A Letter to the HGSE Community from Dean Kathleen McCartney

Dear Members of the HGSE Community:

A recent tenure decision has served as a lightning rod for our community-not only about the case, but also about the importance of qualitative methods and social justice research here at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I respect the ways in which students and other community members have come forward to express their concerns. It is always fair and proper for any constituency to question how well we are meeting our mission.

Because all tenure deliberations are confidential, I cannot speak publicly about the specific circumstances of any decision; however, I do wish to address an issue that some have raised concerning the school's broader interest in certain methods of inquiry or areas of study. In a recent letter addressed to senior faculty members, some students criticize the school for narrowing the "epistemological diversity" in the faculty and curriculum. I agree with students who believe we do not presently have enough senior faculty members who use qualitative methods. As I announced last October at a meeting with students about the tenure process, I will work with incoming Academic Dean Hiro Yoshikawa to recruit a senior scholar who conducts qualitative research on the social and organizational contexts of schooling.

I respectfully disagree with the view, voiced by some students and others, that the school is not committed to equity, diversity, and social justice as objects of inquiry. I think this commitment is represented well by HGSE faculty members, including some hired during my deanship, for example: Nancy Hill with her work on parenting and family socialization practices across ethnic, socio-economic, and neighborhood contexts; Meira Levinson with her work on civic and multicultural education; Natasha Warikoo with her work on race, immigration, inequality, and culture as they relate to education; and Hiro Yoshikawa with his work on the development of young children in immigrant families. In addition, the work of many, many other HGSE faculty members is directly relevant to issues of equity, diversity, and social justice.

One of the lessons I have learned as dean is that criticism is caring, and I view all expressions of dissent within this frame. We are all committed to the same mission, although we may disagree sometimes about the best way forward.

Sincerely,

Kathleen McCartney Dean
Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Childhood Development
Harvard Graduate School of Education