Chandra Floyd joins W&M School of Education and Center for Gifted Education
This fall, the School of Education welcomes new faculty members. Today, we introduce Chandra Floyd, who is joining our Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership faculty and the Center for Gifted Education.
Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to W&M.
Since earning my gifted endorsement from W&M through a Norfolk Public Schools cohort in the early 2000’s, I’ve known that W&M is the place both to learn deeply and to contribute powerfully to the lives of high-ability youth. Not long after earning my endorsement, I was recruited by the Center for Gifted Education’s Executive Director Dr. Tracy Cross to pursue my doctorate. After completing my Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership with a concentration in Gifted Education Administration, I served at Kennesaw State University in Georgia as the Assistant Professor of Gifted Education, coordinating the gifted endorsement program. I am thrilled to be returning to the place where my passion to change the world for high-ability children was ignited.
What’s your area of research and what question are you most passionate about answering right now?
During my time in the W&M gifted endorsement program, I learned about underrepresented populations in gifted education. Once my eyes were opened to this issue, I wanted to better understand the why and the how. My dissertation and much of my research since has been focused on high-ability children who are often missed for gifted education programs. Particularly, I study the P12 organization and how gifted education is situated within the organization and how this placement and functioning contribute to underrepresentation. I also study how to build educators who can advocate for the needs of high-ability children from diverse populations.
What else are you hoping to get involved with on campus or in the community?
As a doctoral student at W&M, I was a Holmes Scholar, and later, while at Kennesaw State, I was a co-advisor for a registered student organization called #BlackTeachersMatter. Supporting developing teachers of color was meaningful work, and I would love to look for ways to continue to develop future educational leaders of color.
