teaching Academy
  • Ask Me Anything sessions with Lurie College faculty
  • A summer film series, co-hosted by our Lurie College student organizations

Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter for updates!

SJSU Lurie College of Education Summer Series

Student Spotlight: Jennifer Villegas Lopez

Learn about Jennifer Villegas Lopez, an undergraduate student in the Child & Adolescent Development program at the SJSU Lurie College of Education. Jennifer is also the recipient of the Florian and Grace Niemcziek Endowment for the 2019-2020 academic year!

Connect with Lurie College at https://linktr.ee/sjsulurie to receive more news about academic and student life! Video and audio recorded by Brian Cheung Dooley and edited by Sydney Ahmadian. Music by Anno Domini Beats.

Become a Special Education Teacher Through our Residency Program

Make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities by joining SJSU’s Teacher Residency Program in Special Education!  In this program, you will complete a Special Education Teacher Credential in 1 year while receiving over $16,000 in stipends and becoming eligible for additional scholarship funding.  Those who are interested in this opportunity should contact Department of Special Education faculty Dr. Lisa Simpson at lisa.simpson@sjsu.edu.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Teacher Education Department Elementary

Educators of Impact | Richard Fuentes

With the COVID-19 crisis making it abundantly clear the critical role that educators play in our society, Lurie College is recognizing SJSU Educators of Impact who have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.  Learn more about SJSU Alumni Richard Fuentes below.  To nominate an SJSU graduate who is an Educator of Impact, please complete this brief Google form.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Educator of Impact Richard Fuentes

“Richard and Right At School, the company he works for, is providing an online bank of resources for families inside and outside of his program. These resources are geared toward providing activities that are engaging and meaningful. Moreover, the goal of these resources are to provide a sense of normalcy and continuity during unprecedented times.”

Lurie College Set to Celebrate Spring 2020 Graduates

SJSU Lurie College of Education Spring 2020 Graduation Celebration

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted so many facets of society over the past couple of months, that’s not stopping the Lurie College of Education at San Jose State University from organizing a live graduation celebration to recognize its more than 500 Spring 2020 graduates (and soon-to-be alumni)!

This is an incredibly significant moment for our graduates, their support networks, our Lurie College of Education community, and our society as a whole. College commencement ceremonies are a rite of passage for students every year who have worked tirelessly to prepare themselves for the next chapters in their lives. While we are saddened that we are not able to celebrate with our graduates in person at this time as a result of COVID-19, we are proud of how our entire Lurie College community of students, faculty, and staff have responded and persevered during this pandemic, and so it’s our priority to celebrate virtually with our graduates to acknowledge their accomplishments and bring some closure to their academic experiences with us.  We look forward to welcoming our graduates back to campus and celebrating in person together at the Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 Commencement events. – Dean Heather Lattimer

The Lurie College Graduation Celebration will take place online on Friday, May 22, at 4pm and begin with a college-wide ceremony that will include remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer, Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro, and student speaker Giselle Arellano, who is graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development.

It feels really special to be the graduation speaker, especially during these times.  When I was first selected as the speaker, it was more of an ‘I did it’ moment as a first-generation student of an immigrant family and someone who is representing that small percentage of graduating Latinas all over the world.  Now it feels like I am the person who is able to voice what I’m hearing from my fellow classmates, my friends, from those who are graduating from other departments.  Many of us are feeling the same sadness about not being able to celebrate in person, but we still feel very accomplished and made it to a point where, even though the odds may not be in our favor right now, we still can celebrate and know that ‘we did it’! – Giselle Arellano

Each Spring 2020 graduate will also be recognized during the college-wide ceremony.  Lurie College graduates, faculty, and staff have been invited to attend the event live and family and friends are invited to watch the ceremony live on the Lurie College YouTube channel.

After the college-wide ceremony, each Lurie College department – Child & Adolescent Development, Communicative Disorders & Sciences, Counselor Education, EdD Leadership, Special Education, and Teacher Education – is hosting an online reception to include remarks from faculty chairpersons, individualized slideshows, and socializing among graduates, faculty, and staff to close out the academic year.

Since this year’s experience is entirely digital, Lurie College has created some other digital items to enhance the experience, such as:

San Jose State University as a whole is honoring and celebrating all Spring 2020 graduates by launching graduate recognition websites, which will go live on Friday, May 22.  Learn more about the San Jose State University graduate recognition websites on the SJSU Newsroom website.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s faces and feeling that overall sense of relief in knowing that, while this journey seemed daunting at first, I’m finally able to say ‘I’m a graduate’ and complete something that I’ve been working towards for so long.  Overall, this all feels very surreal and amazing! – Giselle Arellano

SJSU Lurie College of Education Child and Adolescent Development Student Giselle Arellano

Giselle Arellano, SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Speaker

Watch our MA in Special Education Student Research Project Presentations

Congratulations to our Lurie College graduate students in our Department of Special Education who recently presented their final research projects!

  • 3:34 – Nathaly Cisneros-Mendoza: “Perceptions of Latino/a parents when accessing services for their child with autism”
  • 11:51 – Marissa Richers: “Cerebral Palsy: The impacts on a child’s motor and social development”
  • 20:32 – Fatema Rahim: “Impact of South Asian cultural views on parents of children with special needs”
  • 29:12 – Monica Gonzalez: “The effect of a graphic organizer intervention on math word problem solving skills for English language learners with high incidence disabilities”
  • 40:26 – Elizabeth Sanchez: “The effect of culture on parent involvement in special education”
  • 50:31 – Ashley Highsmith: “The disproportionality of black students in special education”
  • 1:02:00 – Madison Henry: “Homeschooling vs public schooling: Decisions to homeschool children with special needs”
  • 1:10:01 – Dilkash Ahmed: “Teacher perceptions of assistive technology classroom implementation”

Connect with Lurie College at https://linktr.ee/sjsulurie to receive more news about academic and student life!