Sonia E. Murrow
Professor
Secondary Education
Location: 2606c James Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x3769
Fax: 718.951.4816
Email:
Sonia Murrow is professor of Educational Foundations and Social Studies Education at Brooklyn College. She is a certified social studies teacher and taught for the NYC Department of Education before earning her doctorate.
Murrow's research interests include the history, policy and practice of urban education and the teaching of history to adolescents. She is co-author of Rethinking America's Past: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States in the Classroom and Beyond (University of Georgia Press, 2021), which received an American Educational Studies Association Critics Choice Book Award in 2022.
Murrow is program coordinator of Social Studies Education. The Social Studies program prepares social studies educators who: 1) engage students in relevant and meaningful study of the past and present, 2) challenge traditional notions of how social studies should be taught, 3) support students to enact historical thinking, and 3) support active civic and global citizenship.
Education:
Ph.D., New York University - 2000 (History of American Education and Culture)
M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University - 1988 (Social Studies Education)
Areas of Expertise:
Sonia Murrow's research interests include the history of education, the social foundations of education, social studies education and new teacher development.
Books and Publications
Cohen, Robert and Sonia Murrow, "Howard Zinn at 100": Remembering "The People's Historian," The Nation, August 24, 2022. https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/howard-zinn-centennial/
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2022
Cohen, Robert and Sonia Murrow, "Teaching about past sins won't scar students. They'll enjoy debating them," The Washington Post, March 30, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/30/teaching-about-americas-past-sins-wont-scar-students-theyll-enjoy-debating-them/
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2022
Cohen, Robert and Sonia E. Murrow, "Debate and Controversy Make History Education Better," The Nation, September 22, 2021. (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/critical-race-theory-history-education/ (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2021
Cohen, Robert and Sonia E. Murrow, Rethinking America's Past: Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States in the Classroom and Beyond (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press). (Books and Publications: Book (Authored)) 2021
"What College Kids Lose at Online U," City Limits, May 20, 2020. https://citylimits.org/2020/05/20/opinion-what-college-kids-lose-at-online-u/
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2020
"Negotiating Competing Progressive Era Reform Impulses at Teachers College, 1889 to
1927." Critical Questions in Education. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2017
"Positive School Culture, Not Metal Detectors, Keeps Kids Safe." Gotham Gazette, October 4, 2017. http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7231-positive-school-culture-not-metal-detectors-keeps-kids-safe
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2017
"'No Excuses' Teaching Shortchanges Civility in the Classroom." Schoolbook, WNYC. February 29. http://www.wnyc.org/story/opinion-no-excuses-teaching-overrides-civility-classrooms/
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2016
Cohen, Robert and Sonia E. Murrow. "Who's Afraid of Radical History? Mitch Daniels's Covert War on Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United Stated." The Nation, July 30. http://www.thenation.com/article/175592/whos-afraid-radical-history#axzz2cqruRhSP. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2013
McCarthy, Mary Rose and Sonia E. Murrow. "Racial Inequality and the Social Reconstructionists at Teachers College." Journal of Negro Education 82:1, Spring. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
"School Choice, New York-Style? For Some More Than Others," SchoolBook, The New York Times/WNYC, May 23. http://www.schoolbook.org/2012/05/23/school-choice-new-york-style-for-some-more-than-others/ (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2012
McCarthy, Mary Rose and Sonia E. Murrow. "Reformers Could Use a History Lesson." SchoolBook, WNYC, Oct. 2. http://www.schoolbook.org/2012/10/02/reformers-could-use-a-history-lesson/ (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2012
Siegal, Jessica and Sonia E. Murrow. "Strengthening the Teaching Profession in NYC: Advice to the Next Mayor." The Huffington Post, July 17. (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2012
"Depicting Teachers' Roles in Social Reconstruction in the Social Frontier, 1934-1943." Educational Theory 61.3, Summer. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
"Third Space in an Urban Social Foundations Classroom." Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, Summer. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
"Preparing Teachers to Remake Society: New College at Teachers College, Columbia University, 1932-1939." Critical Questions in Education 1.2: 51-69. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
"Charting Unexplored Territory in the Social Foundations: Pedagogical Practice in Urban Teacher Education." Educational Studies 40.3: 296-312. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2008
Murrow, Sonia E. and Laura Dull. "Is Dialogic Questioning Possible in Social Studies Classrooms?" Theory and Research in Social Education 36.4: 391-412. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2008
"Situating History So It Counts: The Changing Position of Educational History in Teacher Education, 1880-Present." Journal of Thought 41.2: 9-22. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2006
"Learning From Recurring Debates in Education: Teacher Education Students Explore Historical Case Studies." Educational Studies 37.2: 135-56. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2005
"Informing the Present, Illuminating the Past: Historical Knowledge and Teacher Development." Defending Public Schools: Teaching and Teacher Education. Eds. Kathleen Kesson and Wayne Ross. New York: Praeger Publishers. (Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2004
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
