About Lurie College

• Who We Are: Our Strategic Plan
• Meet Interim Dean: David A. Whitenack
• Literacy Education at San José State University
• Our Rankings
• Our Impact Report
• Lurie College 2024 Awards
• Lurie College Newsletters
• Meet Connie L. Lurie
• Meet Our Advisory Board
• Accreditation

Who We Are: Our Strategic Plan

At the SJSU Lurie College of Education, we prepare transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders. We do this through an emancipatory approach across our teaching, scholarship, and service with a focus on four priority areas:

• Community engaged: We strive to become the hub for community-centered, educational transformation in the region.

• Culturally sustaining: We value and sustain the linguistic and cultural practices of the communities we serve and make that the foundation of our work.
• Holistic: We foster a caring and supportive community of belonging, connectedness, and appreciation.

• Interdisciplinary: We learn together across and beyond the college, transforming schooling and benefitting our communities.

Meet Interim Dean:
Dr. David A. Whitenack

The Connie L. Lurie College of Education is thrilled to welcome David A. Whitenack, Ph.D. as he serves as Interim Dean. Dr. Whitenack is a Professor and former Chair of the Department of Teacher Education and a graduate of the Language, Literacy, and Culture program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Whitenack is a highly regarded educator, scholar, and leader whose work on equitable education has been transformative at SJSU and in the field. Over his career, he has focused on the education of emergent multilingual students while also supervising pre-service teachers and coordinating the graduate program in Teacher Education. His research interests include bilingual, multilingual, and multicultural education, as well as teacher education and professional development. He has published and presented extensively on improving educational outcomes for multilingual students and has led professional development initiatives to support K-12 educators.

He has played a key role in advancing school-university partnerships, most recently leading the SJSU Multiple Subject / Bilingual Teacher Residency Consortium with several school districts. He was also Co-Principal Investigator of the U.S. Department of Education-funded ELLISA Project, which focused on integrating English language and literacy development in CCSS/NGSS-aligned content-area curriculum and instruction. Some of his subsequent work has built on ELLISA practices through the Tier 1 Framework, a collaboration with SJSU Department of Special Education colleagues Andrea Golloher and Lisa Simpson, which focuses on using an intersectional approach to prepare all classroom practitioners to develop the content knowledge and academic language of all students in general education classrooms.

Drs. Whitenack and Simpson are currently Co-Directors and Co-Principal Investigators of SJSU Teacher Residency Partnerships (TRP), a consortium of collaborative teacher preparation and professional development initiatives with local high-need school districts. TRP recruits and develops diverse TK-12 teachers–including bilingual, general, and special educators–and places them with mentors in year-long teacher residencies to create a teaching force that more closely mirrors local students, particularly in high-need schools and districts.

In the spirit of SJSU’s scholarship of engagement, Dr. Whitenack’s synergistic efforts in teaching and research are deeply connected to his commitment to translating research into broader professional development programs. His leadership as Chair of the Department of Teacher Education over the past four years has further strengthened the college’s impact, and he continues to guide the Lurie College of Education through this transitional period with a focus on equity, collaboration, and student success. We look forward to the leadership that Dr. Whitenack will bring to the college. 

Literacy Education at San José State University

At San José State University’s Lurie College of Education, we are committed to the strategic goal of preparing teachers to be transformative, holistic, community engaged, and culturally sustaining educators. To that end, we are committed to an emancipatory, sociocultural perspective on literacy (aligned with the California Council on Teacher Education) that addresses the holistic needs of our students and supports them to do the same for their students. We center the needs of our teacher candidates and public school students, PK-12th grade, especially those who have been historically underserved by schools, such as students with disabilities, multilingual students, and students of color.

Take a moment to explore how our courses are designed to increase teacher candidates’ knowledge of the nature and acquisition of language and literacy and how to engage, instruct, and assess preschool through adolescent children in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms in our Literacy Education at San José State University PDF document [pdf].

Lurie College of Education Rankings

Lurie College Impact Report

Honoring our legacy while advancing what’s next, the Connie L. Lurie College of Education is shaping the future of teaching and community engagement. This year’s Annual Impact Report spotlights faculty innovation, student success stories, and college‑wide initiatives that strengthen voice, communication, connection, and inclusive leadership. From classrooms to communities, we’re lifting voices and building connections that prepare tomorrow’s educators and leaders. Explore how collaboration and donor support are expanding access, strengthening preparation, and cultivating a culture of connection.

Read our 2024-2025 Impact Report above or view it as a PDF [pdf].

Lurie College 2024 Awards

The Connie L. Lurie College of Education is proud to receive the 2024 Christa McAuliffe Award; Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The Christa McAuliffe Award has long honored exemplary teacher education programs at AASCU member campuses that can document the success of their graduates in improving P-12 pupil learning outcomes. The award recognizes programs that have been adapted using evidence of P-12 impact in their pre-service and in-service programs.

Lurie College Newsletters

The Lurie College of Education Newsletters are dedicated to highlighting some of the amazing things happening in our college. Our newsletters provide our community with all the latest news and information including upcoming events, faculty and student achievements, and university updates.

To sign up for one or both of our newsletters, complete this form. 

Connie L. Lurie 

Connie Lurie's commitment to education has had a tremendous impact on both San Jose State University and the Bay Area as a whole. Her dedication to the university and her philanthropic spirit exemplify the ideals of the California State University.

Connie Lurie graduated from San José State with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and psychology in 1964, admirably maintaining her connection to her alma mater to this day. She helped establish San Jose State's Connect Motivate Educate Society, which provides support and mentorship to former foster youth pursuing a college education. In 1998, she endowed the Lurie Author-in-Residence program at San Jose State, which attracts renowned national and international authors to serve as distinguished visiting artist/scholars for one or two semesters. As a result of her philanthropic generosity, the San Jose State University Connie L. Lurie College of Education was named in her honor.

Source: The California State University website

Lurie College Advisory Board

Accreditation

The Lurie College of Education credential programs are accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The Masters Program in Speech Language Pathology is further accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

• Read about the Title II Pass Report Data from 2022-2023 (PDF)