Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez

Welcome!  My name is Louie F. Rodriguez.  I am  currently an assistant professor of education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Florida International University in Miami.  I am also a Research Fellow with the Center for Urban Education and Innovation at FIU.  I am the author of one book (see below) and have published several articles and essays on critical issues in education. My areas of research span the field of urban education and include dropout, student engagement, educational policy, creative pedagogies in the classroom, school culture, and issues of teacher development for urban schools and classrooms.  I also have broad interests in policy-related issues affecting the Latino community at the national level such as housing, economic opportunities, political representation, immigration, and healthcare.  If you are interested in learning more about who I am, click on the *Biography* tab on the left.  If you are interested in my research, writing, other contributions, click on the corresponding tabs on the left.  If you are interested in Dr. Rodriguez conducting a workshop or professional development session for your district,  teachers, parents, or youth, please click on *Workshops* tab on the right.  I have presented my work at several national conferences and have spoken about my research on local television outlets in Miami and on an international radio show. 

Working with Youth

My first book, Small School and Urban Youth: Using the Power of School Culture to Engage Students was published by Corwin Press in 2008.  Along with my co-author Gilberto Q. Conchas, this book is an in-depth examination of school culture within the small schools movement.  Taking a case-study analysis of Boston and Oakland, we analyze how school culture facilitates student engagement, expectations, and teaching and learning in two racially diverse cities.  While we acknowledge that school structure (i.e., school size) is a critical factor that mediates educational processes and outcomes, we maintain that school culture is a vital issue that deserves practical and policy attention, particularly in schools serving low-income students of color.  In this book, we use the voices and experiences of Black and Latina/o youth to illuminate the power behind school culture.  You can purchase the book through the Corwin Press website or through several other online sellers. 

Review of My Book in the Harvard Educational Review, 2008

Review of My Book in The Educational Review, 2008

Working with Educators

http://schoolssocietyandequity.blogspot.com

              Last updated  09/17/2008 04:31 PM