CUIN Associate Chair and clinical professor Margaret Hale

Department of Curriculum & Instruction (CUIN) Associate Chair and clinical associate professor, Margaret Hale, has been appointed editor for English in Texas, the journal for the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Hale’s editorial team will include: CUIN clinical assistant professor Dawn Westfall, recent CUIN Ph.D. graduate, Eve Zehavi, recent CUIN Ed.D. graduate Glen Russell, recent CUIN Ed.D. graduate Heather Pule, and Ph.D. student Roni Dean-Burren.

English in Texas is a national, peer-reviewed journal focusing on teacher research, classroom application, student writing, and professional development in English Language Arts. 

CUIN Clinical assistant professor Dawn Westfall

Westfall brings extensive experience with teaching, reading, and writing at the elementary level as well as experience working with preservice teachers who want to teach English Language Arts.

CUIN Ed.D. graduate Glen Russell

Pule and Russell are both current leaders in local school districts coordinating curriculum for ELAR (English, Language Arts & Reading) at the secondary level.  “The opportunity to be a part of this team provides a platform for me to stay connected with colleagues from my time at UH as well as a larger, dynamic professional community,” said Russell.  “I'm thrilled to be working with such talented peers on this important work.”

CUIN Ed.D. graduate Heather Pule

Zehavi brings her background in libraries, as well as in teaching English. Dean-Burren brings her perspective as a doctoral student as well as her experience as a high school English teacher and curriculum coordinator. “Being a part of this team means the world to me,” said Dean-Burren.  “I truly look up to everyone on the team and see this as a tremendous opportunity for my personal career, but also as a great opportunity to discuss social justice as it is related to ELAR via English in Texas.”

CUIN Ph.D. graduate, Eve Zehavi

Hale explained that this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the College of Education, University of Houston (UH COE) to English teachers across the state.  “In addition, it gives our team the opportunity to solicit manuscripts about teaching English Language Arts from a wide variety of people – both practitioners and researchers – at all levels,” said Hale.

CUIN Ph.D. student Roni Dean-Burren

Hale anticipates that this recognition will help UH COE in terms of recruiting graduate students for the masters and doctoral programs in CUIN.  “In addition, because two of us are current faculty here in the teacher education program, I think that our close work with the journal will lead to more use of journal articles in our teacher education courses, articles specifically from this journal,” said Hale.  “I also think that our appointment as the editorial team has potential for exposing our doctoral students to reviewing manuscripts, writing calls for submissions, and being involved in the workings of a peer-reviewed journal.”

When asked who inspired her most to take on this endeavor as editor of a peer-reviewed journal, Hale said it was CUIN professor Lee Mountain. “Her passion for writing has long served as an inspiration for me (and probably for the other members of the team as well),” said Hale.  “She [Mountain] encourages us, both as students and as faculty, to be involved in the professional community through writing, publishing, and presenting.”

"Dr. Margaret Hale has gathered a gifted editorial team for English in Texas; each member is an accomplished writer as well as editor,” said Mountain. “But it is Margaret herself who is going to provide the outstanding leadership that will make an already-fine journal even more excellent.”