Jamie C. Atkinson

Jamie C. Atkinson serves as Associate Professor in the School of Special Education, Leadership, and Professional Studies within Missouri State University's College of Education since 2024, following promotion from Assistant Professor (2018-2024) and Program Coordinator for the Master of Arts in Teaching program (2018-2020). Previously, they taught Educational Foundations at the University of Georgia and served as a Georgia-certified K-12 teacher.

Dr. Atkinson holds a PhD in Educational Theory and Practice (Critical Studies emphasis, 2018) and MEd in Science Education (Ecojustice emphasis, 2008) from the University of Georgia, complemented by certificates in Education Law, Qualitative Research, Gifted Education, and ESOL. Additional credentials include two AAS degrees (Human Resource Management and Emergency Management, 2012-2017) from the Community College of the Air Force and a BBA in Finance from Georgia Southern University (1999).

Research centers on critical analyses of education policy, examining neoliberal reforms through lenses of sociohistorical context, social psychology, and epistemology. Key investigations address Christian nationalist threats to public education, corporate influence via the Powell Memorandum, and epistemic resistance in teacher preparation, consistently advocating for democratic educational practices rooted in Deweyan philosophy and social justice frameworks.

Publications from 2016-2024 reveal a methodological blend of critical theory, historical analysis, and qualitative research, with recurring themes of philanthropic strategy in education reform and ideological battles in teacher education. Work frequently intersects educational policy with social movements, emphasizing collective resistance against privatization and inequitable practices.

Major recognitions include:

• Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award (2020)
• American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book Award (2019)
• Missouri State University College of Education New Faculty Grant (2019)

Through program coordination and curriculum development for courses like EDC 249 (Schooling in America) and SFR 781 (Applied Research in Education), Atkinson shapes teacher education with critical perspectives on policy and social foundations, while ongoing grant-funded research examines historical figures in social work education.