Education

PhD in Education
University of California, Los Angeles
MAT in Public School Leadership
Teachers College, Columbia University 
BA in Sociology
Boston College 
Dr. Earl J. Edwards is a scholar, educator, and community-engaged researcher whose work examines how structural racism affects the educational and housing experiences of youth and families experiencing homelessness. His scholarship advocates for equity-focused policy changes and improves institutional responses to better support historically marginalized populations, especially Black youth. Dr. Edwards is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, where he directs the Housing, Education, and Equity Lab. His research has appeared in Urban Education, Children and Youth Services Review, Journal of Children and Poverty, and Leadership and Policy in Schools. He is also a co-author of All Students Must Thrive; a widely used practitioner guide focused on educational equity and trauma-informed practices.
A notable contribution of his scholarship is the article “Young, Black, Successful, and Homeless: Examining the Unique Academic Challenges of Black Students Who Experienced Homelessness” (Journal of Children and Poverty, 2020). Using in-depth qualitative interviews, the article explores how Black high school students who graduated while experiencing homelessness navigated racially hostile school environments that hindered access to federal supports guaranteed under the McKinney–Vento Act. The study shows that racialized school climates—manifested through unfair discipline, low expectations, strained student–teacher relationships, and fears of child protective services—act as hidden barriers to identification and support. The findings emphasize the need for race-conscious policy interventions to address the structural inequities embedded in homelessness legislation and educational systems.
Dr. Edwards has led extensive qualitative research and racial equity strategy development for public agencies nationwide. In Los Angeles County, he conducted over 200 interviews, focus groups, and community town halls to help guide a major reallocation of homelessness funding aimed at better supporting Black residents. His work was recognized by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness as a model for equity-focused, community-based research and has influenced similar initiatives in Ohio, San Diego, and San Francisco.
He serves on several national research and policy bodies, including the Homeless Policy Research Institute at the University of Southern California, the National Racial Equity Working Group on Homelessness and Housing, the Anti-Racist Research and Data Team to End Homelessness, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness Research Advisory Board. He has also contributed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress and has helped shape emerging federal research priorities related to racial equity in homelessness.
Dr. Edwards serves on the board of Higher Ground Boston, a Roxbury-based nonprofit founded by Hubie Jones to tackle health and education inequalities in Boston’s Black neighborhoods, and also serves on the board of Brilliant Corners, an innovative supportive housing nonprofit that assists California’s most vulnerable populations.
Dr. Edwards started his career as a classroom teacher and has taught in Providence, Rhode Island; Los Angeles, California; and Compton, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College, a master’s degree in school leadership from Teachers College, Columbia, and a doctoral degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Edwards is currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development. 

Academic Professional Experience

Interests and Expertise: Education policy, homeless policy, social justice youth development, youth experiencing homelessness, adolescent mental health, Black and Brown educational and well-being outcomes, qualitative research, community-university partnerships, urban education, housing justice.
Assistant Professor, Boston College
Lynch School of Education and Human Development
2022 – Present
Graduate Researcher, Black Male Institute
University of California, Los Angeles
2016 – 2022
Graduate Researcher, Center for the Transformation of Schools
University of California, Los Angeles
2016 – 2022
Research Fellow, California Policy Lab
University of California, Los Angeles
2020 – 2021

K-12 Professional Experience

Oversaw network-wide afterschool programing for 3,500 students across 8 school sites. Managed a $250,000 operational budget and coordinated 50+ expanded learning opportunities. Tracked implementation of $600,000 worth of state level grants through reviewing and monitoring submission of semiannual, final, and financial reports. Designed and executed professional development sessions addressing expanded learning for over 400 faculty members, administrators, and after-school providers
Designed engaging Common Core State Standard-aligned lessons and taught English Language Arts at Willowbrook Middle School.
Taught Introduction to Literature to special education inclusion classes of 54 ninth graders. Provided academic coaching and support to teachers via classroom observations, bi-monthly department meetings, and professional development sessions. Designed and executed professional development sessions on district test implementation, reading comprehension, and school wide data analysis for 67 faculty members. Communicated and collaborated with teachers, building administrators, and district administrators for all matters dealing with English Language Arts at Providence Career and Technical Academy
Taught reading and writing intervention courses to two self-contained classes of 16 students with various learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Taught Ancient World History, Modern World History, and United States History to three self-contained classes of 16 students with various learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Built a rigorous Ancient World History, Modern World History, and United States History curriculum aligned with local and Common Core Standards. Created and monitored Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) for a caseload of twelve students. Compiled, organized, and analyzed data to drive daily classroom instruction

