Christopher Brown

Professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy

Phone: +1 512 232 2288
Email: cpbrown@utexas.edu
Office: SZB 3.318A
View Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

Christopher is a Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. He also is a Faculty Fellow with The Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis. He is also a former preschool, kindergarten, and first grade teacher who worked in Title 1 schools.

Dr. Brown's research interests, rooted in qualitative methodologies, emerged from his experiences as a classroom teacher across a range of early childhood contexts. These experiences led him to build a research agenda rooted in the lived experiences of those working in contexts undergoing educational reform. By studying varied education stakeholders, he has sought to advocate for educational policies that seek to foster, sustain, and extend the complex educational, sociocultural, and individual goals and aspirations of children, their families, teachers, and school leaders.

Much of his research seeks to understand how policymakers' reforms impact the lived experiences of those working across the varied fields of early education. This work illuminates how early childhood stakeholders in public school settings, including district/school administrators and classroom teachers, make sense of and can respond to policymakers reforms that emphasize increased academic achievement, standardization, and accountability while providing limited resources through rigorous and developmentally appropriate learning experiences; such practices seek to support all children through equitable learning experiences so that they can grow as learners and as members of their communities.

Brown, C. P.., Barry, D. P.., Ku, D-H. & Englehardt, J.. (2021). How education stakeholders made sense of the types of learning experiences children are and should be having in kindergarten and why. Early Education and Development, 32(2), 291–322. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1750292.

Brown, C. P.., Barry, D. P.. & Ku, D-H. (2021). How education stakeholders made sense of school readiness in and beyond kindergarten. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 35(1), 122–142. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2020.1717688.

Brown, C. P.., Ku, D-H. & Barry, D. P.. (2020). Kindergarten isnt fun anymore. Isnt that so sad?: Examining how kindergarten teachers in the US made sense of the changed kindergarten.. Teaching and Teacher Education, 90, 1–13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103029.

Brown, C. P.. & Cortés, A.. (2020). Kids are dealing with a lot of uncertainty this summer, and they need our reassurance: Parents can help by playing, laughing, and answering questions as best they can.. The Dallas Morning News.

Englehardt, J.. & Brown, C.P.. (2019). Vertical and horizontal discourse: A Bernsteinian perspective of preservice teachers conceptualizations of using iPads in early elementary teaching environments.. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 43(3), 430–445. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2019.1608337.

Brown, C. P.. & Weber, N.. (2019). Bringing being into professional development: a qualitative investigation into teachers struggles moving beyond an epistemological framing of teaching and learning. Early Child Development and Care, 188(5), 763–776. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1343312.

Brown, C.P.. & Englehardt, J.. (2019). Neoliberal technological devices and articulations of teaching young children: A case study of preservice teachers using iPads in their teacher education program. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 17(2), 88–103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X18812214.

Brown, C. P.., Englehardt, J.., Barry, D. P.. & Ku, D-H. (2019). Examining how stakeholders at the local, state, and national level made sense of the changed kindergarten.. American Educational Research Journal, 56(3), 822–867. doi:https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831218804152.

Brown, C. P.., Englehardt, J.., Barry, D. P.. & Ku, D-H. (2019). Questioning democratic notions of governance: A case study examining how a kindergarten teacher and her students give voice to and enact a neoliberal framing of schooling.. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(3), 236–252. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949118773382.

Brown, C. P.., Englehardt, J.., Ku, D-H. & Barry, D. P.. (2019). Wheres the joy in the classroom?: Families sensemaking of the changed kindergarten. The Elementary School Journal, 120(2), 319–346. doi:https://doi.org/10.1086/705964.

Nxumalo, F.. & Brown, C. P.. (2019). Disrupting and countering deficits in early childhood education.. New York: Routledge. (View)

Brown, C. P.., McMullen, M. B.. & File, N.. (2019). Wiley handbook of early childhood care and education. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. (View)

Brown, C. P.. & Barry, D. P.. (2019). Public policy and early childhood curriculum in the United States.. Curriculum in early childhood: re-examined, reclaimed, and renewed, (2nd ed.ed., pp. 17–33). New York: Routledge.

Brown, C. P.. & Lan, Y. C.. (2018). Understanding families conceptions of school readiness in the United States: A qualitative metasynthesis.. International Journal of Early Years Education, 26(4), 403–421. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669760.2018.1454302.

Brown, C. P.., Feger, B. S.. & Mowry, B. N.. (2018). RIGOROUS DAP in the Early Years: From Theory to Practice: Redleaf Press. (View)

Brown, C P. (2018). What really should be happening in kindergarten classrooms. Houston Chronicle.

Brown, C. P.. & Ku, D-H. (2018). Putting theories into action: A case of study of how early educators made sense of teaching lessons that reflected their students sociocultural worlds.. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 39(4), 382–405. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2017.1415239.

