In early 2021, Leah and Brandie began reflecting on how the uprisings of May 2020 propelled many teachers (and other individuals) to seek out communities to reflect, learn, and take action to implement anti-racist initiatives and dismantle institutional structures upholding white supremacy. Brandie and Leah both felt saddened that the momentum from that summer seems to not have been sustained, in large part because there are not enough spaces for educators to forge meaningful local connections, as well as to learn the political knowledge needed for organizing and affecting lasting change. As a result, Leah and Brandie decided to have their organizations–Just Writing LLC (Leah) and The Queer Mathematics Teacher (Brandie)–join forces to create such a space. Thus, Radical Pedagogy Institute was born.
Meet Our Founding Members
Dr. Leah Z. Owens (she/her/sis)
L.Owens@RadicalPedagogyInstitute.com
Leah is a writer, teacher educator, and teacher-scholar-activist who works through her consulting firm, Just Writing LLC. She credits the many leadership and teaching positions she has held for the development of her anti-racist worldview as well as her commitment to equity and humanization. Her journey includes serving as a high school English teacher for Newark Public Schools; co-founding the Newark Education Workers Caucus (NEW Caucus), a social justice caucus within the Newark Teachers Union; organizing childcare center workers into a union; and serving as a member of the Newark Board of Education (2016-2019). Leah holds a BA in English from Duke University. From Rutgers-Newark, she earned a Master of Public Administration degree as well as her PhD in Urban Systems. As an activist-scholar, her research interests include critical democratic education, teacher leadership, and ontological inquiry. Leah is an active citizen in several community and political organizations, including the Newark Branch of the NAACP where she serves as chair of the education committee. To learn more about Leah and her work, visit her site at www.blackwomanteacher.net.
Dr. Brandie E. Waid (they/them/elle)
B.Waid@RadicalPedagogyInstitute.com
Brandie holds a BS in Mathematics and Mathematics Education and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Tampa, as well as a MPhil and PhD in Mathematics Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. They currently work as an independent math coach and scholar through their own educational consulting company The Queer Mathematics Teacher (QMT). Prior to launching QMT, Brandie worked as an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Drew University in New Jersey, specializing in K-12 mathematics and science. They also have taught middle and high school mathematics in both New York City and Florida. As a queer Latinx scholar, activist, and educator, Brandie’s research and work at QMT is focused on the ways in which students’ intersectional identities manifest in mathematical spaces and how to re/humanize mathematics for all students through the use of critical and queer pedagogy. To learn more about Brandie and their work, visit the QMT website: www.TheQueerMathematicsTeacher.com