Publications

Featured Publications

All Students Must Thrive: Transforming Schools to Combat Toxic Stressors and Cultivate Critical Wellness
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Who are the Homeless? Centering anti-Black racism and the consequences of colorblind homeless policies
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Young, black, successful, and homelessness: Examining the unique challenges of black students who experienced homelessness.
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  1. Edwards, E.J. (2025). Resource Hopping: Examining the Policy Barriers Faced and Strategies Used to Establish Partnerships for Students Experiencing Homelessness. Urban Education. doi.org/10.1177/00420859231214179
  2. Edwards, E.C. & Edwards, E.J. (2024) Beyond Policing: Understanding Threats to School Safety and Who Can Really Help. Leadership and Policy in Schools. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2024.2315559
  3. Edwards, E. J. (2023). Hidden success: Learning from the counternarratives of high school graduates impacted by student homelessness. Urban Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085919877928
  4. Aviles, A & Edwards, E.J. (2022). Transient zip codes: Utilizing counternarratives to examine the compounded effects of structural racism and housing insecurity. Journal of Trauma Studies in Education. https://doi.org/10.32674/jtse.v1i3.5048
  5. Edwards, E.J. (2021). Who are the Homeless? Centering anti-Black racism and the consequences of colorblind homeless policies. MDPI Social Sciences. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/9/340
  6. Edwards, E.J. (2020). Young, black, successful, and homelessness: Examining the unique challenges of black students who experienced homelessness. Children and Poverty. https://doi.org/10.1080/10796126.2020.1776688
  1. Howard, T. C., Camangian, P., Edwards, E. J., Howard, M., Minkoff, A. C., Orange, T., & Watson, K. T. (2019). All Students Must Thrive: Transforming Schools to Combat Toxic Stressors and Cultivate Critical Wellness. International Center for Leadership in Education
  1. Edwards, E.J., & Edwards, E.C. (2025). Inclusive Leadership and Poverty. In G. Theoharis & M. Scanlan (Eds.), Leadership for increasingly diverse schools(3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003560777
  2. Edwards, E.J., & Edwards, E.C. (2024). The Black Smugglers of Higher Education: How Black students, scholars, and faculty members disrupt schooling institutions to educate Black youth. In K. Watson, N. Cisneros, L. Pérez Huber, & V. Vélez (Eds.), Like a Path in Tall Grasses: A Handbook of Race and Refusal in Higher Education. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing
  3. Morton, M., Edwards, E.J., & Kull, M. (2022). Students Experiencing Homelessness: A National Crisis. In J. Bishop (Ed.), Beyond Schools: The Urgency of Reinventing Education Policy in America. New York, NY: Teachers College Press
  4. Edwards, E.J., & Noguera, P. A. (2022). Seeing our most vulnerable homeless students: The impact of structural racism on the education of black homeless youth in the United States. In R. Ray & H. Mahmoudi (Eds.), Systemic Racism in America: Sociological Theory, Education, Inequity, and Social Change. Berkeley, CA: UC Press
  1. Edwards, E.J., Hamlin, M., Jahn-Verri, F. Montano, J. & Martinez D.N. (2020). Reparative Records. In A. Roy, R. Rolnik, T. Graziani, & H. Malson (Eds.), Methodologies for housing justice resource guide. Online: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/41g6f5cj
  1. Edwards, E.J., & Luo, B. (2024). Who are Serving the Unseen? An analysis of the student homeless population in Massachusetts charter schools. The Housing and Educational Equity Lab at Boston College, Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development. https://tinyurl.com/26wbcp43
    • Media coverage: Hogan, C. (2024, April 16). “Homeless New Bedford students don’t have equal access to charter schools.” The New Bedford Light. New Bedford, MA. Online: https://newbedfordlight.org/alma-del-mar-global-learning-homeless-students/
