HSA Speaker Series
1/16/2025 6:00 pm
HSA Meeting and Speaker Series Panel Event about Neurodiversity featuring María Cioè-Peña and Tawanna Jones
Wednesday, April 2, 6:00-7:30 PM
Location: Cafeteria, enter from the Blacktop
Schedule: 6:00-6:15 PM: arrival and dinner
6:15-6:30 PM: dinner and HSA meeting
6:30-7:30 PM: panel discussion
All are welcome to attend a panel discussion about neurodiversity sponsored by the HSA. Dinner and childcare will be provided.
Check out The Center for Connection for some great resources about neurodiversity.
María Cioè-Peña
María Cioè-Peña is a bilingual/biliterate education researcher and educator who examines the intersections of disability, language, school–parent partnerships, and education policy. Taking a sociolinguistic approach and stance, she pushes and reimagines the boundaries of inclusive spaces for minoritized children. Stemming from her experiences as a former bilingual special education teacher, Dr. Cioè-Peña’s research focuses on bilingual children with dis/abilities, their families, and their ability to access multilingual and inclusive learning spaces within public schools. Her interests are deeply rooted in political economy, raciolinguistic perspectives and critical dis/ability awareness within schools and families.
Dr. Cioè-Peña’s scholarship has won awards from major organizations in the field of bilingual education; first-place winner for Outstanding Dissertation by the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) in 2019, and third place winner for Outstanding Dissertation by AERA's Bilingual Education Research SIG in 2020. In 2022, her article “Wanting to Leave; Needing to Stay: Issues for undocumented mothers of children with disabilities” received the Inaugural Outstanding Publication Award from the Council For Exceptional Children's Division for Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners. She was also awarded the Early Career Award by AERA's Bilingual Education Research SIG in 2022. Prior to arriving at Penn GSE, María was an assistant professor and a Community-Engaged Teaching Fellow at Montclair State University. Her book, (M)othering Labeled Children: Bilingualism and Disability in the Lives of Latinx Mothers, was released May 2021 by Multilingual Matters.
Tawanna Jones
Tawanna Jones is Associate Director of the Urban Teaching Apprentice Program (UTAP). Prior to joining Penn GSE, Tawanna spent over 20 years serving children and families in the Philadelphia public school system. She has worked as a special education teacher and school psychologist. As a Lead Professional Development Facilitator, Tawanna has worked locally and nationally as a trainer for the American Federation of Teachers developing courses focused on instructional strategies and sharing expertise in social-emotional learning and restorative practice to address the affective and learning needs of children in the school, home, and the broader community.
Tawanna is a scholar-activist whose doctoral research focused on Black girls’ perceptions of public education’s role in their pursuit of the American Dream. In December 2016 she founded we.REIGN, Inc, a Philadelphia based non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that Black girls have the skills and knowledge needed to become advocates, activists, and organizers around issues that impact their lives. Her article "Who Are My Sisters' Keepers?" and national conference presentations have focused on the impact of trauma on teaching and learning, social justice, racial equity, diversity and inclusion, and the lived experiences of Black girls in schools and communities.
