Scholarship

Scholarship

As a professor, my scholarship and professional works may be described in one word: established.  I have found that my scholarly interests are focused in three interrelated areas: (a) school reform, (b) the achievement gap, and (c) teacher education.  My publications, research, and presentations have addressed these areas.

Publications:

My current scholarly endeavors are varied, including: (1) an introduction to education textbook entitled, The Call to Teach: An Introduction to Teaching, which was published by Pearson in January 2014; (2) a book on the topic of  school reform entitled, It’s Time for a Change: School Reform for the Next Decade, published on Rowman and Littlefield, November 4, 2011; (3) a book on the topic of school leadership entitled, A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories, published on Routledge, February 29, 2012; (4) edited a multivolume set entitled Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Vol. 1 & 2), published by Praeger, October, 31, 2012; (5) published and submitted several articles/essays in/to several peer reviewed journals; (6) a columnist for www.diverseeducation.com, a columnist for www.edweek.org and www.huffingtonpost.com, owner/editor of www.theedadvocate.org and (7) edited a book entitled Reimagining School Reform and Innovation, which was published by Peter Lang Publishing in May 2014.

1. I authored an introduction to education textbook, entitled, The Call to Teach: An Introduction to Teaching. In it I attempt to dispel myths and misconceptions and about the teaching field, while providing students with an overview of the U. S. Educational System. The Call to Teach can be used as a basic text for any “Introduction to Education” or “Educational Foundations” course. This textbook project was been peer-reviewed by six scholars, according to Pearson’s Evaluation Process. The textbook was released in January of 2014.

2.  I authored a book on the topic of school reform entitled It’s Time for a Change: School Reform for the Next Decade that is designed to appeal to all stakeholders concerned with education reform in the United   States. Cutting through the obfuscations in the current school-reform debate, It’s Time for a Change: School Reform for the Next Decade confronts conventional “status quo” reform efforts and exposes the naïveté underlying reform strategies that rest on solutions such as class-size reduction, small schools, and enhanced professional development. The book was published by Rowman & Littlefield, November 4, 2011.

3. I authored a book on the topic of school leadership entitled, A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories. Many leadership books are an empty feel-good read. You feel good reading them but walk away with little insight or direction on how to make yourself a better leader. What is missing in the marketplace is a viable model that teaches school administrators how to lead effectively. A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories will attempt to fill this void. This book project has been peer-reviewed by four scholars, according to Routledge’s Evaluation Process. I have included a letter from my editor at Routledge as verification. The book was published by Routledge, February 16, 2012.

4. I edited a two-volume set entitled Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians. It will provide an intimate look at black Reconstruction era politicians, spotlighting their leadership and contributions during the Reconstruction era and illuminating how they fostered the development of a parallel civil society within black communities. In addition, it will also explain how their contributions set the stage for the Civil Rights movement and the world as we know it today. It will also explore the idea that if theses brave souls had not found the courage to stand, the election of Barack Obama would not be possible at this juncture in history. The manuscript features a foreword by Molefi Kete Asante. This two-volume set was published on Praeger, October 31, 2012. I authored five biographical and historical essays devoted to the Reconstruction experiences of John R. Lynch. They are listed below.

Lynch, M. (2012). John R. Lynch’s Account of the Republican Abandonment of the Negro. In M. Lynch (Ed.), Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Volume 1). New York: Praeger.

Lynch, M. (2012). John Roy Lynch and James Hill: The Reconciliation. In M. Lynch (Ed.), Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Volume 1). New York: Praeger.

Lynch, M. (2012). A Man on Fire: John Roy Lynch’s Early Political Career. In M. Lynch (Ed.), Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Volume 1). New York: Praeger.

Lynch, M. (2012). The Power of Three: The Bruce/Hill/Lynch Alliance. In M. Lynch (Ed.), Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Volume 1). New York: Praeger.

Lynch, M. (2012). The Lynch/Rhodes Debate: Reconstruction on Trial. In M. Lynch (Ed.), Before Obama: A Reappraisal of Black Reconstruction Era Politicians (Volume 1). New York: Praeger.

5. I have submitted/published the following articles/essays to/in peer-reviewed journals (Reference Scholarship Artifact F):

Lynch, M. (2014). Alternatives to Social Promotion and Retention. Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education.

Lynch, M. (2012). Strategically Allocating Resources to Support Teaching and Learning. AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice, 9(1), 57-64.

Lynch, M. (2012). Recruiting, Retaining, and Fairly Compensating Our Teachers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(2), 121-135.

Lynch, M. (2011). Sustainable Leadership: Creating the Foundations for Lasting Change. Academic Leadership Journal, 9(3). Retrieved from http://www.academicleadership.org

Lynch, M. (submitted). A New Look at Year-Round School Calendars. The New Educator.

6. I also pursue my scholarship in more accessible ways. I am a blogger for the Huffington Post, a popular destination for news and commentary on a wide range of topics. My blogs for the Huffington Post can be found at: www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/. As a testament to my reputation as a thought leader in the area of education policy and reform, this past July Education Week asked me to develop and write a daily blog entitled, ""Education Futures: Emerging Trends and Technologies in K-12," which be accessed via the following link: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/.  The blog chronicles and reports on educational innovations, technologies, and reforms. Also, in January 2013 I created an interview series for Diverse Issues in Higher Education entitled "Diverse Conversations." It serves as a mechanism for discussing pressing issues in higher education with scholars, professors and administrators who are considered to be at the cutting edge of their field. My "Diverse Conversations" interview series can be viewed by following this link: www.diverseeducation.com/article/author/mlynch/. Also, I am the proud owner/editor of The Edvocate, www.theedavocate.org. Its mission is to advocate for education equity, reform, and innovation. The Edvocate features education news and opinion that is updated daily, an opt-in email newsletter.

7. I am the editor of a book entitled Reimagining School Reform and Innovation. It endeavors to provide scholars and laymen with an assortment of theoretical and practical perspectives for questioning contemporary practices and forging new methods of education reform. This project aspires to establish itself as the leading collection of contemporary essays by the major thinkers in the field of education reform and innovation. Carefully attentive to both theory and practice, this project will also become the definitive source for learning about education reform and innovation, while also enhancing the existing literature. This project will attempt to move the field to the next phase of its evolution. It was published by Peter Lang Publishing in May 2014.

Research:

As a new professor, my progress in the area of traditional research and publishing is becoming more defined.  My research-related activities at Widener are multifold.  They consist of the three major areas identified earlier - school reform, the achievement gap, and social studies education.  My research is intended to make a redoubtable, theoretically and empirically based argument that school reform and the closing of the well-chronicled achievement gap are possible.  It also posits that improving teacher education is an essential component if we are to achieve true school reform and substantially close the achievement gap.  By intersecting the aforementioned issues that are usually considered and researched separately, my research supplies an astute understanding of the interaction among social studies education, the achievement gap, and the ubiquitous nature of school reform.  Throughout my career, I have been interested in developing collaborative enterprises that move the field of education forward.

Conference Presentations:

During my time as a professor, I have presented at the following conferences:

The Recruiting Revolution for 2025. Panel; The Galileo Summit: Transforming College Opportunities for Low Income Students by 2025. Essex, NY. (2014). Invited.

Becoming Superman: How America can Reform It’s Education System. Roundtable; Eastern Education Research Association Annual Conference. (2011). Competitive review.

Closing the Achievement Gap. Rainbow Coalition. New Orleans, LA. (2007). Invited.

Assessing Socialization Patterns in Alternative School Settings. American Association of Men’s Studies. Nashville, TN. (2005). Competitive review.

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