  2. Mathews, K., Huang, H., Yagi, E., Balfe, C., Mauerman, C., Edwards, E.J. (2024). Barriers to racial equity for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers in California’s teaching pipeline & profession. Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles and Center for the Transformation of Schools, UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. https://tinyurl.com/2ks9t4wr
    • Media coverage: Lambert, D. (2024, May 21). “UCLA examines barriers to racial equity for teachers of color.” ED Source. Online: https://edsource.org/updates/ucla-examines-barriers-to-racial-equity-for-teachers-of-color
  3. Edwards, E.J., Edwards, E.C., Thompson, D., Stevens, R., Johnson, S. (2021). Reassessing the Homeless Initiative Strategies: Findings from CEO-HI Countywide Community Engagement Sessions. Chief Executive Office of Los Angeles County. Los Angeles, CA.
  4. Mathews, K., Leger, M.L., Edwards, E.J., Mauerman, C., Graham, F. (2021). Prioritizing Educator Diversity with New State and Federal Funding. Center for the Transformation of Schools, School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. Online: https://tinyurl.com/PrioritizingEducator
  5. Edwards, E.J., Milburn, N., Obermark, D. (2021). Inequity in the Permanent Supportive Housing System in Los Angeles: Scale, Scope and Reasons for Black Residents’ Returns to Homelessness. California Policy Lab, University of California, Los Angeles. Online: https://tinyurl.com/CPLBlackRetention
    • Media coverage: Tobias, M. (2022, Jan 27). “Will worker shortage disrupt homeless strategies.” ED Source. Sacramento, CA. Online https://tinyurl.com/bdz8zbum
    • Media coverage: Work, M.C. (May 2022). “L.A. turns to occupational therapists to keep formerly homeless from returning to the streets.” Los Angeles Times. Online https://tinyurl.com/3mysc6hn
    • Media coverage: Levin, L., Botts, J., Tobias, M., & Kendall, M. (May 2022) “California’s homeless—and possible solutions—explained.” Online https://tinyurl.com/3tt3bwta
  6. Edwards, E.J. (2021). “Partnering with Black Community Based Organizations to Address Student Homelessness.” SchoolHouse Connections. Washington, DC. Online: https://schoolhouseconnection.org/partnering-with-black-cbos-to-address-student-homelessness/
  7. Edwards, E.J., Edwards, E.C., & Howard, T.C. (2021). “The unseen & unsupported students in charter schools: analysis of charter school’s student homeless populations in Los Angeles County.” UCLA Black Male Institute. Los Angeles, CA. Online: https://blackmaleinstitute.org/unseen-and-unsupported/
    • Media coverage: McDonald, D. (2021, February 02). “Unseen and Unsupported: UCLA’s Black Male Institute Looks at Experiences of Student Homelessness in LA County Charter Schools.” UCLA Ampersand. Online: https://seis.ucla.edu/news/a-study-finds-that-la-countys-charter-schools-are
  1. Edwards, E.J. (2020). Listening to formerly homeless youth. Phi Delta Kappan.https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721720978069
  1. Edwards, E.C., Edwards, E.J., & Howard, T.C. (2020). “Keeping students safe in Los Angeles: An analysis of LAUSD school incident reports & funding.” UCLA Black Male Institute. Los Angeles, CA. Online: http://blackmaleinstitute.org/keeping-students-safe-in-los-angeles/
  1. Edwards, E.C., Edwards, E.J. (2020). “Raising Afro-Latino children in the era of COVID and Black Lives Matter.” American Psychology Association. https://successfulblackparenting.com/2020/08/17/vidas-negras-raising-afro-latino-children-in-the-era-of-covid-black-lives-matter/
  2. Edwards, E.J., & Howard, T.C. (2018). Young black and houseless: Analysis of LA County Black homeless student population. Black Male Institute. Los Angeles, CA. Online: http://blackmaleinstitute.org/young-black-houseless/
  1. Edwards, E.J. (2017). “Advice from a formerly homeless youth.” Education Week. Online: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-advice-from-a-formerly-homeless-youth/2017/04
  2. Edwards, E.J. (2010). Where alienation happens: The isolation of Black students within predominately white institution. SocialEyes. Boston College. Chestnut Hill, MA.

