About Chantal
Dr. Chantal Francois is an award-winning scholar.
Chantal’s passion passion lies in humanizing literacy pedagogies for all youth, especially for students of Color. She is an associate professor at Towson University’s College of Education in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Professional Development. Chantal previously worked in New York City public schools for twenty years as a middle- and high-school English teacher, a literacy coach, and an assistant principal. As a literacy consultant, she has worked with teachers and educational leaders around the country on numerous issues related to reading and writing instruction.
Chantal studied at the University of Pennsylvania, Teachers College at Columbia University, and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She is the co-author Jen McLaughlin Cahill of Identity Affirming Literacies in Schools and, with Elisa Zonana, of Catching Up on Conventions: Grammar Lessons for Middle School Writers. Chantal also co-edited Humanizing Education: Critical Alternatives to Reform with her colleagues on the Harvard Educational Review editorial board and has published numerous articles in academic journals.
Chantal is the 2023 Recipient of the Leadership for Social Justice Teaching Award from the Leadership for Social Justice Special Interest Group from the American Educational Research Association. She also earned the Towson University Honors College Faculty Member of the Year Award in 2023. Chantal loves cooking a good meal, reading a good book, going on hikes, and having long, meandering conversations with her loved ones.
Chantal works with schools and educators around the country. If you’re interested in working with her, check out the Contact page.