Sara Staley

Sara Staley is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in Teacher Learning, Research & Practice. She co-founded and co-directs A Queer Endeavor, a nationally recognized center advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion in education. Her work bridges academia and community, focusing on equitable school cultures and teacher training. Dr. Staley holds a PhD in Literacy Studies from CU Boulder and has extensive experience in K-12 education, including teaching English in Riverside, California.

Education:

• PhD in Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy Studies, University of Colorado Boulder (2014)

Research Interests:

• Queer pedagogical approaches to anti-oppressive education
• LGBTQ+-inclusive school policy implementation
• Teacher professional development in gender/sexual diversity
• School climate transformation for marginalized youth

Key Contributions:

• Co-developed partnerships with 6 Colorado school districts
• Facilitated LGBTQ+ training for over 7,000 educators
• Authored influential research on queer-inclusive teaching practices

Awards:

• Kalpana Chawla Award (CU Boulder)
• President’s Diversity Award (CU Boulder)
• Alan C. Purves Award (Honorable Mention, NCTE)

Teaching: Courses emphasize equity-focused humanities education and queer literacy practices, including Framing Equity and Justice in the Humanities Classroom and Queering Literacy in Secondary Classrooms.

Labs/Teams: A Queer Endeavor collaborates with educators nationwide to create safer school environments through research, policy, and professional learning initiatives.