Presentations and Conference

Academic Audiences

  1. Edwards, E.J., Hurley*, A., Barragan*, S. (2025). Paper Session. Who are serving students experiencing homelessness in charter schools?. Presented at the annual conference of American Public Policy, Analysis, and Management. Seattle, WA.
  2. Edwards, E.J., Hurley*, A., Barragan*, S. (2025). Roundtable Session. Designated to serve: Trends in homeless liaison assignments in charter schools. Presented at the annual conference of University Council for Educational Administration. San Juan, PR.
  3. Edwards, E.J. & Howard J. (2024). Presidential Session. Moving toward a Pan-African approach to culturally responsive school leadership. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. Philadelphia, PA.
  4. Edwards, E.J. (2024). Paper Session. Resource hopping: Examining barriers faced and strategies used to establish partnerships for students experiencing homelessness. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. Philadelphia, PA.
  5. Edwards, E.J. (2023). Paper Session. Navigating structural and institutional barriers: Homeless liaisons’ struggle to serve students in historically divested communities. Presented at the annual conference of American Public Policy, Analysis, and Management. Atlanta, GA.    
  6. Aviles, A & Edwards, E.J. (2023). Paper Session. Transient zip codes: Utilizing counternarratives to examine the compounded effects of structural racism and housing insecurity. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. Chicago, IL.
  7. Morton, M., Edwards, E.J., & Kull, M. (2022). Paper Session. Students experiencing homelessness: A national crisis. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. San Diego, CA.
  8. Edwards, E.C., Edwards, E.J., Allen T. (2022). Paper Session. Race, police, & School Safety: A case study exploring the impact of police presence on school safety and Black youth. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. San Diego, CA.
  9. Edwards, E.J. (2022). Paper Session. Your network is your net worth: Exploring the cultural wealth that is keeping Black students experiencing homelessness in school. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. San Diego, CA.
  10. Edwards, E.J., Obermark, D., Milburn, N. (2021). Paper Session. The (Im)permanence of Supportive Housing: Black Residents Experiences and Outcomes in Permanent Supportive Housing in Los Angeles. Accepted at the annual conference of American Public Policy Analysis and Management. Austin, Texas.
  11. Edwards, E.J., Obermark, D., Milburn, N. (2021). Paper Session. Pushed Out: Analyzing Black Residents’ Premature Exits from Permanent Supportive Housing. Presented at the Biennial Conference for The Society for Community Research and Action. Online. 
  12. Edwards, E.J. (2020). Paper Session. It takes a village: Tapping into the community cultural wealth for students experiencing homelessness. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. San Francisco, CA.
  13. Aviles, A., Baszile, D.T. (2020) Got no place to call home: Toward a curriculum of housing instability. Vice Presidential Session. Edwards, E.J. invited as a panelist at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. San Francisco, CA. 
  14. Edwards, E.J. (2019). Paper Session. Race, education, and homelessness: Analyzing the blind spot of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act using a critical race lens. Presented at the annual conference of American Public Policy Analysis and Management. Denver, Colorado.
  15. Edwards, E.J. (2019). Paper Session. Helping the unseen: Supporting vulnerable student populations Experiencing Homelessness. Presented at the annual conference of American Education Research Association. Toronto, Canada.
  16. Edwards, E.J. (2019). Roundtable Session. Who are the homeless? The consequences of a dual public identity. Presented at the annual conference of Critical Race Education Studies Association. Los Angeles, CA
  1. Lecturer. It Takes Us All: Analyzing School Districts’ Comprehensive Approaches to Supporting Students Impacted by Homelessness. Course name: Race and Education. Presented at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Undergraduate course. November, 2021. Professor of record: Tyrone C. Howard, Ph.D.
  2. Lecturer. Colorblindness and the Implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance. Course Name: Community Lawyering in Education Clinic. Presented at UCLA School of Law. Graduate Course. January, 2021. Professor of record: Fanna Gamal, Esq.
  3. Lecturer. Race, Homelessness, and Libraries. Course name: Youth and Children Homelessness: The Role of Libraries. Presented at University of Washington Information School. Graduate Course. January, 2021. Professor of record: Julie Winkelstein, Ph.D.  and Vikki Terrile, MSLS
  4. Lecturer. Homeless education policy: A critical review of policies impacting students experiencing homelessness. Course name: Policy analysis and real politics of education. Presented at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. May, 2019. Professor of record: Pedro Noguera, Ph.D.
  5. Lecturer. Race, homelessness, and education policy: A critical review of McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Course name: Homeless education policy. Presented at University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development. Undergraduate Course. April, 2019. Professor of record: Ann Aviles, Ph.D.

