Although she began her career as a middle school English teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, her experience as an educator spans P-12 as well as higher education in both California and Maryland. Her current research involves two projects which: 1) explores the significance of sociopolitical consciousness with P-12 learners; and 2) investigates ways of connecting the non-traditional literacy habits of historically marginalized P-12 learners to those traditional literacy practices promoted within schools; and 3) the preparation of teachers of color.