BERC Summer Conference

Faculty

• Dr. Sonya Douglass, Professor of Education Leadership, Founding Director of BERC
• Dr. Tyrone Howard, Professor of Education in the School of Education and Information Studies, University of California Los Angeles
• Dr. Dawn Williams, Dean of the Howard University School of Education
• Deirdre Lynn Hollman, Senior Curriculum Specialist at BERC, Doctoral Candidate in Social Studies
• Dane Peters, Doctoral Student in Social Studies, Graduate Assistant at BERC
• Terion Cooper, Doctoral Student in Music Education, Graduate Assistant at BERC
• Dr. Samantha Chung, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Education Leadership at CUNY Lehman College
• Dr. Gloria Boutte, Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina College of Education
• Dr. LaGarrett King, Director of the Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education at University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education
• Dr. Pam Lovett, Long Beach CA Unified School District
• Dr. Ann LoBue, Senior Policy Analyst, BERC
• Other invited faculty to be announced…

Faculty Bios:

Sonya Douglass, Ed.D. serves as Professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include: education policy, politics, and leadership; school segregation and desegregation; critical race theory in education; Black and African American education and leadership; and leadership for social justice. She is the author of five books including: Learning in a Burning House: Inequality, Ideology, and (Dis)integration (Teachers College Press, 2011) and The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality: Possibilities Toward Democratic Schooling (2nd edition) (Routledge, 2024).

Tyrone Howard, Ph.D. is a professor of education in the School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA. His research addresses issues tied to race, culture, access and educational opportunity for minoritized student populations. Professor Howard is the author of several best-selling books, including "Why Race & Culture Matters in Schools" (Teachers College Press) and "All Students Must Thrive" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). He is a native of Compton, California, where he also served as a classroom teacher. Professor Howard is a member of the National Academy of Education and is an AERA Fellow.

Dawn Williams, Ph.D. is Dean of the Howard University School of Education. Underlying all her work are premises that include the indoctrination of social justice through teaching, research, service, and professional development. With over two decades in the field, she has managed complex organizations; worked effectively with local, national, and international colleagues; secured and managed resources to support the institution’s strategic direction and vision; and built relationships with alumni, donors, school districts, and international academic communities. Dr. Williams is also author and co-author of approximately 30 articles and book chapters that focus on leadership, governance, and macro-educational policies targeted for urban school reform.

BERC Summer Conference 2025

“Black Studies as the Study of the World: Designing Creative Practices for Classrooms & Communities”

8:00 am | Registration & Breakfast

9:00 am | Welcome and Overview

9:30 am | Morning Keynote Address
“Resisting Reversal: Why the Pendulum Always Returns to Justice in the Pursuit of Knowledge Rooted in Black Studies,”
Dr. Dawn Williams, Professor and Dean of the School of Education at Howard University.

11:15 am | Black Studies Curriculum Presentation
“Black Studies as the Study of the World: Tools for Knowledge Building and Creative Curriculum Implementation,”
Deirdre Lynn Hollman, EdM, Senior Curriculum Specialist for BERC.

12:00 pm | Lunch and Black Studies Hub

1:00 pm | Workshop Series A

• Creative Practices from NYCPS Professional Learning Communities, featuring Community District 3

• Leadership Roundtable: “How to Design Professional Learning Communities in Your School or District,” Dr. Samantha Chung, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Education Leadership at CUNY Lehman College with Dr. Pam Lovett, Long Beach CA Unified School District

• Black Studies Pedagogy Book Talk, Dr. Gloria Boutte, Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina College of Education

• BERC DesignLabs: “Flipping the Black Studies Curriculum: Grades and Subject Areas,” Terion Cooper, BERC Curriculum & Professional Learning Team

2:15 pm | Workshop Series B

• Creative Practices from NYCPS Professional Learning Communities, featuring Community District 5

• Leadership Roundtable: “Navigating National Policy Impacts on Black Education” with Dr. Sonya Douglass, Professor of Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University & Founder of BERC with Dr. Ann Gorski-LoBue, BERC Senior Policy Analyst.

• Black Studies Pedagogy Book Talk, Dr. LaGarrett King, Director of the Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education at University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education

• BERC DesignLabs: “Archives, AI and Innovative Lesson Design,” Dane Peters, BERC Curriculum and Professional Learning Team

3:30 pm | Afternoon Keynote Address
“Centering Blackness for School Transformation: Implications for Practice, Curriculum, and Research,”
Dr. Tyrone Howard, Professor of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles

4:30 pm | Reception

5:00 pm | Conference Concludes

Who Should Attend

K-12 classroom teachers (social studies, history, ELA, humanities, art), curriculum and instructional specialists, principals, school administrators, parent coordinators, superintendents, and community educators.

Learning Objectives

Educators will develop the pedagogical approaches and skills, as well as content area knowledge and expertise, to implement a new PK-12 Black Studies curriculum. Specifically, participants will:

• Learn about the praxis of Black Studies through the field’s history and current approaches to pedagogy and curriculum;
• Acquire knowledge of and enact the paradigm shift towards African and African American-centered approaches to teaching and learning as a part of a broader culturally relevant and sustaining approach to education (CRSE);
• Learn about the historical and cultural relevance of Black Studies and how it relates to American and Global History;
• Deepen understanding of the history, culture, and contributions of people of African descent globally and especially in the United States, as well as New York City and State;
• Learn creative practices from teachers who have taught lessons from the Black Studies Curriculum in PK-12 classrooms;
• Apply all of the above to planning and delivering Black Studies lessons in PK-12 classrooms for all students.

Upon Completion

Participants who successfully complete this conference will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Licensed educators in NY state are also eligible for a Continuing Teacher Leader Education (CTLE) certificate for a total of 7 CTLE hours.

Testimonials About BERC’s 2024 Summer Conference

“This was one of the best professional development experiences I have ever had. I am so grateful to you all for doing this work and for being able to be among some of the first to bring this dream to our children. This is truly the work in action.”

“The speakers were all so insightful. My spirit and mind are leaving full. Each panel and speaker shared some great insight.”

“Mind blown. This is fantastic.”

“I needed today. I learned a great deal, felt affirmed and supported and was treated with care by staff and participants. THANK YOU.”

“I plan to use … these resources to support our social studies teachers as we work to have a more equitable and inclusive curriculum.”

“I think this conference and the information that is being presented is timely and should be taught on all levels.”

“This was an exceptional experience, cross generational. This content will fill in the blanks as to how integral African Americans are to the current history, as well!”

“I feel more empowered and hopeful regarding our children's future which begins now.”

“Thank you for such an incredible conference and all the knowledge that you shared.”

“This conference was an amazing experience having built off of the virtual learning series … I am excited to implement the curriculum and for next year's second annual BERC Summer conference.”

“After attending today’s discussion, I have a better understanding of the impact and richness that the curriculum provides students.”