Aaron (he/they) is a high school teacher turned consultant in the field of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), serving as the co-founder of Emergent Change | DEI Consulting. Bringing over 9 years of teaching strategies out of the classroom and into organizational and nonprofit settings, Aaron now equips adult learners and leaders with the teaching tools they need to meet their goals around growth, planning, and learning. After all, professional development, social justice, and DEI are intersectional subjects that demand good teaching: that’s what’s needed to turn values and visions into action and change.

 

With an M.S.Ed in urban teaching and dialogic learning from the University of Pennsylvania, the whole of their professional journey intertwines rigorous pedagogical methodologies with dynamic DEI strategies. From leading the California Teachers Union to expand social justice frameworks among early-career educators, to reimagining district curricula to foster empathetic and collective action among colleagues and students, to transferring this history of pedagogy to adult learning spaces that often lack the methodology to actualize their DEI visions—Aaron has exited the classroom to become a consultant who, first and foremost, remains a teacher.

 

Alongside his consulting, Aaron is a faculty member at the Rex and Margaret Fortune School of Education in Sacramento, California, where he coaches both secondary and postsecondary educators on integrating social justice standards and social-emotional learning competencies into their foundational practices. His work, reflections, and insights regarding his pedagogy and curriculum coaching have been published by Magna Publications in their journal The Teaching Professor.

 

On topics ranging from intersectionality, to discourse-based learning, to social justice standards, Aaron has designed and facilitated workshops for the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the National Education Association (NEA), as well as for a variety of school districts, small businesses, nonprofits, and healthcare partners. If you were ever interested in thought partnership with Aaron, they happily welcome you to contact them at aaron@EmergentChangeDEI.com.