Kevin Donley is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the MA Program in Educational Transformation. His research examines how teachers of multilingual learners navigate the complex personal, social, political, and curricular dimensions of language ideologies, language policy, and literacy instruction. He primarily employs qualitative research methodologies to demonstrate how teachers draw on their practical experiences, knowledge, and judgment to implement culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies, like translanguaging, for multilingual learners.
From 2022-2024, he was a postdoctoral fellow and member of Project ELEECT, funded by a five-year National Professional Development (NPD) grant from the U.S. Department of Education that supports the preparation and professional development of teachers in the District of Columbia by widening the pipeline of teachers for multilingual DC students and preparing in-service teachers to meet the needs of their multilingual learners through equitable, culturally responsive pedagogy. As part of Project ELEECT, Kevin taught a hybrid professional development program (Equity and Excellence for English Learners Professional Development Certificate) for in-service teachers in DC schools.
Before coming to Georgetown, Kevin completed his Ph.D. in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education at the University of Oregon, where he also worked for five years as a Spanish-English interpreter and bilingual family liaison for a local school district. Prior to his doctoral studies, Kevin was a secondary social studies and history teacher at a Spanish-English bilingual school in Quito, Ecuador, where he developed his passion for multilingualism and bilingual education, as well as his commitment to linguistic justice.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Assistant Teaching Professor, Graduate - Program in Educational Transformation