About Jen

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which [people] deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”  

Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, p. 34     

I am committed to enacting anti-racist, equity-driven systemic change in public E-12 and higher education through policy, practice, and program design. I have worked for 23 years as a secondary and post-secondary educator in French/francophone studies and English studies/literature/composition. I have a background in postcolonial studies, critical theory, and global education. I hold an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato. In addition to holding an M.A. in French and Francophone Studies from UCLA, I earned an M.A. in Literature and English Studies from Minnesota State - Mankato. For the past 14 years, I have had the honor of teaching a diverse community of students at Normandale Community College. In 2017, I was elected to the Hopkins School Board, and I have served as chair since 2020. I serve on the MN State Organizing Committee and the National School Board Steering Committee for Local Progress. 

My research centers on critical internationalization/global education approaches in community colleges. One of the great moral failings of higher education in the United States is its propensity to exclude and structurally marginalize students through systems defined and upheld by dominant (white, English language) culture. Within the community college environment, students, educators, and leaders have the opportunity to work collaboratively to disrupt these entrenched power structures and create spaces to learn from each other as we critically examine the past, navigate the complex present, and build the world we want to experience in the future. This requires centering student voices, trusting their knowledge, and acting on their recommendations to create emancipatory and critical learning experiences. The multimodal work samples on this site demonstrate my knowledge of and commitment to the intellectual and practical aspects of this ever-evolving work. 

I am passionate about lifelong learning (through reading, podcasts, conversations, and art), travel, and community work/organizing. Gardening and weaving are two newer interests that I enjoy doing imperfectly. I am the proud mother of Lyla (a 7th grader in Hopkins Public Schools) and partner to Mary Moriarty.

Contact: jen.t.westmoreland@gmail.com