Southern Education Foundation

06/05/2026

We are proud to spotlight 2026 SEF Research Fellow Isabela Porfirio Maia.

Her study evaluates the impact of restrictive curricular mandates in Georgia and Alabama on Black history instruction, using Brazil’s reparative education framework as a comparative lens.

Through school culture audits and oral histories, her research explores how educators navigate policy constraints and uphold historical truth.
Learn more about Isabela and our 2026 Fellows here: https://southerneducation.org/what-we-do/research-and-policy/research-fellows-2026/

06/05/2026

New edition of The Bottom Line is live.

Our latest policy update provides a clear analysis of current developments shaping education across the South.

If you care about funding, accountability, and the future of early care, public schools, and higher education, this resource is for you.

Read it here: https://southerneducation.org/what-we-do/government-affairs-and-advocacy/bottomline/

Subscribe to receive future editions directly in your inbox.

06/01/2026

SEF is at the 2026 GEO Conference in Boston.

Dr. Kenita Williams, VP & COO, is joining partners to share insights from the Catalyzing Community Foundations initiative, a model strengthening local grantmaking and postsecondary success across the South.

Philanthropy has the power to build local capacity and drive lasting change.

If you’re attending GEO, we invite you to connect with us.

05/29/2026

Last week, Brown’s Promise, alongside Lawyers for Civil Rights and WilmerHale, filed a significant education lawsuit in Massachusetts addressing school segregation. Standing up for equal education and desegregation is core to our work, which is why we are so pleased to host Brown’s Promise at The Southern Education Foundation.

The lawsuit calls on the state to develop meaningful solutions to persistent segregation. A range of voluntary strategies exists, including expanded regional vocational technical school access, strengthened public magnet school models, investments in facilities and infrastructure, and growing and continuing to improve METCO.

Addressing segregation requires sustained leadership and engagement from students, families, educators, advocates, and community leaders.

To learn more about the case and stay informed, visit EndMassSegregation.org.

Every student deserves equal access to Massachusetts' top-ranked education system Massachusetts’ Constitution guarantees every child an adequate education and equal protection under the law. Yet, due to state policies, tens of thousands of Latino and Black students across the commonwealth attend r...

05/28/2026

We are proud to share that our VP & COO, Dr. Kenita Williams, has been selected as a 2026 recipient of the Social Enterprise Initiative Scholarship from the Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta.

This competitive scholarship provides nonprofit leaders with access to executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, equipping them with advanced tools to strengthen organizational effectiveness and expand mission impact.

Since 1997, the program has supported more than 120 nonprofit leaders across Georgia. Kenita joins a distinguished cohort recognized for community impact, leadership, and commitment to growth.

Her participation reflects both her leadership and SEF’s continued commitment to strengthening public education systems through strategic vision and institutional excellence.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Williams on this remarkable achievement.

Learn more: https://www.hbs-atlanta.org/s/1738/cc/21/page.aspx?sid=1738&gid=12&pgid=91012

05/28/2026

Meet 2026 SEF Research Fellow Dr. Chris Curran.

Dr. Curran is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy and Director of the Education Policy Research Center at the University of Florida College of Education. A former middle school science teacher, his work applies mixed-methods approaches to education policy to improve student outcomes.

His fellowship study, Estimating the Relationship between Federal Court Desegregation Orders and School Suspension Rates, examines how Southern districts transitioning out of federal court desegregation orders experience changes in suspension rates and racial disparities in discipline.

This research provides timely insight for districts navigating desegregation transitions and working to strengthen discipline policies.

Learn more about Dr. Curran and our 2026 Research Fellows here: https://southerneducation.org/what-we-do/research-and-policy/research-fellows-2026/

05/22/2026

The recording of the recent webinar, The Foundations of Supportive Learning Environments, is now available.

Hosted by EAC-South at the Southern Education Foundation with the National Academy of Education, the session examined how learning, development, relationships, and context influence student engagement, belonging, and access to deeper learning.

If you are working to strengthen school culture and improve learning conditions, this conversation offers practical insights grounded in research and educator experience.

Watch the full recording here: https://eacsouth.org/webinars/the-foundations-of-supportive-learning-environments/

Date: Monday, May 11, 2026, from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Join the Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South), in partnership with the National Academy of Education, on May 11 from 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET for the first webinar in a three-part series on supportive learning environments. Too often, schools are ...

05/22/2026

This month is Childhood Mental Health Awareness Month.

A child’s emotional well-being is not separate from educational success. It is foundational to it.

Across the South, too many children are entering classrooms carrying the weight of stress, trauma, instability, and unmet developmental needs. Families and educators cannot meet these challenges alone.

At Southern Education Foundation, we are working to strengthen the systems that support children, families, and educators through research, partnership, policy, and action.

Collective action matters right now. Children cannot wait.

Join us in advancing educational opportunity and stronger futures for children across the South: https://southerneducation.org/take-action/donate/

05/20/2026

The anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education is a moment to reflect, but it’s also a reminder of what’s still at stake every day.

Educational opportunity shapes everything: college access, career pathways, and long-term economic mobility. When students don’t receive equal access to quality education, the impact extends far beyond the classroom.

Learn more and stay engaged: https://southerneducation.org/brownvboard/

05/19/2026

We are proud to spotlight 2026 SEF Research Fellow Dr. Brianna Nargiso Newton.

Dr. Newton’s research explores how asset-based instructional practices influence student belonging and psychological safety in Title I schools and how those practices intersect with policy and accountability systems.

Her study, From Policy to Practice: How Asset-Based Instructional Interventions Shape Psychological Safety, Belonging, and Educational Equity for Black and Brown Students in Title I Schools Across the South, connects classroom interventions to broader structural conditions, generating insights to inform sustainable improvements in Southern education systems.

Her work reinforces SEF’s commitment to research that links policy, practice, and student experience.

Learn more about Dr. Newton and our 2026 Fellows here: https://southerneducation.org/what-we-do/research-and-policy/research-fellows-2026/