Spring/Summer Edition
Newsletter, 2026
💫 All proposal acceptances are out! Reach out if, for some reason, you have not heard back about a proposal. Also, if you can no longer attend the conference, please let me know so that I can remove your session from the program.
🔗 Here is the conference registration link and here is the hotel booking link. Book your hotel using the link to receive our discounted AATC room rates! There is a limited number of rooms available at our rate, so please book early to ensure your room is secured! If you are in need of a roommate, please let me know—I am happy to help pair individuals!
💰 Check out the information for the AATC 2026 Graduate Student Scholarship Application
💞 If you are able, consider donating to the Graduate Scholarship or share far and wide in support of our amazing grad student presenters and participants!
👕 Our amazing president, Taryn Robertson, has worked hard to initiate the AATC Merch Store. Grab some swag!
📢 Do you know any business owners who are able to support our educators? Check out our new program sponsorship page: Support Our Educators: Join the Community, Care, and Culture Guide
Why did you decide to step into your AATC leadership role?
I didn’t just step into this role; I grew into it through a decade of seasons. Since 2016, I have occupied almost every corner of this community, from the quiet observation of a new attendee to the high-stakes logistics of the Chicago Program Chair, and a full three-year term on the Executive Council. But my decision to serve as President wasn’t born from a desire for a title; it was born from a deep, abiding love for this specific collective of humans.
I chose to lead because I believe that leadership, at its best, is a form of "cultivating care." We are living through a trying time in education where the "industrial" demands of the academy often strip away our meaning and wholeness. I stepped forward because I love to lead confidently, not with the confidence of having all the answers, but with the confidence to hold a space where we can finally try new things. I wanted to be the one to extend the invitation to move away from the "sit and get" traditions of the past and toward a model of radical presence. I accepted the nomination because I wanted to ensure that AATC remains a place where we don't just study curriculum, but where we actually sustain the people who create it. I am here because I believe this community is ready to refill its cup, and I wanted to be the one to hold the pitcher.
What does it feel like to step into this position, and what are you leaving behind to do it?
Stepping into the presidency feels like a profound "hidden wholeness," but it is also a relentless exercise in stamina. It feels like trying to drink from a firehose every single day, seven days a week. There is no "off" switch when you are tending to the heart of an organization; the work lives in my mind and my inbox constantly. To hold this space, I’ve had to leave behind the luxury of a predictable schedule and the comfort of being "just" a participant. I’ve traded the safety of the sidelines for a role that demands a continuous output of energy and decision-making.
Yet, what makes that "firehose" manageable, and even exhilarating, are the deep human connections forged along the way. The friendships I’ve made in the trenches of AATC have transformed this from a "position" into a rewarding journey of the soul. Much of this is rooted in my foundational connection to Parker Palmer. He taught us that "we teach who we are," and I believe we lead who we are, too.
In academia, we are surrounded by leaders who reflexively say "no," listing every bureaucratic reason why a new idea won't work. I am the opposite. It is so, so fun to hear a colleague’s spark of an idea and give them the freedom to run with it. Palmer speaks of creating a "circle of trust" where the soul can feel safe enough to show up; I see my presidency as an extension of that. I’m leaving behind the gatekeeping to become a bridge-builder. My joy comes from finding ways to say "yes" and helping others find the courage to bring their most creative, authentic visions to life.
What is your vision for AATC, and what will success feel like after the Scottsdale conference this October?
My vision for AATC is a shift from academic transaction to human transformation. Historically, we have done a beautiful job of building a robust intellectual home for curriculum studies, but my hope is to deepen that experience by treating the "inner landscape" of the educator with as much care as the curriculum itself. I want to build on the incredible work of those who came before me by adding a layer of intentionality regarding our own well-being as scholars and practitioners.
Success in Scottsdale won't be measured solely by the high-quality papers or the number of sessions on the program; those are the foundational pieces we’ve always excelled at. Instead, I am looking for a new kind of metric: the collective exhale. Success will feel like the moment at the end of Dr. Kirstin Anglea’s keynote workshop when the room realizes they aren't just "sitting and getting," but are actually being invited to engage with their own sense of purpose.
