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 center on Black families’ engagement in their children’s education. She is a pioneer in research on Black home education. From 2006-2008, Dr. Fields-Smith conducted a ground-breaking study on home education with 46 Black families with the support of a Spencer Foundation grant. From this study Dr. Fields-Smith has published numerous journal articles and book chapters, which among them include the first empirically-based publication to focus exclusively on Black homeschool families. She is the author of Exploring Single Black Mothers’ Resistance through Homeschooling and the co-editor of Homeschooling Black Children in the U.S.: Theory, Practice, and Popular Culture. Her research on homeschooling among Black families has been featured on PBS NewsHour , NBC, ABC, CBS, and the Atlantic among other media outlets.
Publications
Books
- Fields-Smith, C.
- Palgrave MacMillan
Awards and Accolades
UGA - College of Education, 2014