Cheryl Fields-Smith
- Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Department of Educational Theory and Practice
Biography
Prior to earning her doctorate from Emory University in 2004, Dr. Fields-Smith served as an elementary school teacher in Bridgeport, Stamford, and Norwalk, Connecticut. During her tenure as a teacher she taught in two magnet schools, both of which employed the Bank Street Model, which emphasizes child-centered, hands-on, experiential learning through thematic, social studies-based integrated instruction.
Interests
- Family engagement
- Homeschooling among black families
- Discipline disproportionality and teacher education
Education
- PhD in Urban Education, 2004
Emory University - Masters in Elementary Education, 1991
University of Bridgeport - BA in Economics, 1985
Hampton Univeristy
Concentrations
Contact
Research Summary
Dr. Fields-Smith’s research interests include family engagement and homeschooling among Black families. Her dissertation explored family engagement from the perspective of 22 Black middle class families. Later,
she received a Spencer Foundation Grant to conduct a two-year study focused on homeschooling among 46 Black families. From this study Dr. Fields-Smith has published several journal articles and chapters, which among them include the first empirically-based publication to focus exclusively on Black homeschool families. Her research on homeschooling among Black families has most recently been featured in a PBS NewsHour report and the Atlantic.
Awards and Accolades
UGA - College of Education, 2014