Ashley D. Samuel is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Teaching & Learning with a concentration in Special Education at Florida International University’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education, where she is advised by Dr. Liz Cramer. Informed by her professional background in education and clinical social work, Ashley’s research examines the lived experiences of students eligible for Emotional or Behavioral Disability (EBD) services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with particular emphasis on the ethical dimensions of administrative decision-making surrounding exclusionary discipline. Her larger research agenda encompasses special education policy, educational equity, and school discipline.

Ashley is an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholar and a member of the COEDUCATE Project. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, with a minor in Psychology, from Temple University. While serving as a classroom teacher, she completed a Master of Social Work with a clinical concentration at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ashley serves as a Graduate Research Assistant to Dr. Sharde Theodore at the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED), where she contributes to research and educator workforce development initiatives in partnership with PDK International. Her recent work has focused on strengthening the impact of Educators Rising, PDK International’s Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher preparation program, by supporting the partnership between PDK International and Morgan State University to expand pathways into the teaching profession for high school students and strengthen the future educator pipeline.

Pillar and Grant Support: Teachers and School Leaders; PDK, Creating Sustainable Pathways to Education Careers Award