Discover the Meaningful Work of Teaching: A Webinar for Aspiring Educators
Thinking about a career in elementary or early childhood education?
Join this fast-paced, insight-packed webinar to explore what teaching is really like—the rewards, the challenges, and the everyday impact you can make.
Hear real lessons from the classroom, learn how today’s education policies shape the work of teachers, and discover how you can advocate for students and school communities from day one.
Walk away with a clear sense of the purpose, preparation, and possibilities that come with choosing education as your path.
Our Presenter: Dr. De’Shawn C. Washington
Dr. De’Shawn C. Washington is an award-winning educator, scholar, and national advocate dedicated to transforming public education through literacy, equity, and leadership. As the 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, 2025 National Education Association Teaching Excellence Award recipient, and 2025 Peabody Medalist from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Washington’s career reflects an unwavering commitment to cultivating inclusive learning environments that empower students and teachers alike. Over nearly a decade of service in Lexington and Boston Public Schools, he has modeled data-driven, culturally responsive instruction and collaboration with families, administrators, and communities to foster academic and social growth.
As Founder and President of Cultivating Changemakers, LLC, Dr. Washington authored a comprehensive K–12 financial literacy curriculum that integrates academic skills with social justice and real-world application. His frameworks — including R.E.A.D. and F.I.R.E. — have become cornerstones of his speaking engagements, professional development workshops, and teacher training sessions nationwide. Through Cultivating Changemakers, he develops educators as advocacy, agency, and justice leaders, offering curriculum design and leadership coaching that center students as agents of change.
Currently an Adjunct Professor at 猫咪社区 and a Fellow with the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, Dr. Washington continues to shape the next generation of educators through instruction, mentorship, and policy advocacy. His TEDx talks — Liberating Lives Through Literacy and Igniting the FIRE of Joyful Trouble — reflect his belief that education is a tool for liberation and a vehicle for justice. With scholarship rooted in his Ed.D. in K–12 Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Washington continues to champion equitable policy, transformative teaching, and student voice as the foundation of public education.