UWMadison’s White, Wilkerson part of panel examining censorship in education – UW-Madison

October 13, 2022

Media reports about attempts to pass educational gag orders and ban books with divisive concepts are now surprisingly common with such efforts likely to continue into 2023 and beyond.

UWMadisons Ashley White and Kimber Wilkerson are taking part in a panel discussion about this important topic on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 12 p.m. (CST).

Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the virtual event is titled, The State of Education Censorship in Institutions of Higher Education and Implications for the Field. A preview for the discussion notes: Education censorship harms learner development and critical thinking and is an escalating threat to First Amendment rights.

This webinar will cover key findings and insights from AACTEs report, authored by White, that is also titled, The State of Education Censorship in Institutions of Higher Education, and Implications for the Field.

A preview of the event adds: As a leading voice in educator preparation programs representing more than 800 postsecondary institutions, AACTE has its pulse on the effects of the censorship climate and legislation on both PK-12 practitioners and teacher educators.

Moderating the webinar will be AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, who will be joined by panelists White and Wilkerson.

White is an assistant professor with the School of Educations Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education (RPSE) and is the Fellow for Equity Access and Opportunity with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She researches the intersectionality of ethno-racial identities and disability across the educational continuum through the consideration of student and educator experiences in P-20 educational settings, applicable federal legislation and policy, and related socioeconomic impact with attention to the historicized context and the sociological construction of race. Most recently, she authored AACTEs commissioned report on education censorship.

Wilkerson is the School of Educations associate dean for teacher education and a professor with RPSE. She has broad expertise in the preparation of teachers to work with students with disabilities and providing instruction to students with disabilities to improve their long-term outcomes. She currently has funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to develop and examine virtual coaching and an online community of practice for rural special educators. She also directs a residency program in collaboration with several high-need Wisconsin school districts, funded by a Teacher Quality Partnership grant. Wilkerson was recently a member of an AACTE Networked Improvement Community focused on investigating strategies to address the chronic shortages of special educators and is a past president of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.

A preview of the webinar notes: Attendees will walk away with a resource toolkit and have the opportunity to engage in a deep dive with our panel about challenges facing higher education faculty generally, specifically teacher educators, as well as challenges to long-term efforts to address teacher shortages and diversification pipeline efforts.

Register to reserve your spot at this webinar.

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UWMadison's White, Wilkerson part of panel examining censorship in education - UW-Madison