Dr. Chatoria Franklin currently serves as the High School Science Specialist for Rutherford County Schools in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a growing suburb of Nashville. In this role, she has the privilege of supporting teacher growth and instructional excellence through high-quality professional learning, as well as guiding curriculum selection and development across all high school science content areas. This work is deeply rewarding, as it directly impacts both educator practice and student learning.

What has been a success of your leadership that you are proud of? 

One of the most exciting outcomes of her work has been the significant growth that they've seen in their Biology courses. Teachers and students alike are embracing new approaches to science learning—engaging with meaningful phenomena, asking deeper questions, and applying scientific thinking to real-world problems. These shifts have led to more authentic student engagement and a stronger emphasis on sensemaking rather than rote memorization.

Dr. Franklin is particularly proud of her work at both the district and state levels to advance three-dimensional, high-quality science instruction. Over the past four years, she intentionally built strategic partnerships with science leaders across the state to facilitate meaningful conversations about how science instruction must evolve to better support student sensemaking, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Through co-facilitating professional learning experiences, Dr. Franklin has helped guide educators in reimagining science classrooms as spaces where students actively construct understanding and think like scientists.

What is your vision for science education? 

Looking ahead, her vision for science education is one rooted in equity, access, and shared leadership. Dr. Chatoria Franklin is committed to ensuring that every student—regardless of background, school, or circumstance—has access to rigorous, engaging, and meaningful science learning experiences. She believes this begins with investing in teachers as instructional leaders and change agents. By intentionally developing teacher leaders and creating collaborative structures that elevate educator voice and expertise, we can build sustainable systems that support high-quality, three-dimensional science instruction across classrooms and schools. Through this work, science classrooms become spaces where diverse ways of thinking are valued, student sensemaking is prioritized, and all learners are empowered to see themselves as capable scientific thinkers prepared to navigate an increasingly complex world.

Chatoria is also a member of the Communications & Publications Committee as well as the Membership Committee. Thank you, Dr. Chatoria Franklin, for ALL that you do to support science teaching, learning, leadership, and NSELA!