Politics of Education

Dr. Melinda Lemke’s research focuses on the politics of education and how educational organizations address equity. Examining the effects of power and neoliberal sociopolitical and normative culture on policy, programming, and pedagogy, Dr. Lemke’s interdisciplinary research has focused on human trafficking and immigration trauma, gender violence and prevention, refugee student trauma and resettlement, and practitioner self-care.

Projects

Understanding the Global within the Local: Educational Policy and Programmatic Supports for Displaced Youth
6/11/20
Largescale displacement, both within and across international borders, has occurred on a scale not witnessed since the Second World War.

Articles and Reflections

Scholarship and Practice at the Margins: Envisioning Education that Challenges Silence and Bridges Divides
4/13/20
In 2002, President George W. Bush enacted the No Child Left Behind Law (NCLB), which increased the federal government’s role in holding schools accountable for student outcomes. The aim was to improve American competitiveness and to close an achievement gap between low-income and students of color, and their peers. However, critics suggest that by adding an additional layer of scrutiny, districts, schools, and classrooms around the country began teaching to the test and narrowing their curriculum to focus solely on math and reading.

Recent Publications

Murshid, N.S., M. Lemke, A. Hussain, and S. Siddiqui. "Combatting Gender-Based Violence: Perspectives from Social Work, Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Medical Anthropology." In Transforming Global Health: Interdisciplinary Challenges, Perspectives, and Strategies, edited by Korydon Smith and Pavani Ram. New York, NY: Springer, 2020.
Lemke, M. Child and Youth (Dis)Placement: New (B)Orderings of Vulnerability, Rights, and Policy Response. Edited by M. Lemke and S. Shubin, Children's Geographies2019.
Lemke, M. "Educators as the “Frontline” of Human-Trafficking Prevention: An Analysis of State-Level Educational Policy." Leadership and Policy in Schools 18, no. 3 (2019): 284-304.
Lemke, M. "The Politics of “Giving Student Victims a Voice”: A Feminist Analysis of State Trafficking Policy Implementation." American Journal of Sexuality Education 14, no. 1 (2019): 74-108.
Lemke, M. "Trafficking and Immigration Policy: Intersections, Inconsistencies, and Implications for Public Education." Educational Policy 31, no. 6 (2017): 743-63.

Opportunities to Engage

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Politics of Education

Projects

Articles and Reflections

Recent Publications

Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity