Meet Dr. Sherita Flake
Founder of The Flake Firm
Dr. Sherita Flake, a Memphis native, is a Senior Professorial Lecturer and the City Teaching Alliance Program Liaison at American University. She is dedicated to urban education and is known for her cultural identity research in STEM and leadership. As a wife and mother of three daughters, her family's experiences underscored the importance of cultural identities and agency. Dr. Flake's research and personal journey influenced her conceptual framework on cultural identity, benefiting historically marginalized groups.
Before American University, Dr. Flake served as Clinical Faculty of Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University and served in K-12 school districts across Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan, and DC. She actively participated in educational committees, including ETS Standards Setting Committees, the Maryland State Department of Education Expert Review Team, and OSSE’s Review Team. She earned prestigious awards such as the Governor's Award of Excellence in Virginia, EPIC Gold status in Tennessee, and the Bryan K. Ingram Award for Leadership at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Flake’s work has been published by Pearson, The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, and The Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies. Her book publications include "Stem Includes Me," “The Four Dimensions of Cultural Identity,” and “The Four Dimensions of Cultural Identity: A Critical Reflection Journal.”
Education
Ed.D., University of Memphis, Education Leadership and Policy Studies Dissertation: When We Thrive: Exploring the Identities of Black STEM Teachers During Their Teacher Preparation Experience
M.Ed., Christian Brothers University, Curriculum and Instruction
B.A., University of Memphis, Education and Sociology
Publications
Coming Soon: The Four Dimensions of Cultural Identity: A Critical Self-Reflection Journal
Coming Soon: Flake, S. L. and Rubin, R. (2024). Proto narrative: A critical exploration of the cultural identities held by Black women in STEM. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, forthcoming.
Flake, S.L. and Flake, M.A. (2021). STEM Includes Me. Memphis, TN: The Cooperative
Contributor in Green, R.L. (2013). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to implementing the ISLLC standards. Boston, MA: Pearson
Flake, S. L. (2023). The power of identity, community, and the right fit. The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching. 7(1). 527-533. Retrieved from https://www.mentor-cmc.com/cmc/cmc2023/
Flake, S. L. (2023). When we thrive: Exploring the identities of Black STEM teachers during their teacher preparation experience (Publication No. 30310222) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Memphis]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Matthews, L., Flake, S., Griffin, C., Holmes, S., Hunter, M., & Seals, E. (2021, November). From “Harm” to Hope: 3 Ways to Get Started with Math Intervention. Retrieved from https://www.inspiremath.org/single-post/from-harm-to-hope-4-ways-to-getting-started-with-math-intervention.
Professional Awards, Honors, and Affiliations
Bryan K Ingham Excellence in Service Award
DC Public Schools Standing Ovation Award (Multi-Year Recipient)
Governor’s Award for Excellence
New Leader’s EPIC Gold (Multi-Year Recipient)
TVAAS Incentive and Level 5 Educator (Multi-Year Recipient)
National Council for Teachers of Mathematics
Virginia Council for Teachers of Mathematics
Benjamin Banneker Association
American Education Research Association
Conferences, Workshops, and Webinars
Conference, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, Annual Conference, “Beyond Boundaries: Envisioning Inclusive Pathways in STEM,” September 2024
Conference, National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools, Annual Conference, “The Black STEM Teacher Pipeline: Critical Reflection and Liberatory Action,” November 2023
Conference, National Mentoring Institute, Annual Conference, “The Power of Identity, Community, and the Right Fit,” October 2023
Conference, Hawaii University International Conferences, Annual Conference, “When We Thrive: Exploring the Identities of Black STEM Teachers During Their Teacher Preparation Experience,” June 2023
Conference, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Regional Conference – Baltimore, MD, “The Black STEM Teacher Pipeline: Critical Reflection and Liberatory Action,” December 2022
Conference, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, Annual Conference, “The Black STEM Teacher Pipeline: Investigating the Problems, Policies, and Practices that Disrupt the Pipeline,” September 2022
Poster Presentation, “The Black STEM Teacher Pipeline: Investigating the Problems, Policies, and Practices,” 2021 EdFest, Johns Hopkins University School of Education, November 2021
Workshop, “Secondary Math Planning with Understanding by Design,” 2021 Teacher Bootcamp by Friendship Education Foundation, July 2021
Workshop, “Elementary Math Planning with Understanding by Design,” 2021 Teacher Bootcamp by Friendship Education Foundation, July 2021
Workshop, “Supporting Inquiry in All Content Areas,” 2021 Teacher Bootcamp by Friendship Education Foundation, July 2021
Workshop, “Rehumanizing Math for All Students,” 2021 Teacher Bootcamp by Friendship Education Foundation, July 2021
Webinar, The Hope and Power of Hip Hop in STEM Education, We Create Series – Urban Teachers, March 2021
Workshop, Annual District-wide and School-wide Professional Development, Cesar Chaves Public Charter Schools, 2017
Conference, Annual District-wide and School-wide Professional Development, District of Columbia Public Schools, 2016 – 2017
Conference, “State-wide Summer Series RTI2” Tennessee State Department of Education, July – August 2012
Conference, Annual District-wide and School-wide Professional Development, Shelby County Schools, 2010 – 2014
Conference, Tennessee Educational LEADership Conference Address, “Developing a Plan for School-wide Achievement,” 2010.
Conference, “How to Get Middle-Schoolers to Anticipate Meaningful Math,” Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2009.