Heather Elaine Gerker

Heather Gerker is a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Policy & Higher Education. She is deeply committed to fostering inclusive environments and advancing educational equity through community relationships, research methodologies, and facilitating learning. Heather is passionate about organizing for advocacy and amplifying educator voices in policy work, as evident in her dissertation study, an explanatory sequential mixed methods study that examines how Montessori educators respond to externally imposed policies and how, if at all, they engage in policy advocacy at the local, state, or national levels. Heather's dissertation study underscores the pivotal role teachers play in influencing policy, with participants contributing to actionable outcomes through a participatory research method.

Master of Early Childhood Education: Endicott College Massachusetts, 2007 (Early Childhood Education)

Bachelor of Fine Arts : University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, 2004 (Electronic Media)

Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Credential: Northeast Montessori Institute Boston, MA, 2007 (Montessori early childhood education)

Master's Degree: University of Cincinnati 2023 (Educational Leadership)

Peer Reviewed Publications

Gerker, H.E. (2023. ) Making Sense of Montessori Teacher Identity, Montessori Pedagogy, and Educational Policies in Public Schools.Journal of Montessori Research, , 9 (1 ) , More Information

Copeland, K. A., King, A., Ladipo, J., Bennet, D., Amsterdam, A., White, C., Gerker, H. E., &, Karbeah, J. (2024. ) Barriers to early childhood education for black families and calls for equitable solutions from a qualitative study using peer researchers and an antiracist lens. Early Childhood Research Quarterly., ,

Other Publications

Gerker, H. (2022. ) The inclusive classroom: Creating a cherished experience through Montessori. .Montessori Life, 33 (4 ) ,49

Gerker, H. E. (2022. ) Prioritizing patriotism. A book review of How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation. .Democracy and Education, 30 (1 ) ,

Poster Presentations

Gerker, H. E. (2024. ) Montessori teachers as advocates .American Montessori Society Conference, Orlando, Florida. . Conference. . Level:International

Gerker, H. E. (2023. ) Montessori pedagogy and policy in public schools: Exploring the challenges and moving toward advocacy [ .American Montessori Society Conference, Boston, MA. . Level:International

Paper Presentations

Gerker, H. E. & Kapur, S. (2024. ) Montessori teachers as advocates: Nurturing lifelong advocacy in the Montessori community .St. Louis. Conference. Level:National

Gerker, H. E. (2024. ) Classroom assessment perspectives from Montessori education: A panel discussion of educators from birth to high school .Chicago, IL. Conference. Level:National

Murray, A. K., Daoust, C., Murray, A., & Gerker, H. E. (2024. ) Developing an observational measure of Montessori implementation .Philadelphia, PA. Conference. Level:International