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UC San Diego | Department of Education Studies

November 2025 Issue

We are excited to welcome 11 new JDP students in Educational Leadership, a dedicated and inspiring group of educators and leaders beginning their doctoral journey together.

Rooted in innovation, equity, social justice, and the development of inclusive leadership, our program equips scholars to lead in diverse educational settings while advancing research that transforms practice.

Congratulations to our newest scholars. We look forward to supporting your journey as you learn, collaborate, and shape brighter futures for learners, schools, and communities.

Congratulations to EDS PhD student, Nora Turriago, and faculty member, Professor Amy Bintliff, for being recognized in the 2025 Summer Graduate Teaching Scholars (SGTS) and Mentorship Awards. Nora was celebrated for her outstanding instructional leadership as a Graduate Teaching Scholar, and Professor Bintliff was honored for her exceptional guidance and support as a Faculty Mentor—exemplifying the department’s commitment to excellence in teaching and mentorship.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Amanda Datnow on her election to the National Academy of Education Board of Directors—a recognition of her exceptional scholarship, leadership, and collaborative spirit. This prestigious appointment highlights her ongoing contributions to advancing educational research and fostering meaningful partnerships within and beyond UC San Diego.

With support from Google.org, UC San Diego has launched the GenAI in CS Education Consortium—a worldwide collaboration uniting educators, researchers, and industry experts to integrate generative AI into computer science teaching. The initiative, co-led by Beth Simon from Education Studies, is equipping educators across continents with the tools and curricula needed to prepare students for the evolving landscape of AI-driven programming.

Amy Bintliff is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Education Studies, where she teaches PAL (Partners at Learning) courses, including EDS 133: Counsel, Mentor, Advise and EDS 88: Sustainable Wellbeing. Her courses prepare UC San Diego undergraduates for service-learning in schools and nonprofits in underserved communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an M.Ed. from Hamline University, and previously taught Language Arts and Reading for 14 years.

Bintliff’s research focuses on restorative justice, mentoring, trauma-informed practices, and adolescent development. She designs innovative youth programs such as The Well-being Club, an arts-based intervention supporting adolescent girls experiencing family stress. She also studies restorative justice in K–12 and university settings, emphasizing approaches grounded in anti-oppressive theory and trauma-informed care.

I would take students to visit my international partner, Africa Education and Leadership Initiative in Kampala, Uganda to work in classrooms with our eight partner schools. Students would have the chance to mentor children who are learning in under-resourced environments and learn from the resiliency and wisdom of the Ugandan children and teachers. We would provide tutoring, eat wonderful food, enjoy music and dancing representing different tribal groups, float down the Nile in rafts in Jinja, and take a safari to Murchison Falls to see giraffes and elephants and learn about local conservation efforts. It's my dream!

The wisdom that I would share is to practice humility, active listening, and compassionate action in educational spaces. With these skills you go a long way in building trusting relationships with students and colleagues, learning where your advocacy is needed and welcomed, and taking steps to reduce racism, and inequities in learning spaces.

Working with adolescents inspires me. I love their creativity, resiliency, and uniqueness. I am inspired by their leadership qualities and I love facilitating spaces where they can be themselves and flourish.

This month's student spotlight is Jesus Gomez, a current graduate student pursuing a Single-Subject M.Ed SS2 in Mathematics and BILA.

I want to earn my single subject teaching credentials in Mathematics and Dance, along with the Bilingual Authorization in Spanish, so I can better support and communicate with students whose first language is not English. I want to be able to collaborate and create a path for students and create access with them so that they are able to reach their fullest potential in mathematics, school, and in their personal journeys. I hope to work in underrepresented areas and be the representation that students need and serve as a model for them while continuing to learn about different cultures, traditions, and learning styles to be better able to support any students that walk into my classroom. In addition, I want to minimize the language barrier that my students face and collaborate with them with mathematics and work together to create a positive and memorable experience.

Everything will fall into place in the end! The worries that feel overwhelming right now will become just stepping stones once you reach your goal. The journey you are experiencing right now is meaningful for your future self, students, and community who are waiting for you. Keep pushing, growing, and staying curious with all of your classes and any opportunities that come your way!

One of my favorite things about EDS are the professors and the community that is built in their classes. I have been able to meet new people from so many diverse backgrounds yet sharing the same goal and intention with the class and education. Having this community and support system has made going through grad school and student teaching so much more fun and less lonely and intimidating!

One of my favorite courses is EDS 352A: Bilingual Instructional Practices I - Building a Robust Multilingual Ecology with Professor Elizabeth Pappas. I have learned so much in this class on how to support multilingual learners and foster a community where any students, despite their education level, can succeed in the classroom and create positive learning habits for their future education. This class has helped me communicate better with my ELL students and support them both academically and emotionally.

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