Brown, C. P.. & Mowry, B.. (2017). I wanted to know how they perceived jail: Studying how one early educator brought her students worlds into her standardized teaching context.. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(2), 163–173. https://rdcu.be/6gJp.

Brown, C. P.. & Englehardt, J.. (2017). A case study of how a sample of preservice teachers made sense of incorporating iPads into their instruction with children. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 38(1), 19–38. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10901027.2016.1274695.

Brown, C. P.. (2017). Preservice teachers reconfiguring teaching young children in a high-stakes early education context through the use of iPads: A case study.. Early Education and Development, 28(8), 976–995. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10409289.2017.1336403.

Brown, C. P.. & Weber, N. B.. (2017). Bringing being into professional development: a qualitative investigation into teachers struggles moving beyond an epistemological framing of teaching and learning. Early Child Development and Care. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004430.2017.1343312?journalCode=gecd20. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1343312.

Brown, C. P.. (2017). I've been in education for 20 years here's what everyone gets wrong about kindergarten.. http://www.businessinsider.com/what-everyone-gets-wrong-about-kindergarten-2017-9.

Brown,, C. P.. & Englehardt, J.. (2016). Conceptions of and early childhood educators experiences in early childhood professional development programs: A qualitative metasynthesis.. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 37(3), 216–244. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10901027.2016.1204574?journalCode=ujec20.

Brown, C P., Weber, N. & Yoon, Y. (2016). Reluctantly governed: The struggles of early educators in a professional development course that challenged their teaching in a high-stakes neoliberal early education context.. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 17(2), 210–234. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1463949116647286.

Brown, C P. & Weber, N. (2016). Struggling to overcome the states prescription for practice: A study of a sample of early educators professional development and action-research projects in a high-stakes teaching context.. Journal of Teacher Education, 67(3), 183–202. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022487116636452.

Brown, C P. & Mowry, B. (2016). Using testimonio to bring childrens worlds into a standardized teaching context: An example of culturally relevant teaching in early childhood education.. Childhood Education, 92(4), 281–289. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.2016.1208006?journalCode=uced20.

Brown, C P., Englehardt, J. & Mathers, H. (2016). Examining preservice teachers conceptual and practical understandings of adopting iPads into their teaching of young children. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 179–190. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X16302645.

Brown, C. P.. (2016). Kindergarteners get little time to play. Why does it matter?. https://theconversation.com/kindergartners-get-little-time-to-play-why-does-it-matter-57093.

Brown, C P. (2015). Conforming to reform: Teaching pre-kindergarten in a neoliberal early education system. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 13(3), 236–251. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1476718X14538602.

Brown, C P., Mowry, B. & Feger, B. (2015). Helping others understand academic rigor in teachers developmentally appropriate practices. Young Children, 70(4), 62–69. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2015/helping-others-understand-academic-rigor.

Brown, C P., Lan, Y. & Jeong, H. (2015). Beginning to untangle the strange coupling of power within a neoliberal early education context. International Journal of Early Years Education, 23(2), 138–152. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669760.2015.1034093?journalCode=ciey20.

Brown, C P., Bay-Borelli, D. & Scott, J. (2015). Figuring out how to be a teacher in a high-stakes context: A case study of first-year teachers conceptual and practical development. Action in Teacher Education, 37(1), 45–64. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01626620.2014.969849.

Brown, C P. & Mowry, B. (2015). Close early learning gaps with RIGOROUS DAP. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(7), 53–57. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0031721715579041?journalCode=pdka.

Brown, C P., Weber, N. & Yoon, Y. (2015). The practical difficulties for early educators who tried to address childrens realities in their high-stakes teaching context. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 36(1), 3–23. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10901027.2014.996925?journalCode=ujec20.

Brown, C P. & Lan, Y. (2015). A qualitative metasynthesis comparing U.S. teachers' conceptions of school readiness prior to and after the implementation of NCLB. Teaching and Teacher Education, 45(1), 1–13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X14001097.

Brown, C P. & Lan, Y. (2015). A qualitative metasynthesis of how early educators in international contexts address cultural matters that contrast with developmentally appropriate practices. Early Education and Development, 26(1), 22–45. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10409289.2014.934176.

Brown, C P. (2015). Taking and teaching the test are not the same: A case study of first year teachers' experience in high-stakes contexts.. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 22(3), 1026–1044. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13540602.2015.1005870.

Brown, C P. & Pickard, H. (2014). Balancing the school readiness equation in early learning environments. Childhood Education, 115(12), 1–36. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.2014.982975. doi:10.1177/1476718X14538602.

