Black Lives Matter at School

About Denisha JonesJesse Hagopian

Denisha Jones is a member of the national Black Lives Matter at School steering committee and Director of the Art of Teaching graduate teacher education program at Sarah Lawrence College. After earning her bachelors degree in early childhood education from the University of the District of Columbia Denisha worked as a kindergarten and preschool teacher and a preschool director. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University in 2013. In 2018 she earned her Juris Doctor from the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia. Denisha is an education justice advocate and activist. She serves as Co-Director for Defending the Early Years Inc and is the Assistant Executive Director for the Badass Teachers Association. Currently her research focuses on utilizing the BLM at School curriculum as cultural citizenship and documenting the value of play as a tool for liberation with an emphasis on global approaches to play.  Jesse Hagopian is a member of the Black Lives Matter at School steering committee and teaches Ethnic Studies at Seattle's Garfield High School. Jesse is an editor for Rethinking Schools magazine the co-editor of the book Teaching for Black Lives and the editor of the book More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High Stakes Testing. Jesse is a recipient of the 2013 Secondary School Teacher of the Year award and the Special Achievement Courageous Leadership award from the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. In 2015 Jesse received the Seattle/King County NAACP Service Award. Jesse serves as the Director of the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award.