Angela Passero Jones

Angela Passero Jones, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education within the College of Health and Human Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her academic mission centers on expanding educational equity through critically conscious pedagogy that challenges systemic oppression and cultivates transformative leadership in educators.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, University of South Florida, 2018
• M.S. in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbances (specialization: Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention Services), Florida State University, 2007
• B.S. in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbances, Florida State University, 2007

Dr. Jones's research integrates critical theory with narrative and arts-based methodologies across two interconnected strands: (1) policy and leadership dynamics in early childhood special education, and (2) family perspectives on educational equity. Her work systematically examines how policies operationalize social oppression through qualitative inquiry, challenging status quo practices while promoting social transformation in educational decision-making. This dual focus positions her at the intersection of disability justice, marketization critiques, and leadership reimagining.

Analysis of her 2015-2022 publications reveals consistent thematic concentration on market ideology's impact on preschool access, the social construction of disability in enrollment practices, and spiritual leadership frameworks as counterpoints to neoliberal policies. Her scholarship demonstrates methodological rigor in narrative inquiry while maintaining urgent political relevance, particularly regarding how power dynamics manifest in early education policy implementation and leadership decision-making.