Meet Brie Whitneybell | Reading Specialist & humanities professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brie Whitneybell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk will always be present. As I move in my educational career, my dissertation focused on Critical Race Theory, book banning, and the negative impact I saw on my students back in 2021. It was then that I knew I was set on a path to fix a broken system and that same system will always have risks, no matter which side you stand on.
Migrating into my doctoral program, I knew I wanted to continue on that path of racial injustice. My current line of work, as a reading specialist, has allowed me to see the effects of those who are not taught basic reading skills and even in high school, are several grade levels behind. Having an equitable education is vital to a system and when there are systems not playing the part, there are things that one must voice for. With the risk, there will always be someone who fights back, someone who wishes that I not push for my research, but it is I who must take a calculated step to counteract.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have spent the last ten years in education, most of it in a high school setting. Currently, I am in year three with my current employer as a Reading Specialist/Interventionist. With this job, I have been able to see how students are significantly behind in literacy. I have had the privilege of researching the most recent and best practices to analyze data and support students in my interventions. In the last year, about 85-90% of my students have grown two or more grade levels in their reading abilities and go on into the classroom.
It has not been an easy road by any means. As I worked on my master’s dissertation and looked at critical race theory, book banning, and how racial injustice was seeking a prominent role in the classroom, it was not an easy battle to fight. Banning books with many ethnic backgrounds hinders those of color. We read enough dead, white men, so why do we continue to push it? Our students of color aren’t learning anything about their ancestors, or the history of their race. It is the students of color who are not being represented and disengaged in their education.
The biggest lessons I have learned are that it’s okay to believe what I believe and to push through on the path that I have chosen. I feel that if I listen to other people who think I am “digging in the wrong place” or “have no business supporting people of color,” then I would not be where I am today. I know that what I am doing is for the good and have the opportunity to make a change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have the opportunity, I love being outdoors and on the hiking trails. Sedona offers some of my favorite hikes and getting away for a weekend is always a pleasant retreat. It offers a time to recharge the batteries and disconnect from reality. For something more local, a short hike at the Hole in the Rock followed by Blue Water Grill (16th and Bethany) for a good meal. A good night out with the girls consists of Old Town Scottsdale or a baseball game.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Loralee – your unwavering support, your mentorship and guidance, and your belief in me to do the great things I set foot to change.

Website: https://readwithbrie.wordpress.com/

Instagram: @queen_briexo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-whitneybell-04b52797/