Sophia Sarigianides, Ph.D., professor and coordinator of English education, has for the past several years served on a national committee charged with revising the standards that guide English Language Arts (ELA) teacher preparation.
Recently released, the standards thread antiracist goals across them, to which the University’s English Education program has been aligned, according to Sarigianides.
Dr. Sarigianides co-authored Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Antiracist Literature Instruction for White Students (Teachers College Press, 2019) with Carlin Borsheim-Black, Ph.D. Nominated for the Grawemeyer Award in Education, Letting Go is a bestseller for Teachers College Press. The co-authors have been approached about writing another book.
Last year, Westfield State University’s teacher education program earned a seven-year accreditation with commendation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) for its wide-ranging, respected, and growing work in antiracist education. Westfield State is the first institution of higher education in the AAQEP membership to receive commendation from the organization. For more information, click here.