Success will be the quiet, bone-deep realization among our members that we do not have to set ourselves on fire just to keep our students, or our institutions, warm. When we leave the desert, I want us to carry back a renewed sense of wholeness. It’s about finding the "courage to teach" and the courage to care, even, and especially, when the world around us feels like it’s demanding we do the opposite. To me, success is leaving Scottsdale knowing that you have a community to come home to, one that values your presence just as much as your production.
What milestone in your scholarly life has most shaped how you lead?
The most transformative milestone in my scholarly life wasn’t a publication or a promotion; it was the moment I truly internalized Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach. It fundamentally shifted the lens of my research from a clinical "what is happening in the curriculum" to a deeply human "who is the person at the heart of the curriculum?" That realization, that our teaching is a mirror of our souls, completely recalibrated my leadership style. It moved me away from a mindset of "management" and toward a practice of "soul-tending."
This shift has become most visible in my work supervising student teachers. These are people standing at the threshold of the profession, and I’ve realized they need a level of support, love, and loyalty that I never fully grasped before. Their cups are drained constantly by the demands of licensure and the emotional weight of the classroom. I find myself frequently stepping out of the role of "evaluator" and into the role of "sustainer," reminding them to do the basic human things: eat, sleep, and drink water.
In truth, I know a lot of that care is projection—because I need the same reminders. I see it in our AATC graduate students deep in the dissertation trenches, and I see it on the faces of our sleepy AATC colleagues feeding the tenure machine. We all need care.
The biggest scholarly milestone for me has been the radical act of understanding myself down to my core. Realizing that I am allowed to be exactly who I am has made me a better professor, researcher, and leader, but it has also made me a better partner, runner, dog mom, and all the other very human things that make me, me. By embracing my own identity and integrity, I’ve learned how to create a space where others feel safe enough to do the same. I’ve learned that we cannot lead others toward wholeness if we are unwilling to seek it within ourselves.
Who in the AATC community has most influenced you, and what did they teach you?
When I look at my leadership, I see the fingerprints of my DU family all over it. Bruce Uhrmacher has been foundational to my personal and professional life; he continues to serve as my moral compass on a daily basis, reminding me of the ethical weight and the joy of this work. Paul Michalec was the one who helped me understand that I am allowed to be exactly who I am—that exploring my own identity isn't just a side project, it is monumental to understanding what fills my soul. And Christy McConnell gave me a different kind of permission: the realization that I can show up as my authentic self, look as girly as I want, and still be profoundly worthy of respect. These mentors taught me what it means to care deeply about this profession while honoring the person behind the title.
But the influence doesn't stop with my mentors. I have made so, so many deep friends within AATC that I now simply consider family. I have gone through a phenomenal amount of huge life changes over the past few months, and these souls have propped me up in ways that go far beyond AATC business. My life would look infinitely darker without people like Jen Bartee, Dan Conn, Michelle Tenam-Zemach, Alicia Saxe, Cristy Sellers, Matt Clay, Matt Spurlin, Joe Flynn, Amanda Bucher, Crystal Howell, Franklin Allaire, Aubrey Southall, and Caroline Conner.
That is the "beautiful glitch" of AATC: you enter this space thinking you are bonding with "randoms" over shared research interests or curriculum theory. Then, all of a sudden, the "academic" mask slips and you’re sending each other wedding pictures, texting about a rap docuseries, buying matching neon shoes so you can stand out together, or planning to run a rogue, and secret, morning marathon. They taught me that the "care" we talk about in our conference theme isn't a theory, it’s a practice of showing up for one another when life gets messy.
What do you wish more members knew about what AATC is and could be?
I wish people knew that this organization is a place where you don’t have to perform a sanitized, "perfect" version of your academic self. The truth is, we all have baggage; some of it is heavy, some of it is old, and some of it we are still figuring out how to carry. Every single one of us is working on ourselves, navigating a billion different personal challenges, and trying to stay afloat in a demanding profession. At AATC, you don’t have to leave that baggage at the door; you can show up exactly as you are.
We are a community of researchers, yes, but we are also runners who find clarity on the pavement, dog moms who find solace in a wagging tail, and rap enthusiasts who find poetry in a beat. We are humans navigating massive, tectonic life changes—grief, joy, transition, and everything in between. AATC is a space where those identities don't just coexist; they are celebrated as the very things that make our scholarship meaningful. We aren't just brains in jars; we are whole, complicated people who happen to care deeply about curriculum. When we acknowledge that we are "also" all these other things, the work doesn't become less rigorous, it just becomes more honest.
