Saili Kulkarni, PhD (she/her)

Associate Professor, Special Education

Dr. Saili S. Kulkarni's research highlights the intersections of disability and race in teacher education. She uses DisCrit (Disability Studies Critical Race Theory) to understand how teachers, particularly special education teachers of color, enact resistance in schools. Dr. Kulkarni also examines restorative and humanizing practices for young children of color with disabilities.

Education

• Ph.D., Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.S., Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Moderate-Severe, Special Education Credential, San Francisco State University
• B.A., Psychology, Boston University

Recent Publications

• Kulkarni, S., *Gaeta, J., & *Bland, S. (in press, 2021). In our own words: Special education teachers of color with disabilities committed to justice. In Eds. Duncan, A., O’Brien, C., & Black, W. Who Decides? Power, Disability, and Educational Administration: Narratives on Disability at Home, in
  School, and in the Workplace. IAP.

• Kulkarni, S. (in press, 2021). Shifting special education teacher beliefs about dis/ability and race: Counter stories of goodness and smartness. Journal of Curriculum Inquiry. DOI:10.1080/03626784.2021.1938973

• Kulkarni, S., Nusbaum, E., & Boda, P. (in press, 2021). DisCrit in conversation with teacher education at the margins. Race, Ethnicity and Education. (Special Issue on Disability Studies and Critical Race Theory; DisCrit). DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2021.1918404

• Kulkarni, S., Kim, S.Y., & Powell, T. (2021). Playing together: A call for multiple stakeholders to reduce exclusionary discipline for young children of color with disabilities. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 6(1): 251-278. (Special Issue for Surveillance, Policing, & Social Control: Decolonizing Classroom Management for Democratic Possibility).

• Kulkarni, S. (December 11th, 2020). Getting it Right: Why It’s Important to Pronounce Kamala Harris’s and My Name Correctly. Ms. Magazine. SJSU Public Voices Fellow.

• Kulkarni, S. (October 21st, 2020). Critical Race Theory is Critical to Our Continued Understanding of Societal Injustice. Visible Magazine. SJSU Public Voices Fellow.

• Kulkarni, S. (October 15th, 2020). Why We Need a New Generation of Special Education Teachers. OpEd for Hechinger Report. SJSU Public Voices Fellow.

• Meyer, L., Park, H., & Kulkarni, S. (2020). Chapter 13: Culturally responsive special education in inclusive schools. In (Eds.) J. Banks & C. Banks. Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives, 10th Edition. [honorarium and invited authorship]

Recent Presentations

• Kulkarni, S. (2021). Disability studies and critical race theory in teacher education: How to cultivate anti-racist, anti-ableist and affirming p-12 school spaces. Critical Collaboration Workshop Series. Sponsored by CEEDAR, CEC, CAIS & CCTE.

• Kulkarni, S., Stacy, J., & Kertyzia, H., (2020/21- Paper Accepted). Collaborative self-study: Advocating for democratic principles and culturally responsive pedagogy in teacher education. WERA Conference. Santiago de Compostela, SPAIN. (*rescheduled due to COVID-19)

• Kulkarni, S., & Chong, M. (2020/21-Paper Accepted). Restorative for Whom? Elementary School Teachers of Color and Implementation of Restorative Justice Practices for Students with and Without Dis/abilities. WERA Conference. Santiago de Compostela, SPAIN. (*rescheduled due to COVID-19)

• Kulkarni, S., Miller, A., & Nusbaum, E. (in review, 2021). (Re)imagining teacher education using disability-centered culturally sustaining pedagogies. Critical Race Studies in Education Association.

• Nusbaum, E., Miller, A., Kulkarni, S., Garcia, D.T., & Pearson, H. (2021-Panel). (Re)imagining teacher education using disability-centered culturally sustaining pedagogies. Society for Disability Studies.

Noteworthy Grants and Awards

• 2021-2024 Kulkarni, S., Kim, S.Y., & Powell, T. (funded, 2021). Playing together: Using learning labs to reduce exclusionary discipline for children of color with disabilities. Spencer Foundation Racial Equity Special Research Grants. [$75,000]

• 2020-2021 Miller, A.L., Kulkarni, S., & Nusbaum, E. (funded, 2020). (Re)imagining teacher preparation during a global pandemic using disability-centered, culturally sustaining pedagogies. Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University. [$25,000]

• 2020-2021 Kulkarni, S., Miller, A., & Nusbaum, E. (funded). (Re)imagining teacher preparation during a global pandemic using disability-centered, culturally sustaining pedagogies. AERA Division K Teaching and Teacher Education Proposals for Re-envisioning Teaching and Teacher Education in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic. [$7500]

• 2020-2021 Sybil Weir/John Galm Award-2020 Recipient San José State University, Center for Faculty Development, $2500

• 2020-2021 Inaugural Public Voices Fellowship Program San José State University

• 2019 University Scholar Series Selected Presenter

• 2019 Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award

• 2019 Faculty in Residence of the Year

Online Resources

• Twitter account | @Dr_Koolkarni

• Dr. Saili Kulkarni presented "DisCrit at the Margins of Teacher Education" at our Fall 2020 Lurie College of Education Faculty Research Symposium. Watch the full recording above and watch Saili's presentation starting at 5:16.

• Kulkarni, S. (2019). University Scholar Series Speaker: Saili Kulkarni. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/uss/39/

Areas of Research Interest

• Critical race theory
• Disability studies
• DisCrit
• Restorative justice
• Special education
• Teacher beliefs
• Teachers of color
• Teacher education

Recommended Reading

• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bandele and Patrisse Cullors

Personality Playlist

Listen to Saili's playlist below and access all of the personality playlists on our Lurie College of Education Spotify account