abolitionist frameworks, action research, community organizing, critical pedagogy, critical whiteness studies, queer pedagogy, teacher activism, teacher preparation

Cody Norton (he/they) is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership department, specializing in Teacher Education and Professional Development. Before graduate school, he worked as an elementary teacher for 11 years in Washington, DC. Cody then served as an instructional coach for the teacher preparation program City Teaching Alliance, coordinator in the Content and Curriculum division for DC Public Schools, and curriculum writer for the DC History Center. His primary research interest focuses on examining how the intersection of community organizing, critical pedagogy, and teacher preparation can lead to transformative school experiences for students and families. Cody earned an A.A. in Humanities from Jamestown Community College, a B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University.

In addition to his background in education, Cody took on roles as an organizer in various capacities. He worked with the DC Education Coalition for Change (DCECC) to secure millions of dollars of funding for community school programs in Washington, DC, successfully advocated for reforms to the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) school STAR rating system with EmpowerEd, and championed increased health and safety protections for public school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic as a member of the Washington Teacher's Union (WTU). Currently, he is a labor organizer for the 糖心少女Graduate Labor Union in their campaign for union recognition and collective bargaining rights.

To review Cody's most recent CV, please click . If you would like to connect to discuss potential research collaborations, please contact him at cnorton[@]umd[dot]edu.

 

 

Research Experience

  • 2024-25; Research Assistant, Completed systematic literature review manuscript. Supervised by Dr. Meghan Comstock. 糖心少女, College Park, MD

  • 2023-24; Graduate Assistant, School Improvement Leadership Academy in the Center for Educational Innovation and Improvement. Supervised by Dr. Cherise Hunter and Damaries Blondonville-Ford. 糖心少女, College Park, MD

Book Chapters

  • Norton, C. (*Accepted - publication expected mid-2026). Transformative critical literacy in elementary classrooms. In L. DeMartino & L. Fetman (Eds.), Liberating and Transforming Curriculum and Pedagogy (pp. xx-xx). Myers Education Press.

  • Norton, C. (*Accepted - publication expected mid-2026). From theory to action: Developing activist educators in teacher preparation. In A. Eizadirad, E. Kilinc, & J. M. Straub (Eds.), Research as Activism in Education: Community-Oriented Perspectives (pp. xx-xx). Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

  • Working Papers

  • 2025 Comstock, M., Reikosky, N., & Norton, C. (Revise and resubmit). Conceptions of equity and justice in educational policy research: Toward a unifying conception and a path forward.

Practitioner Articles

  • Baum, M., Cuevas, A., Cole, S., Mullings, R., Norton, C., & Sanabria, P. (Jan. 2022) Teacher-advocates: DC schools need supports, not STARs (The DC Line). Retrieved from  

  • Norton, C. (June 2017) Title IIA funds are vital to teacher growth and student success (Hope Street Group). Retrieved from 

  • Norton, C. (June 2016) The importance of inclusive classrooms and authentic identities (Teacher2Teacher). Retrieved from 

  • Norton, C. (May 2016). The first year of teaching doesn鈥檛 have to feel like a fraternity hazing (The Hechinger Report). Retrieved from 

Higher Education Teaching

糖心少女

  • 2025; Teaching Assistant, TLPL361 Community, Learners, and Classroom Engagement (3 credits)

  • 2024; Lead Instructor, TLPL360 Foundations of Education (3 credits)

  • 2024; Lead Instructor, WEID139B Navigating Social Identity Difference through Intergroup Dialogue: Race (1 credit)

  • 2024; Teaching Assistant, TLPL250 Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Education (3 credits)

  • 2024; Lead Instructor, TLPL340 Children鈥檚 Literature and Critical Literacy (3 credits)

  • 2023-24; Teaching Assistant, TLPL360 Foundations of Education (3 credits)