What should a graduate student feel when they leave the Scottsdale conference?
I want them to feel rejuvenated in a way that goes beyond just having a good weekend. I want them to leave with the profound, bone-deep knowledge that they have finally found their "people." So often, the graduate school experience is a journey of isolation and "imposter syndrome," where you feel like you have to chip away at your own personality to fit into a professional mold. I want them to leave Scottsdale realizing that at AATC, their personality is not a distraction, it is their greatest asset. The graduate students are our future, and I want them to understand that at AATC, you have a voice, and we hear it, and it matters. Your ideas matter, your questions matter, and what you want out of this organization matters. You have a seat at the table here.
I want them to feel that their cup has been refilled, not just with citations and networking leads, but with the courage to keep caring in a world that might tell them that "care" is a weakness or a luxury. I want them to see the leaders of this organization, the runners, the rap enthusiasts, the "girly" professors, and realize: "Oh, I can be successful and still be entirely myself." I want them to walk away from Scottsdale with more than just a line on their CV. I want them to carry a sense of belonging that acts as a shield against the burnout that so often claims early-career scholars. I want them to feel that they aren't just joining a professional association; they are being folded into a family that will prop them up through the billion other things life throws at them. More than anything, I want them to leave feeling that they don’t have to set themselves on fire to be a "good" academic, that they are enough, exactly as they are, neon shoes and all.
Why did you accept the nomination and step into your AATC leadership role?
I accepted the nomination because I believe in the kind of intellectual and communal space AATC makes possible. As a graduate student, you spend so much time trying to prove you belong in rooms that were not always built with you in mind. AATC felt different. It felt like a place where scholarship could be rigorous and human at the same time. Stepping into this role was not just about leadership, it was about stewardship. I wanted to help hold and expand a space where graduate students are not just present, but heard, valued, and taken seriously as scholars.
What did or does it feel like to step into this leadership position, and what are you leaving behind to do it?
It feels both grounding and stretching, but also deeply affirming. This space was not something I stepped into fully formed, it was built from the ground up alongside four other dynamic graduate women over the last two conference cycles. So, stepping into this role now feels like tending something we planted together, not just leading something that was handed to me. It is grounding because I am rooted in that shared labor and community and stretching because leadership now requires a different kind of visibility, responsibility, and care. I am leaving behind the idea that I have to wait until I feel fully ready or fully formed to lead. Truthfully, this role was built in motion, in conversation, in trial and trust. I am also letting go of the quieter version of myself that stays on the margins. This role calls me to step forward not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone committed to doing the work in public, in community, and in continuation of what we started together.
What is your vision for AATC, and what will success feel like after the Scottsdale conference this October?
My vision for AATC is that it continues to be a space where scholarship feels like an intellectual conversation among peers, not a performance for approval. I want graduate students to feel like they can bring their full questions, their unfinished thoughts, and their lived experiences into the room. Success after Scottsdale will not just be about attendance or polished presentations. It will feel like connection. It will feel like people leaving with new relationships, new language for their work, and a renewed sense that what they are studying and who they are becoming actually matters.
What milestone in your scholarly or teaching life has most shaped how you lead?
The process of developing and writing my dissertation has been the most shaping experience. Engaging in narrative inquiry and centering lived experiences taught me that knowledge is not just something we produce, it is something we hold responsibility for. It shaped how I lead by reminding me that people’s stories, their labor, and their voices are not data points, they are trust. That perspective carries into how I show up in community spaces like AATC.
Who in the AATC community has most influenced how you show up in this role, and what did they teach you?
I have been deeply influenced by members who lead with both intellectual rigor and genuine care. They have shown me that you do not have to choose between being a serious scholar and being a present, relational human being. What I have learned most is that leadership is not about control, it is about cultivation. It is about creating conditions where others can think, speak, and grow. I have also been shaped by the mentorship of long-time members who do not limit their engagement to the conference itself, but extend it into ongoing scholarly support and connection. That kind of mentorship matters, especially for graduate students trying to find their footing in the field. Scholars like Dr. Flynn, Dr. Parkinson, Dr. Clay, Dr. Spurlin, and Dr. Sellers model what it means to embrace new attendees not just as participants, but as emerging colleagues. What they have taught me is that showing up in this role is not just about leading within AATC, it is about extending that same spirit of mentorship, invitation, and intellectual generosity beyond it.