"Activist Teachers, "A People's Pedagogy," and Collaborations with Howard Zinn, 1970 to 2010," American Educational Research Association, Division F, San Diego, California. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2022
"How Debate and Controversy Make History Education Stronger," Sponsored by the Wolfe Institute, History Department, and Secondary Education Department, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2022
"Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States on Stage, Screen and in Classrooms," Sponsored by NYU's Social Studies and Educational Theater Programs, the Tamiment Library, and Brooklyn College's Social Studies Program. New York, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2022
"Rethinking America's Past: Debating Competing Historical Narratives including Howard Zinn's," New York Performance Standards Consortium, New York City Public Schools. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2022
Book Talk: Rethinking America's Past: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States in the Classroom and Beyond. American Educational Studies Association. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2022
"Rethinking America's Past: Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States in the Classroom and Beyond," American Educational Studies Association, Portland, Oregon. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2021
"Prioritizing Professional Community in the Student Teaching Seminar," New York State Association of Teacher Educators, Saratoga Springs, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2019
"Advocating for 'Silenced Voices' in Education in the Age of Trump." New York State Association of Teacher Educators, Saratoga Springs, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2018
"The marketplace will take care of children": Education Policy Under DeVos and Trump." Faculty Day Conference, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2018
"Integrating Gender, Class, Race, Sexuality into the Social Studies/History Curriculum." Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, Genders and Sexualities. Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2017
"Pushing Back on the "Trump Effect": Counseling, Teaching and Learning After the 2016 Election." Faculty Day Conference, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2017
"Dear Mr. Zinn: Debating Radical History in the Classroom, 1982-2000." National Council of History Education, Niagara, Falls, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2015
"Developing Historical Thinking Through Engagement With Conflicting Texts." National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference. Boston. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2014
"Improving the Life of the Poor: Grace Dodge's Membership on the New York City Board of Education, 1886-1889." American Educational Research Association. Philadelphia. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2014
"Letter to the Next Mayor: How Bloomberg's Education Reforms Hurt Teachers." Faculty Day. Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2013
"Using Howard Zinn's A People's History and the Textbook in Stereo in the Secondary History Classroom." American Education Studies Association. Baltimore. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2013
"Collectivists and Free Marketeers: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Reform." American Educational Research Association. Vancouver. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
"Confluent Streams of Progressivism in Early 20th Century Teacher Education in Institutions of Higher Education." History of Education Society. Seattle. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
"Teaching Foundations of Education in an Age of Neo-Liberal Reform." American Educational Studies Association. Seattle. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
"The Social Reconstructionists and Race." American Educational Studies Association. St. Louis. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2011
"With Liberty and Justice for All? Including LGBTQ Voices in Democratic Practice." GLARE Workshop. Brooklyn College. Brooklyn, N.Y. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2011
"Making Teachers/Remaking America: Transformative Teacher Education at Teachers College, 1932-1954." American Educational Studies Association. Pittsburgh, Nov. 7. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2009
"Social Welfare Through Education at Teachers College, 1932-1954." History of Education Society. Philadelphia, Oct. 25. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2009
"'Someone Has Been Watching Over Me': Third Space in the Social Foundations Classroom." American Education Studies Association. Savannah, Ga., October. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2008
"Shaping the Destinies of the Nation: Teachers and the Social Frontier, 1934-1943." American Educational Research Association. New York, April. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2008
"Daring Teachers to Build a New Social Order: New College at Teachers College, 1932-1939." History of Education Society. Cleveland, October. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"Social Reconstructionism and the Education of Teachers: The Social Frontier, 1934-1943." American Educational Studies Association. Cleveland, October. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"Teaching for Democracy Through Diverse Questioning Strategies." New York State Association of Teacher Educators. Saratoga Springs, N.Y., April. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
"A Short-Lived Experiment in Teacher Education: New College at Teachers College, 1932-1939." Alternative Routes to Teacher Preparation: Historical Perspectives Panel, American Educational Research Association. San Francisco, April. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2006
Murrow, Sonia and Laura Dull. "The Socialization Implications of Questioning in Social Studies Classrooms." National Council for the Social Studies. Washington, D.C., November. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2006
Other Professional Activities
W-KGNU Radio, Denver-Boulder, CO. Interview on Rethinking America's Past: Howard Zinn's A People's History in the Classroom and Beyond. October 14, 2022. https://aa.kgnu.net/audioarchives/Connections/2022/Connections_2022-10-14.mp3?x-kgnu=kgnu-org-shows-download
2022
