Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Lee S. Shulman: CPED and His Founding Vision

 

Dr. Lee S. Shulman, President Emeritus of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, was a pioneer in education whose transformative ideas reshaped the landscape of doctoral education. As the visionary behind the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), Shulman’s leadership, insight, and boundless generosity of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of scholars and practitioners.

During his tenure as president of the Carnegie Foundation, Shulman spearheaded two groundbreaking initiatives that paved the way for his call to reclaim education’s doctorates. The first, the Preparation for the Professions Program, delved into how various professions approached teaching and learning in professional preparation. The second, the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), examined doctoral education across six disciplines. At the intersection of these initiatives lay the field of education, grappling with the dual challenge of preparing researchers through the PhD and equipping practitioners through the EdD.

By the early 2000s, the distinction between these two degrees had blurred, leading Shulman and his colleagues to author the seminal article Reclaiming Education’s Doctorates. This work not only articulated a vision for distinguishing the EdD but also called for a collaborative network of faculty committed to redefining its purpose. From this vision emerged CPED, a consortium dedicated to transforming the EdD into a degree designed to prepare practitioners for real-world leadership and change.

A Visionary’s Impact

Dr. Shulman’s leadership was instrumental in CPED’s early years. He introduced foundational concepts such as signature pedagogy—the unique methods of teaching and learning in a profession; the laboratory of practice—a space for connecting theory and practice in authentic settings; and the steward of practice—which evolved into the concept of the scholarly practitioner, emphasizing applied research and leadership. These ideas became the cornerstones of a reimagined EdD, setting it apart as a purposeful, practice-oriented degree.

For over a decade, Shulman’s presence at CPED meetings was a constant source of inspiration. His incisive questions and thought-provoking insights challenged members to push boundaries and reimagine what an education doctorate could achieve. With characteristic boldness, he once proclaimed, “When CPED programs run the way we envision them, the graduates of CPED programs will be far better prepared researchers than those traditional PhD candidates in education at most American universities.”

Reflections from David Imig, CPED Founder & Past Chair, CPED Board of Directors

When Lee Shulman was appointed the 8th president of the Carnegie Foundation, he shared with me his genuine surprise that a teacher educator was selected to head that distinguished foundation. For all his accomplishments, honors, recognitions, and awards, including AERA and NAE presidencies, Lee always saw himself in that light. He was a teacher educator—building “teaching professionals with pedagogical content knowledge” who possessed the moral, ethical, practical, and intellectual attributes of great teachers. His was a dedication to forming great teachers, and his long career was highlighted by his role in shaping the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the establishment and leadership for the Institute for Research on Teaching at Michigan State University (MSU), shaping the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL), being a prominent contributor to the Carnegie Corporation’s Teachers for a New Era, and the source for the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate.

At both MSU and Stanford, he professed with distinction and built a cadre of students who have shaped all aspects of teacher education for two ensuing decades. His students followed his scholarship and dominated the journals and conference presentations that reframed what teacher education could be. New forms of professional assessment and accreditation are attributable to those efforts.

Readers of this reflection will see his contribution to creating CPED as a singularly important accomplishment. His appointment to national panels on the doctorate in all fields in the 1990s led him to seek ways to “reclaim” both the PhD and EdD. He saw the promise in understanding professional preparation in diverse fields, and studies of signature pedagogies in other professional preparation programs are part of his legacy.

I remember well the six months of intense meetings and discussions, debates, and designs that led to CPED in the 2005-2007 period. Then-incoming Cincinnati dean Robert Yinger found the name for the nascent organization (as we sat on the floor of the Carnegie HQs and witnessed Lee trying to add toner to the Carnegie copier after hours). Lee wanted to design a performance assessment system to be the culminating activity for a new EdD (analogous to the medical boards—a dissertation “free” process) but succumbed to the realities that it would be impossible to do so in the time allowed and the conditions presented.

What I remember most about Lee is both his intellect and his humility, his enormous affection for Judy and his children, and his commitment to a host of former students. His sponsorship of their scholarship, the colleagues who embraced him and drew on his ideas, and his generosity and advice are among his greatest legacies. (He was a careful reader and constructive critic of the Contextual Scans that were a hallmark of my time at AACTE.)

Lee grew up poor in Chicago, the son of Jewish immigrants, in the 1940s and 50s, “took” three degrees from the University of Chicago at the height of its influence on all things “education” and then found his way to East Lansing. His abiding interest in medical education and Jewish education were extraordinary, and he played prominent roles in each.

Yes, Lee was first and foremost a teacher educator. He was also a great mentor, a dear friend, and a constant source of great ideas. He will be profoundly missed.