What do you wish more members knew about what AATC actually is, and what it could be?
I wish more members understood that AATC is not just a conference organization. It is a space of possibility. It is where ideas are still forming, where people are willing to engage across difference, and where emerging scholars can find their footing. What it could be is even more expansive, a sustained community where mentorship, collaboration, and intellectual risk-taking continue beyond the conference itself. I would also like to see a stronger bridge between scholarship and everyday teaching practice. Right now, we do not have many members who actively straddle both spaces, the classroom and the academy, in visible ways. Bringing more K-12 educators into this work would deepen our conversations and ground our theories in lived practice. There is something powerful about honoring teachers not just as practitioners, but as intellectual contributors to the field. Expanding that inclusion would not only strengthen the community now, but it would also help ensure its relevance and vitality for the future.
What would you want a graduate student encountering AATC for the first time to feel when they leave the Scottsdale conference?
I want them to feel like they belong. Not in a surface-level way, but in a deep, embodied sense that their questions matter and their voice has a place in the field. I want them to leave with a sense of community, with new thought partners they can continue to build with, and with access to mentorship that does not end when the conference does. I want them to feel seen, stretched, and affirmed. If they walk away thinking, “I can do this work, and I do not have to do it alone,” then we have done what we came to do.
Joining the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Paul Parkison
I am honored to share that I have accepted an appointment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Professor with tenure in the School of Education and Human Sciences, effective August 1, 2026. I am grateful for the opportunity to join an outstanding R1 institution committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service. I look forward to working alongside faculty, staff, students, and university leadership to advance innovative programs, support scholarly growth, and cultivate a collaborative academic community. Thank you to the colleagues, mentors, family, and friends whose support has made this next chapter possible.
Paul T. Parkison, Ed.D. is Professor and Chair of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research centers on curriculum theory, critical pedagogy, and teacher preparation. A past president of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum, he co-authored Unraveling the Assessment Industrial Complex, winner of the 2024 AATC O.L. Davis Outstanding Book Award.
Dr. Michaelann Kelley Receives Mount St. Joseph University’s Highest Mission Honor
Michaelann Kelley, Mount St. Joseph University
Dr. Michaelann Kelley has been selected as a recipient of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mission Award, the University’s highest mission honor. This prestigious award is presented annually to faculty who exemplify the mission through their daily actions and who distinguish themselves by “daring to risk a caring response” in service to the Mount community.
“Dr. Michaelann Kelley truly lives the mission through her service, her relationships, and her deep commitment,” wrote nominator Swati Chopra. “She shows up not out of obligation, but out of genuine support and joy, creating a culture where people feel seen, valued, and encouraged.” She is known for building meaningful, lasting relationships with students, mentoring them throughout their academic journeys and beyond.
This award honors not only Dr. Kelley’s professional excellence but also the deep sense of community and care she cultivates every day. Her leadership sets a standard that inspires others across campus.
Michaelann Kelley, Ed.D. is Associate Professor, Gallery Director, and Department Chair at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Employing narrative inquiry, Dr. Kelley continues her research work in art education, critical friendship, self-study, and collaboration as a member of the Portfolio Group, the longest-standing teacher group in education.
Dr. Cristy Sellers Receives 2026 Pacific University President's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Cristy M. Sellers, Pacific University
Congratulations to Dr. Cristy Sellers, our AATC Executive Secretary and Associate Editor for Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, for receiving the 2026 Pacific University President's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The award recognizes the primacy of teaching and the ability to bring the classroom to life for undergraduate students. During the ceremony, the university, based on peer and student comments, recognized that “Dr. Sellers transcends traditional lecturing by designing student-centered, active-learning courses” with “hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice,” acknowledging her as “a leader in inclusive pedagogy whose classroom serves as a space for courageous engagement with complex topics such as race, disability, and privilege.” At the ceremony, the university also acknowledged Dr. Sellers for “serving as a pedagogical leader and mentor for new and adjunct faculty, known for sharing her expertise in inclusive strategies and innovative design.”
*Dr. Rick Jobs, Professor of History and the 2026-2027 Pacific University Faculty Chair, embracing the award winner, Dr. Cristy Sellers.
