The 2025 Society of Professors of Education Conference Call for Proposals
If the past decade has shown us anything, it is this: the world is ever-changing, and nothing is certain. From the COVID-19 pandemic to police violence, wars, and the demolishing of hard-fought democratic rights and freedoms, our nation and our world are reeling. Though it is unclear what lies ahead, education, specifically K-16 schooling, is under attack. Today, in the U.S., many states have banned efforts to teach about race and have created climates hostile to inequities across gender and sexuality. Colleges and universities have outlawed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and most recently, calls to dismantle the Department of Education have reemerged with the incoming administration vowing to close this institution. . In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. published his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos to Community as a clarion call for hope during dark times. As educators, we stand at a pivotal moment that demands careful reflection and decisive action. We invite proposals from our SPE community that address the current sociopolitical moment, the evolving educational climate, and the critical challenges facing educators today and in the future.
Consider:
- What are the theoretical, empirical, and practical questions this moment in history begs us to ask?
- What lessons from the past can we learn from and even model? What clarity and wisdom might the legacy of SPE offer to decipher this sociopolitical moment?
- How do we generate the imagination, ingenuity, and inspired inquiry needed for the work ahead?
- How do we build community across differences to support and strengthen our work?
The Society of Professors of Education (SPE) invites proposals for presentations at its annual meeting to be held during the 2025 AERA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, April 26th. We are especially interested in presentations that are focused on the theme of “Where Do We Go from Here? Professors of Education, Our Changing World, and Pressing Concerns the Field Must Address” Proposals not related to the theme but focused on the goals of the Society are also welcome. Abstracts accepted for presentation will appear in SPE’s conference proceedings; select papers may be published in Professing Education, SPE’s journal.
All presenters must be members of the Society of Professors of Education. To be included in the conference program, join the Society at your earliest convenience. See the Society of Professors of Education web page for the membership form: http://societyofprofessorsofeducation.com
Proposals must be submitted via this online form by midnight on February 10, 2025.
Length: Proposals should be between 350-500 words. The proposal should describe the background/contexts, methods, potential findings, and significance. The proposal should not identify the presenters.
Call for Reviewers: In addition to submitting your work, you can participate in the Society as a volunteer proposal reviewer. The review process will take place soon after the deadline for proposal submissions. Please contact Saba Khan Vlach at saba-vlach@uiowa.edu if you are interested in reviewing proposals.
Looking forward to seeing you in Denver!
Dr. Keffrelyn Brown
SPE President, 2024-2025
Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Society of Professors of Education 