Spencer Foundation Small Grant: Examining how familial, education, research, and political stakeholders make sense of the changed kindergarten
Kindergarten in the United States has fundamentally changed. Debates among familial, education, research, and political stakeholder groups over these academic and instructional changes to kindergarten specifically and public education in general are fractured and far from settled; making it difficult to grasp what is driving this change. Thus, there is an empirical need to understand how various stakeholder groups make sense of these changes to kindergarten. Dr. Brown and his colleagues are examining this issue through a video-cued multivocal ethnographic study that documents how familial, educational, and political stakeholders at the local, state, and national level conceptualize the purpose and processes of kindergarten specifically and public schooling in general. They will use their findings to offer practical, educational, and political insight into what is driving these academic and instructional changes. Moreover, they hope to identify whether and how these various stakeholder groups might work individually and together to support and/or alter such changes to kindergarten specifically and public schooling in general, what opportunities for further reform exist, and what research still needs to be done

Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education Article of the Year, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2017)

Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2014)

Regents' Outstanding Teacher Award, University of Texas System (2013)

Foundation Research Award, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2013)

Exemplary Research Award, American Educational Research Association, Division K: Teaching and Teacher Education (2011)

Taylor Francis Outstanding Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education Journal Article Honorable Mention, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2011)

Courses by year and semester
Year	Semester	Course
2024	Spring	ELP 383N: Graduate Internship
2024	Spring	ELP 391Q: Qual Rsch Design/Analysis
2024	Spring	ELP 392Q: Adv Qual Rsch Design Analys
2023	Fall	ELP 381C: Education Research I
2023	Fall	ELP 391Q: Qual Rsch Design/Analysis
2023	Summer	ELP f392Q: Adv Qual Rsch Design Analys
2023	Spring	ELP 383N: Graduate Internship
2023	Spring	ELP 391Q: Qual Rsch Design/Analysis
2023	Spring	ELP 394K: Early Childhood Policy
2022	Fall	ELP 381C: Education Research I
2022	Fall	ELP 391Q: Qual Rsch Design/Analysis
2022	Spring	ELP 383N: Graduate Internship
2022	Spring	ELP 392Q: Adv Qual Rsch Design Analys
2021	Fall	ELP 381C: Education Research I
2021	Fall	ELP 391Q: Qual Rsch Design/Analysis
2021	Spring	ELP 384C: Critical Policy Analysis
2020	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-L
2020	Spring	EDC 385G: Curric, Tchg, Assmt: Pre-K/K
2019	Fall	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-K
2019	Fall	EDC 385G: 90-Socl Contexts Early Ch Educ
2019	Summer	EDC f388R: 9-Case Study
2019	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-P
2019	Spring	EDC 385G: 38-Crit Persp Early Chldhd Ed
2018	Fall	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-L
2018	Fall	EDC 381R: Intro To Sys Of Human Inquiry
2018	Summer	EDC f388R: 9-Case Study
2018	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-K
2018	Spring	EDC 385G: 44-Curric Theors For Pre-K & K
2017	Fall	EDC 385G: 90-Socl Contexts Early Ch Educ
2017	Spring	EDC 381R: Intro To Sys Of Human Inquiry
2017	Spring	EDC 385G: 38-Crit Persp Early Chldhd Ed
2016	Fall	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-H
2016	Fall	EDC 381R: Intro To Sys Of Human Inquiry
2016	Summer	EDC s388R: 9-Case Study
2016	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-E
2016	Spring	EDC 385G: 92-Theories Of Curr Pre-K & K
2015	Fall	EDC 381R: Intro To Sys Of Human Inquiry
2015	Fall	EDC 385G: 90-Socl Contexts Early Ch Educ
2015	Summer	EDA f387Q: Intro To Sys Of Human Inquiry
2015	Summer	EDC s388R: 9-Case Study
2015	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-C
2015	Spring	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-S
2014	Fall	EDC 371G: Teaching Young Children-J
2014	Fall	EDC 385G: 86-Crit Persp Early Chldhd Edu
2014	Summer	EDC s385G: Case Study Research

Business Insider
I've been in education for 20 years here's what everyone gets wrong about kindergarten.

The Conversation
Kindergarteners get little time to play. Why does it matter?

National Kindergarten Day: A Day to Celebrate the Joy and Value of Play

Is Kindergarten Becoming All Work and No Play?

Kids are dealing with a lot of uncertainty this summer, and they need our reassurance: Parents can help by playing, laughing, and answering questions as best they can.

Reaching Roots for Parents
When your young child reaches school age, there is anxiety for both parents and children to start kids in school. For parents doubt of whether their child is ready for school, are they going to be ok, how will the kids survive without us? For kids, they might even be a little scared new teachers and a new environment, without mom and dad. Dr. Christopher Brown is a professor of early childhood education at the University of Texas at Austin. Christopher left his job as a teacher to pursue his Ph.D., because he was troubled by how teachers and families were forced to focus on standards and assessments rather than on the children he worked with daily. Chris is the author of 2 books, Ready for Kindergarten and Kinder-Race. He devoted these books to helping parents free themselves from the readiness trap, so your child will succeed in kindergarten. In this episode, Christopher provides insight into what is known about school readiness, how to support your childs learning, how to address common issues that might arise during the kindergarten year and how we could help reform the current early childhood methods.

