I'm Deb, a lifelong educator who, despite retiring from public school teaching after 30 years in June 2026, isn't quite finished working. My career has been rooted in helping teachers and students thrive, from high school classrooms to graduate education and professional learning.
I currently serve as Content & Instruction Director for the Penn Project for Mental Health & Optimal Development at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. In this role, I develop culturally responsive curriculum, publications, and professional learning experiences while supporting educators across Pennsylvania and the nation. I also provide instructional coaching for the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program and teach graduate courses in education and literacy at PennGSE.
Before joining the Penn Project, I spent three decades as a public school educator. Most recently, I coordinated the Secondary Education Academy (SEA) at Central Montco Technical High School in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania—a two-year dual enrollment program designed for high school students pursuing careers in education. Throughout my career, I taught English, Creative Writing, Art, Graphic Arts, and Teacher Education, always seeking meaningful ways to connect creativity, inquiry, and learning.
My scholarship sits at the intersection of arts-based inquiry, practitioner research, and culturally responsive teaching. Across both K–12 and graduate settings, I use the arts as a form of research methodology and classroom pedagogy, exploring how teachers engage in inquiry through artistic processes to deepen reflection, strengthen practice, and foster more equitable learning environments. My work advocates for a broader understanding of research—one that recognizes art-making as both a rigorous method of inquiry and a powerful way to represent knowledge.
In recognition of this work, I received the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Teacher as Researcher Award in 2015 and was named a Practitioner Researcher Cadre Honoree by the International Literacy Association for 2018–2019.
Whether I'm working with pre-service teachers, experienced educators, or school leaders, I'm passionate about helping people cultivate curiosity, creativity, and reflective practice in service of more just and engaging learning communities.