معرفی
Sarah Garrity serves as Professor and Senior Associate Dean in the Department of Child and Family Development at San Diego State University (SDSU), where she previously held the Department Chair position. With nearly two decades of frontline experience as a Head Start teacher/administrator, state-funded program director, and literacy coach, she bridges academic research with practical early childhood education expertise.
Her educational background includes:
- Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from University of California, San Diego/California State University, San Marcos
- M.S. in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University
- B.A. in English Literature and Economics from University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Garrity's research examines behavior guidance policies supporting children's social-emotional development, early childhood workforce development for culturally diverse settings, and teacher beliefs regarding dual language learners. Her work emphasizes cultural communities as foundational to effective teaching, analyzing tensions between standardized quality systems and family childcare cultural models. She investigates Head Start program dynamics through transborder community lenses and translanguaging practices in multilingual classrooms.
Analysis of her 2016-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on equity-driven frameworks, with recent work intensifying examination of immigrant/refugee provider experiences and structural policy barriers. Key contributions include the Teaching and Guidance Policy Essentials Checklist (TAGPEC) and STEPS to Family Child Care Success professional development program, translating research into practical tools for educators.
As an educator, she teaches undergraduate parenting courses (CFD 353A/B/C), Early Language and Literacy Development (CFD 380), and graduate seminars including Seminar in Supporting Early Childhood Mental Health (CFD 671). Her administrative leadership in the Dean's Office focuses on academic operations while maintaining active research engagement. Current projects examine Cultural Navigators' roles in professional development systems and leadership competencies for PreK-3 alignment, demonstrating sustained research productivity with multiple 2025 publications.
