“We believe that the principal challenge facing educators today is to prepare students for the rapidly globalizing world of exponential technological change. We believe the big risk facing educators is that they are spending all of their time preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
Over the course of the last 10 years we have worked hard at One World to build a future ready enrichment program that supports educators as they try to prepare students for the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of a 21st Century world. Our One World enrichment program starts with after-school clubs then goes to a whole school model and finishes seeking to create One World communities. Dr. Ferrara has taken her experience in building community schools and used that experience to help One World build a global community of schools of character.
No educator has provided One World with more consistent and profound support in our efforts to build our future ready program than Dr. Ferrara. She has been a constant source of advice and support as we have developed programs intended to benefit students across the globe. Dr. Ferrara has helped shape and deliver our global character education program in China, England, Wales and the United States.
Her depth and breadth of educational experience has been enormously useful to our program particularly as we are consistently endeavoring to work in innovative, student-centered ways. In our experience her commitment to education is unparalleled.
In fact it is precisely this combination of commitment and experience that led us to ask Dr. Ferrara to chair One World’s Education Advisory Board. There is no doubt in my mind that a large part of the success of our program which has been taken up in over 200 classrooms in 10 countries around the world, owes to the powerful contributions made to One World by Dr. Ferrara. “
– Joe Carvin
Founder and Executive Director One World
“I began to work with Jo Ferrara in 2014 when she visited The University of Roehampton. Jo’s passion to change children’s lives through brilliant education shown through and resonated with the values of our University. I was delighted to introduce Jo to the challenges, opportunities and successes of the UK system. Jo brought her sharp and enquiring mind to bear, asking challenging questions to explore areas of mutual concern and seeking solutions.
I was thrilled to be asked to contribute to some of Jo’s publications. Writing for the audience was a challenge for me and Jo willing shared her deep experience to enable me a rookie to enjoy the success of publication. Whilst we communicate regularly via social media I always look for ward to our meetings when is on one of her regular trips to the UK.”
-Mark Deacon
B.Ed.(Hons), Dip.Sci.Ed., M.Sc. NPQH. FHEA.
Senior Lecturer Science Education
University of Brighton, United Kingdom
“Joanne Ferrara is passionate about developing education systems and pedagogies to improve the life chances of young people. Her research and work on community focussed schools is outstanding. Joanne has worked with others to help set up and develop community focussed schools in practice. Indeed she has several published books highlighting her expertise in this area.
Joanne believes in working in partnership with others for the benefit of all on both a local, national and international level. For example, her work with local schools led to an established teaching partnership programme enabling numerous new educators to receive the very highest level of training. She has worked with numerous partners and organisations across the globe and has led symposiums and training in the UK, China and across the USA.
Joanne believes in the importance of well-being for all. Her work on trauma informed practices supports schools and other organisations to ensure that they are better equipped to deal with the well-being and ultimate success of their learning organisation. Joanne has an in-depth understanding of the impact that trauma can have on an individual’s ability to learn. The training that she provides in this field supports attendees to understand trauma and what they can do to mitigate its impact.
-Lindsey Watkins
Head Teacher at Millbrook Primary, Bettws, Newport, Wales
“I first met Professor Ferrara in her role as Professional Development School Co-ordinator while she was serving as a Professor in Residence at the Thomas Edison Community School. She was lecturing in London and developing partnership work with the University of Roehampton. I was immediately inspired by the work that Dr Ferarra was undertaking and following discussions with her decided to pilot the model of Professor in Residence in my own independent British elementary school. This I believe may have been the first such scheme in a British School and Dr Ferrara and I subsequently collaborated on a chapter for her book on Professional Development Schools to chart the work that was being undertaken. Dr Ferrara visited my school in Kensington, London (UK) and met with staff. She guided me and my colleagues in ensuring that the model we were developing was rigorous, sustainable and true to the PDS aims. I then visited Dr Ferrara in the USA to see the community work that she was doing first hand and saw the way in which she inspired the teaching staff and indeed the pupils. As a result of this visit I embarked on my own doctoral research looking at the benefits of having an academic in residence in schools and in turn delivered a paper with Dr Ferrara at the 2018 Professional Development Schools’ Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, where I was delighted to see Dr Ferrara awarded with the Jason Kinsey Friend of the National Association of Professional Development Schools, which was richly deserved and it was a privilege to be present when she received it.
Jo Anne Ferrara is an inspirational woman who has guided so many in their professional development journeys. She makes a rich and full contribution to the field of Education, both in the USA and internationally.”
-Jo Ebner , Headmistress Thomas’s Kensington London
“Through her dynamic combination of scholarship, teaching, writing and advocacy, Dr. JoAnne Ferrara has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in the community school field nationally. She consistently brings to her work a deep understanding of life in low-income urban schools, including the many strengths and challenges in those settings—an understanding that is grounded in her considerable experience collaborating with principals, teachers, families, students and community partners. Ferrara’s latest book, Community Schools: People and Places Transforming Education and Communities, which she co-edited with Reuben Jacobson (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), exemplifies her nuanced and innovative thinking. The book is organized around the most important aspects of community school implementation and draws on the expertise of colleagues from across the country and from diverse academic disciplines, with the result of providing cogent advice to practitioners and policy-makers. Ferrara’s own chapter, on the role of pre-service teachers in community schools, highlights a cutting-edge issue in both the community school and teacher preparation fields. In all her professional endeavors, Ferrara demonstrates a unique ability to bridge the seemingly separate worlds of K-12 and higher education. “
-Jane Quinn
Director, Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools, 2000-2018
“Dr. Ferrara is one of the greatest educators I have ever met. During her visit to Jinling Primary School, Nanjing, China in February 2018, she observed some Chinese classes and hosted seven professional trainings for teachers from the whole school district. Based on her observations, she came up with an excellent training plan that answered questions and problems puzzled those primary school teachers since the beginning of their teaching career. Her profound understanding of education plus her keen observation made the training a huge success!”
-Jing Wen
Associate professor of English at Nanjing University of Finance and Economics.
Confucius Institute for Business at SUNY.
“Dr. JoAnne Ferrara is the consummate professional, extremely talented, knowledgeable, and world-renowned for her outstanding work in the field of education. Known for her contributions including teacher preparation, professional development schools, and early child education, the Baylor School of Education asked Dr. Ferrara to serve as consultant task force charged with selecting new elementary PDS sites to be part the award-winning PDS partnerships. She was such an asset in the selection process as she clearly demonstrated commitment to excellence in her work, openness to the needs and goals of all parties involved in the partnership, and an amazing ability to help the group consider the vast variety of perspectives that needed to be included in the decision-making. Her guidance, support, and objective view proved to be invaluable. “The best part, was that she was such a joy to work with.”
-Krystal Goree
Ph.D., Baylor University, School of Education
JoAnne Ferrara 