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Keisha Rembert

Keisha Rembert Profile Photo

Learner/Educator/Author/Freedom Fighter

Keisha Rembert is a lifelong learner and a multiple award-winning educator. She is an author, Assistant Professor and Coordinator for Foundational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for undergraduate educator preparation at National Louis University. Prior to entering teacher education, she spent more than 18 years teaching middle school English and U.S. History in the Chicagoland area.

Her passion for equity and social justice coalesce in her membership and work with several local and national organizations.

2021 appointment by Governor Pritzker to serve on the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission
Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Educator Advisory Board
2024 Co-chair of the National Council for Teachers of English’s (NCTE) Committee Against Racism and Bias
2024 Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair
Gilder Lehrman Institute (GLI) for American History Advisory Board
In 2019, Keisha was named Illinois History Teacher of the Year as well as the 2019 National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Outstanding Middle-Level English Educator.
Her commitment to advocacy and equity is best reflected in her published works, myriad nationally recognized presentations, consultant work, as a policy advocate, her work with the Illinois State Board of Education to develop the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards and as a Master Teacher leading professional learning with renown historians for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
She is the author of The Antiracist English Language Arts Classroom and co-author of “Critical Race Theory in Education: The Hero's Journey,” a chapter in Resisting Divide-and-Conquer Strategies in Education: Pathways and Possibilities and “Media Literacy,” and a chapter in The Big Fat Middle School English Language Arts Notebook.
LinkedIn profile with featured publications and appearances.

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March 4, 2025

On Co-Teaching, Rest, and Black Educator Retention with Keisha Rembert

In this episode of "The Exit Interview," Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Keisha Rembert, an experienced middle school educator, award-winning teacher, and current higher education faculty member. Keisha shares her journey from a legacy of educators in Chicago to her 17-year career teaching middle grades, highlighting the importance of student voice, co-teaching, and authentic relationships in the classroom. The discussion examines the challenges faced by Black educators, such as lack of recognition, the emotional toll of being overlooked, and the process of leaving educational spaces. Keisha talks about her advocacy for recruiting and retaining teachers of color, emphasizing the success of affinity spaces and racial literacy training in Illinois. Both Dr. Lyons and Keisha stress the need for ongoing personal and professional growth, the importance of wellness and rest, and community care. The episode also covers Keisha’s current research on Black belonging in Hispanic-serving institutio…