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Erica Dotson

Clayton State University, Teacher Education and French, Faculty Member

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Erica received her Ph.D. in French Linguistics and Educational Studies from Emory University. She is currently a Professor of French Linguistics and Teacher Education at Clayton State University where she also coordinates the ESOL Endorsement Program and is the Director of the university's Maymester abroad in France Program. Erica's research focuses on the intersection of language and culture, as well as critical multicultural education and critical professional development for teacher educators.
Address: Decatur, Georgia, United States

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California State University, Fullerton

California State University, Fullerton

Alyssa Hadley Dunn

Michigan State University

Michigan State University

University of Illinois at Chicago

Stephanie Behm Cross

Georgia State University

Jennifer K . Shah

North Central College

Michigan State University

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Papers by Erica Dotson

It’s Heart Work: Critical Case Studies, Critical Professional Development, and Fostering Hope Among Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Educators

Multicultural Perspectives, 2018

As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice-oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

It’s Heart Work: Critical Case Studies, Critical Professional Development, and Fostering Hope Among Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Educators

Multicultural Perspectives, 2018

As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice-oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

The intersections of selves and policies: A poetic inquiry into the hydra of teacher education

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of ... more This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of teacher education reform. Borne out of a promise to one another to write about our experiences navigating increasingly complex market-driven, neoliberal attacks on our work and world, we collected data across several years that documented our attempt to break our silence (Lorde, 1977) and explore how we, as teacher educators, make sense of neoliberal reforms and policies in teacher preparation. We draw specifically on Dunn’s theory of the Hydra of Teacher Education (2016), alongside literature on reforms and policies in teacher preparation and teacher educators’ forms of resistance to frame our work, and utilize arts-based poetic inquiry methodology (Prendergast, 2009; Rath, 2001) to explore the real, everyday implications of educational policy in our lives and in our careers. The poems we created as a “performative act” (Prendergast, 2009, p. xxiii) revealed that our experiences seemed ...

Navigating the contested terrain of teacher education policy and practice: Authors respond to SCALE

education policy analysis archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

Navigating the Contested Terrain of Teacher Education Policy and Practice: Authors Respond to SCALE

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

The effects of deductive and guided inductive approaches on the learning of grammar in an advanced college French course

“You Won't Believe What They Said in Class Today”: Professors’ Reflections on Student Resistance in Multicultural Education Courses

Multicultural Perspectives, 2014

In this article, we discuss the ways we, as professors of multicultural education with different ... more

Storying teacher education policy: Critical counternarratives of curricular, pedagogical, and activist responses to state-mandated teacher performance assessments

education policy analysis archives

The rise of high-stakes, standardized, teacher performance assessments (TPAs) is central to the i... more The rise of high-stakes, standardized, teacher performance assessments (TPAs) is central to the industry being created out of the regulation, policing, and evaluation of university-based teacher education In addition to reinforcing a narrow and counter-critical framework, TPAs can shift responsibility for the evaluation of teacher candidates from university-based teacher educators with a comprehensive and nuanced fluency in candidates' preparedness to external scorers trained to standardize and depersonalize effective practice. In this article, four social justice-oriented teacher educators from three different states examine the practical and political effects of TPAs in their local contexts. By analyzing the curricular, pedagogical, and political implications of this high-stakes standardization of their field, they speak back to a policy landscape that too often marginalizes the voices of the teachers and students it purports to serve. Throughout, they examine the dilemmas of ...

Its heart work: Critical case studies, critical professional development, and fostering hope among social justice-oriented teacher educators (Multicultural Perspectives)

by Alison G Dover, Nick Henning, and Erica Dotson

Multicultural Perspectives, 2019

As social justice–oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice–oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice–oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

Navigating the Contested Terrain of Teacher Education Policy and Practice: Authors Respond to SCALE

by Alison G Dover, Nick Henning, Erica Dotson, Susan Ophelia Cannon, and Stephanie Behm Cross

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

The Intersections of Selves and Policies: A Poetic Inquiry into the Hydra of Teacher Education

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Stephanie Behm Cross, and Erica Dotson

This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of ... more This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of teacher education reform. Borne out of a promise to one another to write about our experiences navigating increasingly complex market-driven, neoliberal attacks on our work and world, we collected data across several years that documented our attempt to break our silence (Lorde, 1977) and explore how we, as teacher educators, make sense of neoliberal reforms and policies in teacher preparation. We draw specifically on Dunn’s theory of the Hydra of Teacher Education (2016), alongside literature on reforms and policies in teacher preparation and teacher educators’ forms of resistance to frame our work, and utilize arts-based poetic inquiry methodology (Prendergast, 2009; Rath, 2001) to explore the real, everyday implications of educational policy in our lives and in our careers. The poems we created as a “performative act” (Prendergast, 2009, p. xxiii) revealed that our experiences seemed to follow a cycle from hopelessness, to silence, to acquiescence, to collective resistance. We look carefully at this last portion of the cycle in our work, wondering how, if at all, teacher educators can resist the neoliberalization of teacher preparation . We conclude with implications for research, policy, and the practice of teacher education as we write to understand, write to resist, and write to survive.

