Dr. Carmine Stewart
Carmine Stewart received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Eastern Michigan University, and returned home to Cleveland to pursue a Master’s in Urban Planning from the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.
Carmine has worked in higher education as the director of student life at Notre Dame College and as a professor at Cleveland State University where she teaches future educators in the Adult Learning and Development, and Educational Studies, Research and Technology departments.
In 2006 Carmine found her passion and purpose in teacher preparation in the field of adult literacy education. After observing the current state of teacher preparation and professional development in adult literacy, and judging it to be inadequate preparation for the educators of adults with low literacy levels, she began pursuing a PhD in Urban Education from Cleveland State University, with the hope of changing the current state of teacher preparation in the field. Carmine earned her doctorate in August 2012, after defending her dissertation, “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Adult Literacy Education.”
Carmine conducts professional development workshops for adult literacy instructors that provide them with strategies and tools useful for improving the instruction of adult learners. Carmine is the President and CEO of Aspire Consulting and Educational Services, conducting research, evaluation, assessment, data analysis, and professional development training for school districts and adult literacy agencies. Her research interests are teacher preparation and professional development in adult literacy education, developing emancipatory knowledge in adult literacy educators, creating agency among the adult literacy population.