Assistant Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
The University of Chicago
Shantá R. Robinson is an assistant professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She began her professional career as a high school history teacher in Charlotte, NC. She earned her PhD in educational studies at the University of Michigan. Her interdisciplinary training in the sociology of education, qualitative methodologies and the history of urban education systems provides a unique conceptual lens in examining how the problems of schooling and schooling problems are intersectionally connected to issues of difference, sameness, and power. From the social organization of urban schools, the exclusion of Black educators’ perspectives in educational history, to intragroup experiences of homeless youth, Dr. Robinson underscores factors contributing to imbalances in processes and outcomes and presents innovative directions towards more equitable schooling practices and policies. Her most recent work focuses on the educational experiences and occupational aspirations of adolescents experiencing homelessness.
While Robinson’s research is framed for scholarly outlets, its purpose is to assist school members—teachers, administrators, and community leaders—in living up to the grand potential of public education: to identify, support, and make possible the capabilities and promise of every student, irrespective of the student’s familial background, neighborhood, or other social location. Her scholarly work can be read in Urban Education, The High School Journal, and Review of Research in Education. Her musings regarding her scholarly work can be found at LearningforJustice.org and InsideHigherEd.com.