Beautiful Bastards Podcast
Christopher P. Brown is a former preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade teacher. He is also an award-winning researcher, teacher educator, and professor of early childhood education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. This week he's on to talk about the good and the bad of public education, and how we can do better.

I've Got This Kid Podcast
In this episode, prepare to challenge what we need to prepare our sugars for kindergarten. Dr. Christopher Brown, will share his knowledge and experience not only from the lens of an educator, but also from a dad, uncle and godfather. Get ready to be toold up with strategies for you and sugar...

ADVANCE with Mike Acker: Leading Through Family Decisions with Dr. Christopher Brown
A discussion with Mike Acker about how to lead families through the school entry process, particularly on the issue of entering kindergarten.

Kungfu Mama
Kungfu Mama podcast where we discuss kindergarten readiness and how to support your child and your teacher. Its not common to find early childhood teachers that are also experts in education policy. Sometimes sending your children to school can be a daunting task when you dont know what to expect for your child. In this weeks episode, Dr. Chris Brown, former preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade teacher as well as professor and researcher of early childhood education, gives us the inside scoop on how to get your child ready for Kindergarten, in the perspective of a teacher, policymaker, and a father.

Little Steps, Big Futures:The Podcast
This week we are joined by Dr. Christopher Brown for our 50th episode! Chris is a former preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade teacher. He is also an award-winning researcher, teacher educator, and professor of early childhood education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. He has two books. The first, "Ready for kindergarten? Freeing yourself from the readiness trap" and "Resisting the kinder-race: Restorying joy to early learning, examines how kindergarten has become a place that races children from skill-to-skill". We chat about how the Childcare Sector and Education differs between Ireland and the US, with some healthy debate along the way!

Gentleman Style Podcast
What to expect when sending your child to kindergarten-Christopher Brown Shares

Fearless Parenting (Episode 1)
This is part one of a two part interview with Christopher P. Brown. Christopher is a former preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade teacher. He is also an award-winning researcher, teacher educator, and professor of early childhood education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. His most recent book Ready for kindergarten? examine issues surrounding kindergarten like: How to replace your worries about sending your child to kindergarten with wisdom and confidenceWhat to expect when sending your child to kindergartenHow to prepare yourself and your child for kindergarten.You can find my book today at: https://tinyurl.com/9cvsdb8d You can find Christopher P. Browns book at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Pierce-Brown/e/B08WKQK246

Fearless Parenting (Episode 2)
This is part two of a two part interview with Christopher P. Brown. Christopher is a former preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade teacher. He is also an award-winning researcher, teacher educator, and professor of early childhood education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. His most recent book Ready for kindergarten? examine issues surrounding kindergarten like: How to replace your worries about sending your child to kindergarten with wisdom and confidenceWhat to expect when sending your child to kindergartenHow to prepare yourself and your child for kindergarten.You can find my book today at: https://tinyurl.com/9cvsdb8d You can find Christopher P. Browns book at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Pierce-Brown/e/B08WKQK246

powerEDUp
Professor Christopher P. Brown brings a calm, level-headed, realistic approach to what teaching and learning should look like for our youngest learners. The standards we set, the expectations we create, need to align to what students need to develop as young people, not the content policymakers feel are important. Chris shares key strategies for taking advantage of learning moments, explaining why, and being explicit with his instructional decisions. In This Episode We Cover The power of explaining why we are learning what we are learning. How to be overly explicit with students and the benefits it offers. Using centers, play, and exploration to learn concepts. Fueling student questions and exploring those concepts to generate more questions. Encouraging students to view themselves as learners. Balancing curricular expectations with the lessons that truly matter.

Douglas Robbins Den of Discussion; Engaging Interview with Dr. Christopher P. Brown
Is our education system working? Dr. Brown and I dive deep into where it succeeds and where it fails us.

Speaking of Impact
EP #74: Making Education Enjoyable with Dr. Christopher Brown Learning should be fun. Sadly, its not always that way. Its vitally important that classrooms are enjoyable for students. They have to believe that they can and will learn valuable lessons in the classroom. Dr. Christopher Brown is an educator and author whos mission is to make learning more fun. He has held various teaching positions and has experience with all the learning systems of all age levels. Our conversation was poignant to the impact-maker movement because we are all teachers and learners. There are many things we can gleen from others successful leaders and it is our duty to share them.

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