Faculty
The Teacher Education faculty are committed to providing the highest quality education to the candidates in our program. Our courses focus on helping candidates understand research and theory in education as they relate to the daily professional experiences of teachers. We model best practices by providing a strong, student-centered curriculum with an emphasis on ongoing formative feedback to help candidates grow into the profession.
- Program Coordinators and Advising
- SSCP Subject Area Coordinators (SAC)
- Faculty Directory
- Faculty Resources
Department Chair
David Whitenack, Ph.D.
- Professor
- david.whitenack@sjsu.edu
- Sweeney Hall (SH) 306
SSCP Subject Area Coordinators
Contact your Subject Area Coordinator (SAC) to schedule an appointment to complete the following requirements.
NOTE: The process and availability for each advisor will vary. These meetings are an essential step in the application process and require planning.
- Please plan interview appointments at least 3 weeks prior to the application deadline.
- Some subject areas have specific windows in which they conduct interviews, mini lessons, portfolio reviews or auditions.
- English, in particular, has an early deadline for signing up for interviews that may be 5-6 weeks prior to the admission deadline.
Faculty Directory
- LoriAnn Abrahams
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Katya Aguilar, Ph.D.
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Professor
Intern Program
Dr. Aguilar’s research focuses on professional preparation and development among teacher candidates, in-service teachers, and faculty in effective practices for enhancing the educational opportunities of English learner (EL) students across secondary and post-secondary classroom settings. Specific threads her scholarly work in this area include exploring avenues for:
- Supporting the academic language development of
linguistically diverse future educators
- Promoting equity through co-teaching and professional
learning communities
- Challenging beliefs and assumptions held by educators
about English learner studentsEducation
Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction, Kansas State University
M.S., Secondary Education, Kansas State University
B.A., Psychology, William Jewell College
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- Stefanie Aichele-Chang
- Mariana Alwell
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Jolynn Asato, Ph.D.
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Lecturer
As a native speaker of Hawaiian Creole English, Jolynn is fascinated by the intersections of language, identity, and culture in the teaching and development of literacy across the content areas.
Education
Ph.D., Urban Schooling, UCLA
M.A., Education, Claremont Graduate University
B.A., Asian Studies, Pomona College
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- Katie Bell
- Shannon Bui
- Ashley Busby
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Allison Briceño, Ed.D.
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Associate Professor
Twitter: @abriceno21
Allison Briceño, Ed.D., coordinates the Reading and Literacy Leadership Credential and MA Program. Her research focuses on bilingual teacher preparation and how bilingual students use all of their linguistic resources to understand text. Dr. Briceño’s recent scholarship has appeared in Teacher Education Quarterly, International Multilingual Research Journal, Reading Teacher, Language and Education, and Reading Psychology.
Education
Ed.D., International and Multicultural Education, emphasis in Second Language Acquisition, University of San Francisco
M.A., Education, Policy and Organizational Leadership Studies, Stanford University
B.A., English and Spanish, University of Pennsylvania
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- Robert Calonico
- Paulette Cobb
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Elaine Chin, Ph.D.
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Emeritus Professor
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- Kristy Cross
- Jennifer Diehl
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Brent Duckor, Ph.D.
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Professor
Twitter: @BrentDuckor
Brent Duckor is a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. He taught history, economics, and civics in the Senior Institute at Central Park East Secondary School in East Harlem, NYC. He later received his Ph.D. in Quantitative Methods and Evaluation at the University of California, Berkeley. Brent specializes in educational measurement, testing, and assessment. He has served on state and national boards providing educational assessment and measurement expertise to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the California Department of Education, and the College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium in Washington, D.C. His most recent scholarship has appeared in the Journal of Educational Measurement, Teachers College Record, Journal of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, and Phi Delta Kappan. His book, Mastering Formative Assessment Moves: 7 High-Leverage Practices to Advance Student Learning (ASCD, 2017) with Dr. Carrie Holmberg, has been presented to audiences across the U.S. and abroad in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia.
Education
Ph.D., Education, Quantitative Methods and Evaluation, U.C. Berkeley
M.A., Education, Quantitative Methods and Evaluation, U.C. Berkeley
M.A., International Affairs, Columbia University
B.A., Politics, U.C. Santa Cruz
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Mark Felton, Ph.D.