Edith P. Middleton Receives 2026 Provost’s Student Excellence Award
Edith P. Middleton, Teachers College, Columbia University
At the Teachers College (TC) 2026 Provost’s Student Excellence Awards, Edith was honored with the 2026 Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award as a student who has made outstanding contributions to the Teachers College community, embodying the pioneering spirit and legacy of TC alumna Shirley Chisholm (M.A. ’52)—the trailblazing political leader and the first Black woman elected to Congress. This award recognizes students who enrich the TC student experience as advocates, innovators, and change-makers, reflecting Chisholm’s belief: “I have never cared too much for what people say. What I am interested in is what they do.”
Edith also received the Outstanding Community Program Award, which recognizes student-led programs that advance intercultural competency and promote social responsibility through social justice, inclusion, and advocacy. The award honored TC's Feminist Circle, which Edith co-founded and currently co-leads. She co-directed and performed in their production of the "Feminist Circle Monologues," a fully student-led show brought to life by a cast of 13 performers spanning programs across Teachers College and Barnard College. The Monologues brought together a diverse cast and audience for a night of empowerment, education and empathy, and amplified survivor stories, celebrated gender diversity, and even connected attendees with vital support resources.
Edith is a Ph.D. Candidate in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her doctoral research intersects qualitative inquiry, teacher knowledge, and the decolonization of mentoring frameworks by braiding posthuman, feminist, and affect theories with Indigenous epistemologies. She advocates for expanding our understanding of mentorship to recognize more-than-human influences that shape educator identity and well-being. She is National Board Certified, a recipient of prestigious Fulbright and Pulitzer Center fellowships, and embodies 16 years of public high school and college teaching in Connecticut, Hawai’i, and NYC. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is an adjunct professor, a student teacher supervisor, and deeply involved in graduate student leadership as AERA GSC Chair, AATC GSC Co-Founder and Executive Secretary, and NCTE ELATE GSC Chair. Edith is also a passionate advocate for gender equity as TC’s Feminist Circle co-founder and co-president.
Reading Studio Spotlight
B. Lee Hurren, Eastern New Mexico University
Dr. Gay Su Pinnell, alumna of Eastern New Mexico University and renowned American educational theorist, author, and professor Emerita at The Ohio State University specializing in early literacy, learning, and a love of reading has donated a major gift to ENMU's College of Education and Technology that will enhance learning in Eastern New Mexico for generations. Her contribution has created the Gay Su Pinnell Endowed Professorship in Language and Literacy Education, which was recently filled by Dr. Dawn Wink. The endowment has also created a Language and Literacy Studio which will provide literacy programs for children and adults in English and Spanish, and serve as a national and international research hub. Dr. Wink's professional background is based in multilingual education, multiliteracies, linguistic human rights, and ecolinguistics. She has represented teacher education through these lenses in the US and internationally with significant publications and presentations.
Dr. B. Lee Hurren is dean of the College of Education and Technology at Eastern New Mexico University, and Professor of Spanish Education and Educational Leadership. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and M.Ed. in Spanish Education at the University of Nevada. Lee ran track and cross-country at Southern Utah University, where he earned a B.A. degree in Spanish Literature. His focused area of research is the power of humor in educational settings.
Teaching Historical Empathy: Bridging Past and Present
Katherine Perrotta, Mercer University Tift College of Education
Teaching Historical Empathy: Bridging the Past and Present outlines instructional resources, curricular standards, and sample lesson plans for secondary teachers to promote historical empathy in their classrooms. Interdisciplinary connections between social studies and English language arts curricular design and instruction are explored through the application of literary analysis, digital media, music, films and documentaries, photographs, and place-based opportunities.
"Teaching Historical Empathy: Bridging the Past and Present offers educators at all levels actionable steps to weave empathy into the larger patterns of history, through local history, and rich storytelling, then widening the lens to embrace all of our stories, via place-based learning and digital humanities tools and resources that allow students to see themselves in the story of US." - Annie Evans, Director of Education & Outreach, New American History at the University of Richmond
https://www.peterlang.com/document/1405452
Dr. Katherine Perrotta received her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from Georgia State University. She was the recipient of the 2017 John Laska Distinguished Dissertation Award in Teaching from the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum.
Dr. Jennifer Curl received her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from Mercer University. She is an Assistant Professor of English Language Arts at the University of West Georgia.