Authors Respond to SCALE: Cross, Dunn, & Dotson’s Response to SCALE: Intentions Versus Impact

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Erica Dotson, and Stephanie Behm Cross

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession. (Our response begins on page 10 of this document.)

Reconsidering the Local After a Transformative Global Experience: A Comparison of Two Study Abroad Programs for Preservice Teachers

by John Kesner, Stephanie Behm Cross, and Erica Dotson

This comparative case study analyzes two study abroad experiences for preservice teachers—a 4-mon... more This comparative case study analyzes two study abroad experiences for preservice teachers—a 4-month student teaching placement in Sweden and a 3-week intensive intercultural course with school observations in France. Although they differed in duration and structure, both programs focused on developing preservice teachers' understandings of diversity and pedagogy in a global context. Using transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1991) and drawing on grounded theory methods, research questions included (1) What are preservice teachers' experiences in two different study abroad programs focused on local/global diversity and pedagogy? (2) According to participants, what programmatic elements contribute to transformative learning experiences in such programs? Results underscore the need for relevant and interactive assignments, hands-on experiences, and support for personal growth in programs that aim to help preservice teachers " go global. " Implications are raised for future research, teacher education, and university programming.

Office of English Language Acquisition

Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, 2013

Reconsidering the Local After a Transformative Global Experience: A Comparison of Two Study Abroad Programs for Preservice Teachers

Action in Teacher Education, 2014

Ebonics (African American English) and Education

Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, 2013

Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, 2013

"You Won't Believe What They Said in Class Today": Professors' Reflections on Student Resistance in Multicultural Education Courses

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn and Erica Dotson

Multicultural Perspectives, 2014

It’s Heart Work: Critical Case Studies, Critical Professional Development, and Fostering Hope Among Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Educators

Multicultural Perspectives, 2018

As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice-oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

It’s Heart Work: Critical Case Studies, Critical Professional Development, and Fostering Hope Among Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Educators

Multicultural Perspectives, 2018

As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice-oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice-oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

The intersections of selves and policies: A poetic inquiry into the hydra of teacher education

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of ... more This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of teacher education reform. Borne out of a promise to one another to write about our experiences navigating increasingly complex market-driven, neoliberal attacks on our work and world, we collected data across several years that documented our attempt to break our silence (Lorde, 1977) and explore how we, as teacher educators, make sense of neoliberal reforms and policies in teacher preparation. We draw specifically on Dunn’s theory of the Hydra of Teacher Education (2016), alongside literature on reforms and policies in teacher preparation and teacher educators’ forms of resistance to frame our work, and utilize arts-based poetic inquiry methodology (Prendergast, 2009; Rath, 2001) to explore the real, everyday implications of educational policy in our lives and in our careers. The poems we created as a “performative act” (Prendergast, 2009, p. xxiii) revealed that our experiences seemed ...

Navigating the contested terrain of teacher education policy and practice: Authors respond to SCALE

education policy analysis archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

Navigating the Contested Terrain of Teacher Education Policy and Practice: Authors Respond to SCALE

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

The effects of deductive and guided inductive approaches on the learning of grammar in an advanced college French course

“You Won't Believe What They Said in Class Today”: Professors’ Reflections on Student Resistance in Multicultural Education Courses

Multicultural Perspectives, 2014

In this article, we discuss the ways we, as professors of multicultural education with different ... more

Storying teacher education policy: Critical counternarratives of curricular, pedagogical, and activist responses to state-mandated teacher performance assessments

education policy analysis archives

The rise of high-stakes, standardized, teacher performance assessments (TPAs) is central to the i... more The rise of high-stakes, standardized, teacher performance assessments (TPAs) is central to the industry being created out of the regulation, policing, and evaluation of university-based teacher education In addition to reinforcing a narrow and counter-critical framework, TPAs can shift responsibility for the evaluation of teacher candidates from university-based teacher educators with a comprehensive and nuanced fluency in candidates' preparedness to external scorers trained to standardize and depersonalize effective practice. In this article, four social justice-oriented teacher educators from three different states examine the practical and political effects of TPAs in their local contexts. By analyzing the curricular, pedagogical, and political implications of this high-stakes standardization of their field, they speak back to a policy landscape that too often marginalizes the voices of the teachers and students it purports to serve. Throughout, they examine the dilemmas of ...

