Shamara Graham, EdD
2Rev Coach
Dr. Shamara Graham is an accomplished policy shaper, skilled educational leader, and influential advocate whose work has vastly improved the quality of education for thousands of students in urban settings around the U.S. For over 15 years, she has served as teacher, dean, assistant principal, principal and director of curriculum and instruction. Her strategic leadership has advanced policy, programmatic, organizing and advocacy efforts across diverse sectors that include education, criminal justice, juvenile justice reform, economic inequality/poverty, youth development, civic engagement, and children’s health. Shamara is a graduate of Hampton University, with two master’s degrees from University of Maryland, College Park and UCLA. Additionally, she earned her Doctorate from Pepperdine University. As a 2Rev Coach, Shamara partners with educational leaders to enhance anti-racist environments that effect all stakeholders and supports re-imagining schools where children have personalized learning opportunities with joy-filled, hands-on experiences. When Shamara isn’t working she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing basketball, and reading.
Response to Intervention is a prevention-focused educational strategy that became part of mainstream K-12 programming with the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Its history is actually rooted in earlier research on learning disabilities (Preston et al., 2015) and the overrepresentation of students of color within special education programs (Sabnis et al., 2020). The historical discrepancy model that was used to identify learning disabilities ignored factors such as instruction, classroom management, or curriculum in contributing to differences in learner outcomes (Sabnis et al., 2020). RTI’s premise is noble - ensure there is dedicated time for learners to get the support they need without missing core content instruction. Having a specific time dedicated for learners to get extra help on skills they are struggling to acquire makes sense in many ways. It was intended to PROMOTE equity. The problem lies in the unintended consequences.