Practitioner Audiences

  1. Keynote. Ensuring students impacted by homelessness thrive: Acknowledging structural racism and moving away from impoverished institutional networks. Presented at the Children’s Mental Health Matters Conference. Hosted by William James College. May, 2023.
  2. Keynote. Moving towards equity: Closing the opportunity gap through expanded learning. Presented at Bakersfield CA Expanded Learning Summit. Hosted by California Department of Education. September, 2019.
  3. Keynote. Shifting the paradigm: A counter narrative of youth experiencing homelessness. Presented at The Association of Black Social Workers of Greater Los Angeles 1st Annual Black Professionals Breakfast Summit. Hosted by The Association of Black Social Workers of Greater Los Angeles. February, 2019.
  4. Keynote. The achievement gap and the youth affected. Presented at State of Public School Education. Brown University. Hosted by Teacher for America Rhode Island. Providence, Rhode Island. November, 2012.
  1. Panelist. Black students experiencing homelessness in LA County: Planning for racial equity. Webinar. Hosted by Schoolhouse Connections. May 2021.
  2. Panelist. A conversation about back to school: Increasing successful educational outcomes for young people with housing insecurities. Webinar. Hosted by Sanctuary of Hope TAY Homeless Outreach Center. September 2020.
  3. Panelist. Homelessness in context: Racism, poverty, and housing scarcity. Presented at Los Angeles County 3rd Annual Homeless Initiatives Conference. Hosted by Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office. Los Angeles, CA. February, 2019.
  4. Panelist. Color me trauma: Addressing trauma in the Black community. Presented by Community Session on Mental Health. Hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Services. Los Angeles, CA. November, 2018.
  5. Panelist. A Narrative of Ending Black Homelessness. Hosted by Sanctuary of Hope TAY Homeless Outreach Center m. Los Angeles, CA. February, 2018.
  6. Panelist. Forum: How to Raise Successful Black Males. Hosted by Grace United Methodist Church Men’s Ministry Forum. Los Angeles, CA. October, 2017.
  1. Presenter. Black Resident Experiences and Outcomes in Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Report. LA County Department of Mental Health and Health Services Housing for Health Meeting. Hosted by Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Webinar. February, 2021.
  2. Presenter. Addressing structural racism in schools. UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families Training Series. Hosted by Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Webinar. April, 2021.
  3. Presenter. Addressing structural racism in schools. UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families Training Series. Hosted by Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Webinar. April, 2021.
  4. Presenter. Seeing the village: Identifying the support systems helping Black students who experience homeless graduate. HPRI virtual research symposium: Student homelessness in Los Angeles. Hosted by USC Homeless Policy and Research Institute. Webinar. September 2020.
  5. Presenter. Structural racism, implicit bias, and homelessness: Examining racism’s role in California’s homeless crisis. Webinar. Hosted by California Department of Social Services. December, 2019.
  6. Presenter. The dual public identity of the homeless: Reframing the homeless narrative with a racial lens. Presented at the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness Annual Conference. Hosted by the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness. Washington, DC. July, 2019.
  7. Presenter. Race, gender, and homelessness: Exploring the Black male homeless experience through their words. Presented at the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness Annual Conference. Hosted by the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness. Washington, DC. July, 2019.
  8. Presenter. Young, black, and homeless in LA County: The academic outcomes of Black students experiencing homelessness in LA County. Presented at the Housing Rights Center’s 20th Annual Housing Rights Summit. Hosted by Los Angeles Housing Rights Center. Los Angeles, CA. April, 2019.
  9. Presenter. Homelessness and racial disparities III: Addressing the effects of implicit bias in housing and service provisions. Presented at the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness Annual Conference. Hosted by the National Alliance for Ending Homelessness. Washington, DC. July, 2018.
  10. Presenter. Unlocking greatness: Shifting our perception of mentoring Black and Latino boys. Presented at BOOST Collaborative for Expanded Learning Opportunities Annual Conference. Hosted by BOOST Collaborative. Palms Springs, CA. April, 2017.
  11. Presenter. Creating resiliency: moving past the deficit perspectives when supporting homeless youth. Presented at Los Angeles County Forum on Trauma as Public Health Issue. Hosted by Los Angeles County Empowerment Congress. Carson, CA. November, 2017.
  12. Presenter. Moving equity for Homeless Students: Pedagogical Strategies to Improve Educational Outcomes for Youth Experiencing Homelessness. Presented at Illuminate Equity Symposium. Hosted by San Bernardino Unified School District. San Bernardino, CA. November, 2017.
Moderator. Supporting young Black men in crisis. Webinar. Hosted by Sanctuary of Hope TAY Homeless Outreach Center. September 2020.
Moderator. Policy and integrated systems approaches to homelessness prevention. Moderated at Los Angeles County 4th Annual Homeless Initiatives Conference. Hosted by Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office. Los Angeles, CA. March, 2020.

Media

Research Referenced in News Outlets

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Contact & Social Media

Earl.Edwards@bc.edu | Academic Related
Earl.Edwards@everexcel.org | Consulting Related 
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