Raphael E. Rogers received his B. A. from Clark University, an Ed. M. for Northeastern University, and an Ed. D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he wrote a dissertation titled Slavery on Their Minds: Representing the Institution in Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Dr. Rogers has worked in and with schools throughout the past seventeen years. Starting with his work at the Dynamy Youth Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, he has worked to help young people thrive academically and to improve their educational settings. He has taught in the Newton, Amherst, and Springfield, Mass., public schools, and has served as literacy coach, consultant, teacher education program reviewer, and a university supervisor of student teachers in a number of urban schools in Massachusetts. Dr. Rogers has also been involved in a number of efforts that have focused on engaging young people in development of their urban communities and supporting youth leaders who are interested in being critical participants in urban and metropolitan change. Since 2013, Dr. Rogers has organized an annual Youth Summit on Race at Clark that brings students together from various schools throughout Massachusetts. As a researcher, Dr. Rogers is exploring interventions and methods that enhance student engagement with school and learning. He also has research interests in critical literacies, critical multicultural analysis of children’s and young adult literature, curriculum development, literacy education, and community/school/university collaboration. Rogers recently contributed the fourth chapter ” Slavery on Their Minds: Representing the Institution in Picture Books” of a book published in 2016, titled Frontiers in American Children’s Literature.
