James H. Nehring

Assistant Professor

Phone: 978-934-4619

Fax: 978-934-3005

Office: O'Leary Library 524

Ed.D., Teacher Education and School Improvement, University of Massachusetts Amherst; M.A., Teaching, (Social Studies Concentration) Brown University; B.A. with High Distinction, University of Virginia

My area of focus is the theory and practice of school change.

I bring the twin perspectives of practitioner and historian to this work and am interested in the insights that may be drawn from past and present efforts to transform schools to facilitate powerful learning for all students.

I worked for twenty-four years in public high schools and middle schools in a variety of roles. During that time I was involved in the start-up of three new schools, about which I have written in several books.

Publications: Books

Upstart Startup: Creating and Sustaining a Public Charter School. New York: Teachers College Press. 2002

The School Within Us: The Creation of An Innovative Public School, Albany: SUNY Press, 1998.

The Schools We Have, The Schools We Want: An American Teacher On The Front Line, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992.

Why Do We Gotta Do This Stuff, Mr. Nehring: Notes From A Teacher’s Day In School, New York: M. Evans and Company, 1989. Paperback reprint issued by Ballantine books, 1990.

Publications: Articles, Chapters, Reviews

“Conspiracy Theory: Lessons for Leaders from Two Centuries of School Reform.” Phi Delta Kappan (featured cover article). February, 2007, pp. 424-432.

“Progressive Vs. Traditional: Re-framing an Old Debate,” in Education Week, February 1, 2006.

Contributor, The Jossey-Bass Reader on Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2003.

Book Review of Chartered Schools in History of Education Quarterly, Spring, 2003.

“Certifiably Strange” in Teacher Magazine, August/September 2001.

“A Nation of Boutiques” in Education Week, August 2, 2000.

Professional Activities:

Institute Faculty, “Redesigning American High Schools,” Summer Institute Sponsored by The Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2006, 2007

Advisory Board Member, Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center, 2004- present.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, North Central Charter Essential School, 2002- 2004.

Member, History of Education Society

Member, The Forum for Democracy and Education

Member, FairTest

Consultancies and Presentations:

Co- Presenter with Michaela Colombo, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, November 2-4, 2006 Austin, Texas. “The Lawrence High School Transformation Study.”

Presenter, History of Education Society, Annual Meeting, October 26 to 29, 2006, Ottawa, Canada. "’New Fangled’ Education: The Tradition of Liberal Pedagogy in United States Schooling, Case Study of the Quincy, Massachusetts, Public Schools from 1875 to 1880 under the Superintendency of Francis W. Parker”

Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, San Francisco, November., 2004

Consultant, Milwaukee Public Schools, October, 2003.

Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, Washington, DC, November, 2002.

Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, Seattle, WA, November 2001.

Presenter, Federal Charter Schools Conference, Washington, DC,. December 2000.

Featured Speaker, Harvard Education Review, Teachers as Writers. July 2000.

Certifications and Awards:

Distinguished Alumnus, Brown University “for contributions to teachers and the teaching profession.” May, 1998.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification (#230200588) in Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Social Studies-History.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts “Master Teacher”

New York State Teacher Certification (#093-48-7122), grades 7-12 Social Studies and English.



James H. Nehring Assistant Professor Phone: 978-934-4619 Fax: 978-934-3005 Office: O'Leary Library 524 Email: James_Nehring@uml.edu Educational Background Ed.D., Teacher Education and School Improvement, University of Massachusetts Amherst; M.A., Teaching, (Social Studies Concentration) Brown University; B.A. with High Distinction, University of Virginia Scholarly Interests My area of focus is the theory and practice of school change. Bio Sketch I bring the twin perspectives of practitioner and historian to this work and am interested in the insights that may be drawn from past and present efforts to transform schools to facilitate powerful learning for all students. I worked for twenty-four years in public high schools and middle schools in a variety of roles. During that time I was involved in the start-up of three new schools, about which I have written in several books. Publications: Books Upstart Startup: Creating and Sustaining a Public Charter School. New York: Teachers College Press. 2002 The School Within Us: The Creation of An Innovative Public School, Albany: SUNY Press, 1998. The Schools We Have, The Schools We Want: An American Teacher On The Front Line, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992. Why Do We Gotta Do This Stuff, Mr. Nehring: Notes From A Teacher’s Day In School, New York: M. Evans and Company, 1989. Paperback reprint issued by Ballantine books, 1990. Publications: Articles, Chapters, Reviews “Conspiracy Theory: Lessons for Leaders from Two Centuries of School Reform.” Phi Delta Kappan (featured cover article). February, 2007, pp. 424-432. “Progressive Vs. Traditional: Re-framing an Old Debate,” in Education Week, February 1, 2006. Contributor, The Jossey-Bass Reader on Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2003. Book Review of Chartered Schools in History of Education Quarterly, Spring, 2003. “Certifiably Strange” in Teacher Magazine, August/September 2001. “A Nation of Boutiques” in Education Week, August 2, 2000. Professional Activities: Institute Faculty, “Redesigning American High Schools,” Summer Institute Sponsored by The Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2006, 2007 Advisory Board Member, Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center, 2004- present. Chairman, Board of Trustees, North Central Charter Essential School, 2002- 2004. Member, History of Education Society Member, The Forum for Democracy and Education Member, FairTest Consultancies and Presentations: Co- Presenter with Michaela Colombo, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, November 2-4, 2006 Austin, Texas. “The Lawrence High School Transformation Study.” Presenter, History of Education Society, Annual Meeting, October 26 to 29, 2006, Ottawa, Canada. "’New Fangled’ Education: The Tradition of Liberal Pedagogy in United States Schooling, Case Study of the Quincy, Massachusetts, Public Schools from 1875 to 1880 under the Superintendency of Francis W. Parker” Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, San Francisco, November., 2004 Consultant, Milwaukee Public Schools, October, 2003. Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, Washington, DC, November, 2002. Presenter, Fall Forum, Coalition of Essential Schools, Seattle, WA, November 2001. Presenter, Federal Charter Schools Conference, Washington, DC,. December 2000. Featured Speaker, Harvard Education Review, Teachers as Writers. July 2000. Certifications and Awards: Distinguished Alumnus, Brown University “for contributions to teachers and the teaching profession.” May, 1998. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification (#230200588) in Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Social Studies-History. Commonwealth of Massachusetts “Master Teacher” New York State Teacher Certification (#093-48-7122), grades 7-12 Social Studies and English.

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