GETTING TO KNOW
DR. ANDREA TERRERO GABBADON
Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon (she/her/ella) equips leaders and organizations to support and retain a diverse employee workforce through culturally affirming leadership, strategic improvement of working conditions and racial climate, and targeted professional development.
An executive leadership coach, speaker, and author, Dr. Gabbadon's work touches on culturally responsive and sustaining education, school racial climate, and educator diversity. Previously, she served as a high school teacher, teacher leader, instructional coach, and assistant principal/director of curriculum and instruction in both traditional public and charter schools.
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Dr. Gabbadon has also served as a professor and teacher educator at several institutions of higher education, including Temple University and Swarthmore College. She is also the author of "Support and Retain Educators of Color: 6 Principles for Culturally Affirming Leadership" in publication with the Association for Supervision, and Curriculum Development (ASCD) as well as an ASCD faculty member.
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Dr. Gabbadon's services include:​
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Leadership Consulting
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Executive Leadership Development: Equipping leaders with strategies to foster inclusive environments that support and retain a diverse workforce.
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Strategic Leadership Coaching: Guiding leaders in enhancing their effectiveness and impact through personalized coaching and actionable strategies.
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Organizational Assessment
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Equity Audits: Conducting thorough evaluations of organizational practices and climate to identify areas for improvement and develop data-driven action plans.
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Impact Measurement and Evaluation: Assisting organizations in assessing the effectiveness of their diversity initiatives and refining their approach based on data-driven insights.
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Professional Development
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Affinity Group Design and Launch: Supporting organizations in designing and launching affinity groups to address workplace challenges.
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Affinity Group Facilitation: Leading and managing affinity group sessions to foster meaningful discussions and actionable outcomes on diversity and inclusion issues.
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Keynotes and Workshops: Designing and facilitating interactive sessions focused on building inclusive practices, improving organizational culture, and promoting employee retention.
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Dr. Gabbadon is currently available for projects and collaborations that align to her services.
Purchase Support and Retain Educators of Color!
Support and Retain Educators of Color sets school leaders on the path to creating a culturally diverse environment where all students and teachers can thrive.
Multiple studies have explored the benefits of teacher diversity and strategies to recruit educators of color, but few focus on how to retain them. As professional demands on teachers intensify, many are leaving the classroom—and educators of color, already underrepresented in the field, are walking away at higher rates than their white counterparts. Research indicates the presence of educators of color benefits all students, so we must act now to lessen this financially and culturally costly turnover.
Dr. Gabbadon presents six principles to guide school leaders in their efforts to support and retain educators of color:
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Acknowledge that teacher diversity matters.
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Cultivate reflection and self-awareness.
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Assess and plan for action.
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Commit to sustainable and high-impact instructional supports.
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Foster supportive environments for culturally responsive approaches.
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Lead for an inclusive community.
Featuring voices from teachers in the field, research-based strategies and solutions, and recommendations for resources to enhance understanding and practice, Support and Retain Educators of Color is a vital tool for leadership intent on cultivating an affirming, validating, and inclusive school environment to serve a diverse population of staff and students.
WRITING
In addition to writing "Support and Retain Educators of Color: 6 Principles for Culturally Affirming Leadership”, Dr. Gabbadon has contributed to a wide range of prestigious academic journals and educational media, including:
Urban Education
The Urban Review
Educational Leadership Magazine
Through these platforms, she has leveraged her insights to advocate for critical issues surrounding culturally responsive and sustaining education, school racial climate, and educator diversity.
SPEAKING
Dr. Gabbadon is a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator. She has spoken on a range of topics related to racial equity and intersectional justice, including:
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Healing in Community: Racial affinity groups as an institutional strategy for self and collective care.
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Culturally affirming leadership to support and retain BIPOC educators
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Advancing Equity through Instructional Leadership
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Creating Safer Spaces: Leadership strategies to combat microaggressions
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Developing a Plan to Recruit and Hire Teachers of Color
Her keynotes and workshops draw on 15 years of experience as a classroom educator, instructional coach, and assistant principal/director of curriculum and instruction in both traditional public and charter schools. Additionally, her doctoral training as a qualitative researcher and current work in the field allows her to bring a deep, scholarly understanding of issues facing the education systems and practical strategies on how to address them.
ILM CONSULTING
As a qualitative researcher and consultant, Dr. Gabbadon leverages her expertise in culturally responsive education and school leadership practices to develop and implement innovative, culturally affirming solutions, including:
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Leadership Consulting
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Executive Leadership Development: Equipping leaders with strategies to foster inclusive environments that support and retain a diverse workforce.
-
Strategic Leadership Coaching: Guiding leaders in enhancing their effectiveness and impact through personalized coaching and actionable strategies.
​
Organizational Assessment
-
Equity Audits: Conducting thorough evaluations of organizational practices and climate to identify areas for improvement and develop data-driven action plans.
-
Impact Measurement and Evaluation: Assisting organizations in assessing the effectiveness of their diversity initiatives and refining their approach based on data-driven insights.
​
Professional Development
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Affinity Group Design and Launch: Supporting organizations in designing and launching affinity groups to address workplace challenges.
-
Affinity Group Facilitation: Leading and managing affinity group sessions to foster meaningful discussions and actionable outcomes on diversity and inclusion issues.
-
Keynotes and Workshops: Designing and facilitating interactive sessions focused on building inclusive practices, improving organizational culture, and promoting employee retention.
With a proven track record in designing and leading educational programs from scratch, she has collaborated with a range of partners across the public and private sectors. Below is a selection of the respected institutions in her client portfolio:
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School District of Philadelphia
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Mastery Charter Schools
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Catapult Learning
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Relay Graduate School of Education
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Rutgers University
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Cabrini University
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Anne Arundel County Public Schools
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Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium
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Profound Gentleman
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Jalawelo: Jamaica Land We Love
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Delaware Valley Consortium for Excellence & Equity
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Vocatio Career Preparatory School
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Achievers Early College Prep Charter School
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... and more!
Her work has been local and international, including service to educators in Germany, the UK, and Puerto Rico. Her clients come from a mix of urban, suburban, and rural settings so she applies a deep, nuanced understanding of various educational environments to effectively tailor solutions that meet the unique needs of each community.
