Jessica DeMink-Carthew's scholarship and teaching centers on supporting middle grades educators in creating and advocating for socially just learning environments for young adolescents. Her current research and teaching projects are focused on social justice education as an anti-oppressive, liberatory approach to teacher education (pre-service and in-service) and K-12 education. She is an experienced middle grades educator who has taught in France, Michigan, and Hawaii. Her areas of expertise include teacher education, social justice education, teacher advocacy, middle grades education, proficiency-based learning, and personalized learning.
Dr. DeMink-Carthew is an active advocate for socially just middle grades education locally and nationally in her various roles as a researcher, teacher educator, and community partner. As a faculty affiliate for the EMS-YPAR Collective in Burlington, Vermont she supports teachers in co-developing and teaching a school-wide 6th grade social justice curriculum. She is also a faculty member in the Middle Grades Institute, a summer professional development aimed at advancing equity in middle grades education.
A nationally recognized scholar, her research can be found in a variety of leading journals such as Middle School Journal, Research in Middle Level Education Online, Middle Grades Research Journal, Middle Grades Review, Studying Teacher Education, and AMLE Magazine. She currently serves on the Association for Middle Level Education Research Advisory Council and is an active member of the AERA Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group.