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Professor
Mark Felton is a Professor of Teacher Education & Faculty Associate Dean for Research in the Lurie College of Education. His research focuses on how students learn to reason with arguments and evidence in science and social science classrooms. He studies how students learn to leverage peer dialogue to challenge their own assumptions and arrive at more complex, nuanced or accurate levels of understanding. He is currently studying productive civic discourse among youth on social media.
Education
Ph.D., Human Development, Columbia University
B.A., Psychology, Stanford University
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- Asha Finkel
- Nancy Freschi
- Janice Holly
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Carrie Holmberg, Ed.D.
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Lecturer
Twitter: @CarrieHolmberg
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- Amy Huang
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Kara Ireland D'Ambrosio, D.M.A.
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Lecturer
kara.irelanddambrosio@sjsu.edu
Dr. Kara Ireland D'Ambrosio holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Music Education Degree with a Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names University in Oakland, a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University, In 2004, Kara earned her National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Music Education and has recently renewed this certification. She also is a mentor/support provider for the National Board Resource Center at Stanford University for many subjects including music, art, and PE! Kara has special interest in intercultural educational practices, preservice education, and interventions for income inequality.
Education
D.M.A., Music Education, Boston University
M.M., Music Education, Holy Names University
B.M., Music Education, University of New Hampshire
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- Jan Kaay
- Nora Lang
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Lara Ervin-Kassab, Ed.D.
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Associate Professor
Twitter: @drlarakassab
The construction and composition of personal and professional identities of teachers shapes every classroom experience for students from preschool to post-graduate. Dr. Kassab is intrigued by how educators reflect upon and engage in developing their teaching selves in complex and changing contexts.
Education
Ed.D., Learning and Instruction, University of San Francisco
M.A., Anthropology (focus on education), CSU Fullerton
B.A., History, Holy Names University
A.A., General Education, DeAnza College
Social Science/English Credential, San Francisco State University
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Jennifer Madigan, Ed.D.
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Lecturer
Jennifer Madigan, Ed.D., is a lecturer in the College of Education, Department of Special Education at San Jose State University. Dr. Madigan was a professor at San Jose State University in the Department of Special Education from 2002 to 2018. She also served as an Assistant Professor in the University Hawaii Manoa Department of Special Education from 2016-2020. Prior to her position in the College of Education, Dr. Madigan taught for thirteen years throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area Bay Area, in a range of Kindergarten through 12th grade special and general education settings. As an educator, she had the opportunity to serve students and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in a variety of urban and suburban schools. Dr. Madigan's work in schools included the inclusion of children with special needs in general education settings, and more recently, research on the effects of single-gender special education for female students identified with mild to moderate disabilities.
Education
Ed.D., Special Education, University of San Francisco
Education Specialist: Mild to Moderate Disabilities ELA
Single Subject Teacher Credential
Elementary Education Bilingual Teacher Credential
M.Ed, Notre Dame de Namur University
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Jila Maleksalehi, Ed.D.
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Lecturer
Jila has PreK, Elementary, Middle School, High School, and Community College teaching experiences. Over the past 15+ years, she has taught a variety of ages, including Kindergarten PE to Middle School Language Arts, Math, Science, History, and more. Her area of expertise comes from working with adolescents and utilizing brain-based teaching practices with her students. Jila is a big fan of teaching her students the course material while relating it to real-life applications. She believes "We go to school to make a bigger impact on our society, not simply to memorize the course content. Teaching is an art. Come and check it out for yourself; experience my love for teaching in my classes!"
In addition to teaching, Jila enjoys mentoring her students as they go after their goals. Beyond teaching, she really takes the time to support and create relationships among her students.
Education
Ed.D., Educational Leadership & Managements, Alliant International University
M.A. Ed., Education (Curriculum & Instruction), Notre Dame de Namur University
B.A., Liberal Studies, Notre Dame de Namur University
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Roxana Marachi, Ph.D.
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Professor
Twitter: @ConnectEdProf
Dr. Roxana Marachi is a Professor of Education at San José State University where she teaches courses in the Department of Teacher Education and the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership. Dr. Marachi’s research publications have focused on evaluations of policies and programs related to school violence prevention, high-stakes testing, privatization, and the technologization of teaching and learning. Her current interests are focused on strategies for the prevention of data harms and on bridging research-to-practice gaps in the integration of emerging technologies in education. Marachi is a fellow of the National Education Policy Center, served as education chair of the CA/HI State NAACP from 2019 to 2021, and has been active in local, state, and national efforts to strengthen and protect public education.
Education
Ph.D., Education and Psychology, University of Michigan
M.A., Developmental Psychology, University of Michigan
B.S., Psychology, Minor in Music, University of Washington
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Tiffani Marie, Ph.D.
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Assistant Professor
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- Marianne Mehuys
- Rebecca Messina
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Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz, Ph.D.
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Associate Professor
Critical Bilingual Authorization Program Coordinator
Dr. Muñoz-Muñoz focuses on language and identity, Emergent Bilinguals and Heritage Spanish Learners, Dual Immersion Programs, US Spanish and education, critical pedagogy and the development of Critical Language Awareness in (bilingual) teachers. Dr. Muñoz-Muñoz works at the intersection of policy and pedagogy in the growth of the bilingual teacher pipeline in California. In the conduct of his research, Dr. Muñoz-Muñoz also explores the epistemological implications of qualitative design and methods in educational settings. He has engaged with districts in the actual design and implementation of Dual Immersion Programs and the alignment of supports for Emergent Bilinguals.
Education
Ph.D., Race, Inequality, and Language in Education and Sociology of Education, Stanford University
M.A., Sociology, Stanford University
M.A., Educational Leadership, UC Berkeley
Licenciatura (BA+MA), English Philology, Universidad de Córdoba
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Paula Oakes
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Lecturer
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Luis Poza, Ph.D.
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Associate Professor
Luis Poza's research investigates how beliefs about language, language learning, race, and nation are embedded in educational practice and policy. He uses qualitative methods, principally ethnography and participant observation, to examine how these ideologies and their curricular and legal manifestations shape students’ experiences in schools. Dr. Poza also draws upon his research in his teaching to support teacher candidates learning how to best serve students from historically marginalized populations.
Education
Ph.D., Sociology of Education + Race, Inequality, and Language in Education, Stanford University
M.A., Climate and Society, Columbia University
Preliminary Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential (BCLAD), San Jose State University
B.A., Latin American Studies, Yale University
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Colette Rabin, Ed.D.
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Professor
Colette Rabin teaches sociology of education, philosophy of education, research methods, classroom management, health, and student teaching courses. Prior to teaching graduate school, she taught grades kindergarten through middle school for twelve years. Her research interests are in care ethics, social justice, co-teaching, sustainability, and social and emotional learning. Recent publications include, “Co-Teaching: Collaborative and Caring Teacher Preparation,” in Journal of Teacher Education, and “Social Studies from a Care Ethics Perspective in an Elementary Classroom in Social Studies Research and Practice.”
Education
Ed.D., Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, and Philosophy of Education, Mills College
M.A., Education, San Jose State University
B.A., Religion, Reed College
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- Ana Ramirez
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Nicky Ramos-Beban, Ph.D.
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Senior Lecturer
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- Kathryn Ribay
- Rebeca Rios
- Bernadette Rodriguez-Young
- Rebecca Setziol
- Helen Smith
- Tasha Snow
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Grinell Smith, Ph.D.
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Professor
Grinell’s work is guided by a deep commitment to care ethics. He seeks to improve the quality of K-12 education by helping teachers move beyond current narrow conceptions of the purpose of schooling and toward progressive ideals that foster ecological, social, and cultural sustainability.
Education
Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Alabama
M.S., Physical Organic Chemistry, Georgetown University
B.S., Chemistry, Auburn University
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Patricia (Patty) Swanson, Ph.D.
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Professor
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- Shawn Vecellio, Ph.D.
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Tammie Visintainer, Ph.D.
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Assistant Professor
tammie.visintainer@sjsu.eduTwitter: @tavisint
Dr. Visintainer's research focuses on issues of equity in science education at the intersections of race, identity, and learning at the high school and undergraduate levels. She explores the types of learning experiences that engage youth of color (i.e., students historically/currently marginalized in society, school, and science) in authentic science practices, and empowers them as learners and doers of science, and change agents in their communities. In addition, she examine the types of instructional and pedagogical resources that foster inclusion, community development, and the co-development of students’ science and racial identities.
Education
Ph.D., Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, University of California, Berkeley
M.S., Marine Science, San Francisco State University
B.S., Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wanda Watson, Ed.D.
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Associate Professor
wanda.watson@sjsu.edu
Twitter: @WaWatty
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- Yu Zhang
- Sandra Zuniga Ruiz