Reflections from Jill A. Perry, Executive Director

I was in the third year of my doctoral program in International Education Policy when my advisor left to join another institution. The timing could not have been worse, as I was transitioning into the dissertation phase with all my coursework behind me. At the same time, I was serving as the Graduate Assistant and program coordinator for CPED (the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate), working closely with the process and people shaping what we now know as the CPED Framework.

During one of our bi-annual meetings, I confided in Lee about my predicament. His response was both swift and transformative: “Write your dissertation on CPED,” he said simply. That brief statement marked the beginning of my shift into studying the EdD and CPED as a change initiative. It was classic Lee—offering a casually delivered suggestion that was, in reality, a deeply considered and insightful idea. He was known for these moments, where his offhanded guidance would leave young scholars or practitioners inspired yet responsible for sorting out the details on their own.

Over the next few years, my academic journey intertwined with my CPED journey, both shaped by regular encounters with Lee. As the visionary behind CPED, he had a gift for guiding the 25 original member institutions and their faculty through collaborative and thought-provoking conversations about concepts like signature pedagogy, laboratories of practice, and the steward of practice. These were ideas he introduced with conviction, yet he often shrugged off their specifics, saying, “I just came up with the idea. All of you must figure them out.”

Even after retiring as president of the Carnegie Foundation, Lee remained a regular presence at CPED meetings during AERA and AACTE. His words carried the clarity of wisdom and the weight of experience: “We are not going to overcome the bias against education doctorates in general. Don’t hide what you are doing—go high profile with it.” Or, reflecting on the capstone, he said, “It must be a substantial body of work. The doctorate is only partly an act of the mind. It is an act of the spirit and the discipline of a person who was willing to stick with a difficult task, meet multiple evaluations, and get something done. As a community, we must decide what substantial means.”

His advice wasn’t always lofty. At a CPED meeting during AACTE in 2010, he greeted me with a more practical quip: “Where is the coffee? You hold an 8 a.m. meeting, and there’s no coffee?” We always have coffee at all CPED meetings as a result!

Lee also played a pivotal role in my academic development. He joined my dissertation committee and posed a question that has stayed with me for years: “What is this a ‘case’ about?” I had an answer, but his expression told me he wasn’t entirely satisfied. Still, his unwavering support buoyed me throughout the process. He later joined my post-defense celebration, effortlessly charming my friends and family with his extraordinary storytelling and warmth.

In the years that followed, I was fortunate to interview him several times about the EdD and its evolving dimensions. One memorable occasion was during his visit to Duquesne University, where he was the invited speaker for the College of Education graduation. I interviewed him on equity and justice in education, and afterward, we visited Pittsburgh’s iconic Primanti Bros. sandwich shop, a local icon he found underwhelming. But he made the visit unforgettable by giving my five-month-old daughter her first solid food—a French fry—when I wasn’t looking. That was quintessential Lee: always surprising, always leaving his mark.

I was privileged to know him both professionally and personally. When we last spoke in the fall, his first question—as always—was about my daughter. He shared updates about his own children and grandchildren before we delved into CPED. I proposed another interview, but he chuckled and said, “I don’t think an interview is necessary—CPED has gone way beyond my vision.” His humility and pride were evident, encapsulating his extraordinary character.

A Legacy That Lives On

Though Lee Shulman is no longer with us, his influence remains deeply woven into the fabric of CPED and the lives of those he touched. His visionary leadership, boundless curiosity, and genuine humanity have shaped a community dedicated to carrying forward his mission. Future generations may only know him through his writings, but they will undoubtedly feel the spirit of his ideas and the transformative impact of his work.

Dr. Shulman once reflected,

“The doctorate is only partly an act of the mind. It is an act of the spirit and the discipline of a person who was willing to stick with a difficult task, meet multiple evaluations, and get something done.”

These words encapsulate the ethos he championed and the legacy he leaves behind.

To those who had the privilege of knowing him, Lee was more than a scholar; he was a mentor, a storyteller, and a force of nature. As we continue the work of CPED, we do so in his spirit, striving to embody the vision and humanity he so effortlessly exemplified. Dr. Lee S. Shulman was truly one of a kind.

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Gaetane Jean-Marie - Monday, January 13, 2025
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My condolences to Dr. Lee S Shulman's family and friends. I'm grateful for the impact his work has had in my educational leadership field. Dr. Shulman's legacy will live on through CPED and the communities that his work has touched. Gaëtane Jean-Marie, Ph.D. Dean and Professor of Educational Leadership Chair, Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) Rowan University

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