Its heart work: Critical case studies, critical professional development, and fostering hope among social justice-oriented teacher educators (Multicultural Perspectives)

by Alison G Dover, Nick Henning, and Erica Dotson

Multicultural Perspectives, 2019

As social justice–oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a lo... more As social justice–oriented teachers and teacher educators, it can seem as if we are fighting a losing battle against neoliberal education policies designed to disrupt and dismantle our field. In this article we draw upon traditions of critical race theory, counterstorying, and critical hope to examine the complex realities of contemporary teacher education and envision an alternate reality in which our profession develops and thrives. To do so, we first present a series of autoethnographic critical case studies that highlight dilemmas of practice. We then invite readers to examine each case through multiple lenses, as they grapple with the complexities of a visionary path forward. In so doing, we offer tools for critical professional development that articulate, deconstruct, and reimagine social justice–oriented teacher education and activism in this changing landscape. We close with recommendations to increase our collective capacity as social justice teacher educators, placing a central emphasis on the need for community, critical professional development, and hope.

Navigating the Contested Terrain of Teacher Education Policy and Practice: Authors Respond to SCALE

by Alison G Dover, Nick Henning, Erica Dotson, Susan Ophelia Cannon, and Stephanie Behm Cross

Education Policy Analysis Archives, 2018

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession.

The Intersections of Selves and Policies: A Poetic Inquiry into the Hydra of Teacher Education

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Stephanie Behm Cross, and Erica Dotson

This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of ... more This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of teacher education reform. Borne out of a promise to one another to write about our experiences navigating increasingly complex market-driven, neoliberal attacks on our work and world, we collected data across several years that documented our attempt to break our silence (Lorde, 1977) and explore how we, as teacher educators, make sense of neoliberal reforms and policies in teacher preparation. We draw specifically on Dunn’s theory of the Hydra of Teacher Education (2016), alongside literature on reforms and policies in teacher preparation and teacher educators’ forms of resistance to frame our work, and utilize arts-based poetic inquiry methodology (Prendergast, 2009; Rath, 2001) to explore the real, everyday implications of educational policy in our lives and in our careers. The poems we created as a “performative act” (Prendergast, 2009, p. xxiii) revealed that our experiences seemed to follow a cycle from hopelessness, to silence, to acquiescence, to collective resistance. We look carefully at this last portion of the cycle in our work, wondering how, if at all, teacher educators can resist the neoliberalization of teacher preparation . We conclude with implications for research, policy, and the practice of teacher education as we write to understand, write to resist, and write to survive.

Authors Respond to SCALE: Cross, Dunn, & Dotson’s Response to SCALE: Intentions Versus Impact

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Erica Dotson, and Stephanie Behm Cross

Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscr... more Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) provided a commentary on the manuscripts in the first part of this special issue, which highlighted the benefits of edTPA and the necessity for such assessment programs to improve teacher education and strengthen teaching practices. In turn, the authors responded to the SCALE commentary. The authors’ responses raise concerns about equity, fairness, and unintended consequences of teacher performance assessments. These responses highlight the need for continued dialogue on ways to improve teacher education and strengthen the teaching profession. (Our response begins on page 10 of this document.)

Reconsidering the Local After a Transformative Global Experience: A Comparison of Two Study Abroad Programs for Preservice Teachers

by John Kesner, Stephanie Behm Cross, and Erica Dotson

This comparative case study analyzes two study abroad experiences for preservice teachers—a 4-mon... more This comparative case study analyzes two study abroad experiences for preservice teachers—a 4-month student teaching placement in Sweden and a 3-week intensive intercultural course with school observations in France. Although they differed in duration and structure, both programs focused on developing preservice teachers' understandings of diversity and pedagogy in a global context. Using transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1991) and drawing on grounded theory methods, research questions included (1) What are preservice teachers' experiences in two different study abroad programs focused on local/global diversity and pedagogy? (2) According to participants, what programmatic elements contribute to transformative learning experiences in such programs? Results underscore the need for relevant and interactive assignments, hands-on experiences, and support for personal growth in programs that aim to help preservice teachers " go global. " Implications are raised for future research, teacher education, and university programming.

Office of English Language Acquisition

Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, 2013

Reconsidering the Local After a Transformative Global Experience: A Comparison of Two Study Abroad Programs for Preservice Teachers

Action in Teacher Education, 2014

Ebonics (African American English) and Education

Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, 2013

Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, 2013

"You Won't Believe What They Said in Class Today": Professors' Reflections on Student Resistance in Multicultural Education Courses

by Alyssa Hadley Dunn and Erica Dotson

Multicultural Perspectives, 2014