Shae West成人头条 doctoral student Kim Burkhalter will use her background in social work to get a broader perspective in helping children in 成人头条 Public Schools.
Burkhalter received her bachelor鈥檚 in social work from WSU in 1992 and her master鈥檚 from the University of Kansas in 1995. In 2007, she began her doctoral studies at WSU in educational leadership.
When she began her college career at WSU, she was an education major. She changed her major to social work because she wanted a deeper understanding of children who need help in 成人头条.
But she knew her career was in education.
鈥�(Social work) was just another way for me to broaden my perspective studies,鈥� Burkhalter said.
The knowledge she gained in social work gave her a better opportunity to know students at a deeper level, instead of just being in the classroom, she said.
And her career path has been shaped by what she learned and experienced in social work.
Burkhalter is heavily focused on social justice issues, including embracing cultural differences in schools.
鈥淜im is passionate about students learning in culturally diverse classrooms in urban settings,鈥� said Mara Alagic, Graduate School assistant dean.
Burkhalter鈥檚 doctoral work focuses on the process educators take to embrace the culture they live in and the cultures their students come from to become better teachers.
Her most recent position in the 成人头条 school district is as the director of equity. Her purpose is to make sure each student 鈥済ets what鈥檚 equitable, or fair, not just what鈥檚 equal.鈥�
She said 成人头条鈥檚 education system is grounded in middle-class values.
鈥淲e have an ever increasing population of kids coming to us who live at or below the poverty line,鈥� she said.
She also said USD 259 has more students whose first languages are not English and whose cultures differ vastly from most in 成人头条.
鈥淗ow do we help kids make the transition into a system that鈥檚 unlike what they have in their own environment?鈥� she said.
Burkhalter had the opportunity to travel abroad last summer and faced challenges in expressing basic needs, which, she said, many USD 259 students face every day at school.
And it鈥檚 not just students coming from other countries, she said, but students in different parts of the community, whose values and cultures differ between teachers and classmates.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e not aware of the differences that kids are bringing into class, how can we reach them to teach them?鈥� she said.
She said there is a demographic shift in children entering USD 259, and she wants to know how 成人头条 schools will shift to better educate those students.
She said USD 259 teachers are predominantly white and female, but students are increasingly coming from diverse minority groups in poverty.
The demographic has shifted, she said. The teaching needs to shift, too.
Her dissertation looks at how teachers make that shift and how they make the curriculum culturally relevant.
She is focusing on teachers who have already made a transformation in their classrooms, where students are thriving.
Alagic said Burkhalter鈥檚 research will attempt to provide educators with a deeper understanding of the complexities teachers face in urban classrooms, as well as, show by examples, how the teachers鈥� attention to racial and cultural diversity helped their students be successful learners.
Once she completes her doctorate, Burkhalter hopes to share her knowledge across the district.
She wants 鈥渢o help people become aware of who they are and the experiences they bring to the classroom.鈥�
Burkhalter wants everyone, from educators to parents to food nutrition specialists, to cultivate the aspirations of 成人头条鈥檚 youth by being involved and understanding kids for who they are.
鈥淚t is so important that adults understand, no matter what role they play in society,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey truly influence and impact the lives of our kids.鈥