Dr. Raquel Sáenz Ortiz is originally from New Mexico and began her teaching career as a 6^th grade Social Studies teacher in South Texas, across the border from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, where her father was raised. Over the past decade, Raquel taught in a dual language elementary school in Nicaragua and an alternative high school in Boston. While teaching in Boston, Raquel became immersed in organizing efforts for Ethnic Studies and has been part of a collective of educators designing Ethnic Studies curriculum for Boston Public Schools. Throughout her career as an educator, both K-12 and higher education, Raquel has sought to root curriculum in student identities and experiences, while also seeking to support students in building critical consciousness. At Southwestern, Raquel teaches Foundations and Curriculum of American Schools, as well as most of the methods courses for pre-service secondary teachers. She is also the Director of Field Based Placements for  pre-service secondary teachers.

Education:

PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, Boston College

MA, Historic Interdisciplinary Studies, Universidad de Guanajuato (México)

BA, Anthropology, Colorado College

Dr. Sáenz Ortiz’s research focuses on the impact of culturally sustaining pedagogies on immigrant-origin youth in the United States, as well as in several European nations. She has conducted research in the United States, México, France, and Morocco. Below are two of the projects that she is currently working on:

• Ethnic Studies in Texas under Senate Bill 3 (in collaboration with student researchers)
• Models of culturally sustaining teaching in alternative schooling

Peer Reviewed Journals:

Sáenz Ortiz, R. (2013). Education and identity politics in the autobiographical novel: A comparative study of Mexican-Americans and Franco-Maghrebis. Contemporary French and Francophone Studies-Sites, 17(1).

Sáenz, R.Y. (2012). Globalization, migration, and national identity: A global perspective on the role of education in second generation immigrants. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 2(3).

Books and Chapters:

Sánchez, J.G. & Sáenz, R.Y. (2017). Stories, counterstories, and tales of resistance: Family history projects in World History classrooms. Race Lessons: Using Inquiry to Teach About Race in Social Studies. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Sáenz Ortiz, R. (2015). Descolonización de la mente: El papel de los educadores en la auto-percepción de la identidad en mexicoamericanos (1970-1990) y franco-magrebíes (1980-2000). Saarbrücksen, Germany: Editorial Académica Española.

Below are select presentations that Dr. Sáenz Ortiz has given: 

Sáenz, R. (March, 2022). Culture and schooling: Supporting academic identities through culturally sustaining pedagogies for immigrant-origin youth. International Conference on Education and Migrations, Virtual and In-person (Center for Intercultural Studies, Porto, Portugal)

Sáenz, R. (April, 2020). Youth stakeholders: YPAR and understanding how youth of color are pushed out of schools. American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Virtual.

Sáenz, R. & Bruno, Y. (May, 2018). Teatro do Oprimido envisioning pedagogies of resistance and freedom. Critical Race Studies in Education Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.

Sáenz Ortiz, R. (August, 2016). The politics of culture: Education, identity formation, and Turkish origin youth in Western Europe. Emerging Researchers’ Conference, European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Dublin, Ireland.

Sáenz, R. (November, 2011). Adaptation in the face of adversity: A comparative study of identity politics in Mexican-Americans and Franco-Maghrebis. Franco-Maghrebi Crossings International Conference, Tallahassee, FL.

Sáenz, R. (November, 2011). La construcción de una consciencia colectiva transnacional: Comunidades de marroquís en Francia y mexicanos en EEUU, 1970-2010. IX Congreso Internacional de Historia Oral: Memoria y Experiencia, Universidad de Guanajuato,

November 2011.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

Peter, S., Maltbie, C., Sáenz, R.Y, Bertolaet, B., Allen-Wiles, N. (March 2, 2022). Understanding gender identity and pronouns: Creating inclusive environments. Womenade Boston. Virtual.

Sáenz, R.Y., Holliday, S., & Camara, M. (January 28, 2021). The Fight for Ethnic Studies in BPS. Black Lives Matter at School. High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning.

Sáenz, R.Y. (October 6^th, 2020). Culturally sustaining teaching for Black and Brown youth. Advanced Community Research Seminar. Taught by Maheen Haider, Boston College, Chestnut Hills, MA.