Dr. Karen E. Washington

Dr. Karen Washington is a Visiting Assistant Professor.  She has taught at Governors State University for six years.  Dr. Washington holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Illinois Institute of Technology.  Her Master of Education, in Teaching and Learning, was earned at DePaul University and her Doctor of Education from Loyola University.  Dr. Washington has a lengthy career in education and in politics.  She began teaching business and computer courses in a Catholic high school.  Later, she changed to elementary school where she taught second and fourth grade students.  These experiences prepared her to hold positions as assistant principal, principal, and regional manager.  Upon leaving administration in the public school system, Dr. Washington became the Deputy Director for the Illinois State Charter School Commission.  Working in the education field helped Dr. Washington to see the importance of serving to decrease societal ills.  She held and continues to hold voluntary leadership positions in service-oriented organizations.  In addition, Dr. Washington has been an elected official for nine years.  She began as the Village Clerk and later became a Village Trustee in her town.  While holding this position, Dr. Washington decided to help not-for profit organizations financially.  She joined Impact Grants Chicago to help fund organizations that could diminish societal ills.  These experiences augment the depth of her Higher Education instruction.  Dr. Washington teaches Not-for-Profit/Social Entrepreneurship courses and LEAD courses in the Interdisciplinary Leadership Program.  She also teaches courses in the Master of Public Administration Program. 

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Research and Presentations: Research: National Examination of Common Core Testing
March 2020-Present Presentation for National Conference of Black Political Scientists: A National Examination of 4^th Grade Test Scores in Reading and Math 
March 2021 Presentation for Teach for Liberia: The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking
November 2020:  Dissertation: The Effect of Secondary Reading Instruction on Student Achievement in a High Poverty Area 
April 2010