Debra Touchton

Professor of Education

Working in education for over thirty years, Dr. Touchton has educational and administrative experiences at the school, district, regional and state levels.

  • PhD, curriculum and instruction, interdisciplinary studies, concentration in organizational development, University of South Florida
  • MA, emotional disturbance, University of South Florida
  • Certification in administration and supervision, University of South Florida
  • BA, elementary education, University of South Florida

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Debra Touchton

Biography

Debra Touchton is an associate professor of the Educational Leadership graduate programs and is coordinator of the Ed. Leadership Internship and the Ed. Specialist program. Working in education for over thirty years, Touchton has educational and administrative experiences at the school, district, regional and state levels. Her passion is teaching, working with high poverty schools and leadership development of women and girls. Touchton strongly believes in education as the true equalizer and has dedicated her life work to it. She is an active member and a past-president for the Florida Association of Professors of Ed. Leadership.

More About Debra Touchton

Areas of Expertise

  • Small school district administration
  • Injustices in school systems

Course Sampling

Masters Courses:

  • Educational Management and Systems Planning
  • Analyzing Educational Research and Communications
  • Instructional Leadership and Supervision

Ed. Specialist Courses:

  • Utilizing Educational Research
  • Communications for Leaders

  • Leadership and organizational development
  • Women in educational leadership
  • The effects of poverty on teaching and learning

  • Touchton, D. and Acker-Hocevar, M. (2014). "Generational Diversity and Feminist Epistemology for Building Inclusive, Democratic, Collaborative Community," in Ivory, G., Hyle, A, McClelan, R. and Acker-Hocevar (Ed.s).
  • "Quandaries of Small-District Superintendents." Palgrave Publishing.
  • Acker-Hocevar, M. and Touchton, D. (2011). "A Model of Power as Social Relationships: Teacher Leaders Describe the Phenomena of Effective Agency in Practice," in Eleanor Blair Hilty (Ed.), Teacher leadership: The "new" foundations of education (pp. 239-264). New York: Peter Lang Publishers.
  • Touchton, D., Taylor, R. and Acker-Hocevar, M. (2011). "Decision-Making Processes, Giving Voice, Listening, and Involvement," in Acker-Hocevar, M., Place, W., Ballenger, J., & Ivory, G. (Eds.) Snapshots of school leadership in the 21st Century: Perils and promises of leading for social justice, school improvement, and democratic community.
  • Touchton, D. and Acker-Hocevar, M. (2011). "Decision Making Quandaries Superintendents Face in their Work in Small School Districts Building Democratic Community." Journal of School Communications.
  • Taylor, R., Touchton, D. and Acker-Hocevar, M. (2011). "Principals' Decision-Making: The Influences of Accountability." Educational Leadership Review (ELR).
  • Taylor, R. T. and Touchton, D. "Voices from the Field: What Principals Say about Their Work." Journal of Scholarship & Practice, Winter 2005 (1) 4.
  • Touchton, D. and Acker-Hocevar, M. "Perspective Of Principals in High Poverty Schools in Fighting Discriminations, Inequities, And Injustices." Wingspan, September, 2003 (14)2.
  • Touchton, D. and Acker-Hocevar, M. "How Principals Level the Playing Field of Accountability in Florida's High Poverty/Low Performing Schools - Part III: The Effects Of Poverty On Teacher Recruitment And Retention." International Journal for Educational Reform, Spring, 2003.
  • Acker-Hocevar, M. and Touchton, D. "How Principals Level the Playing Field of Accountability in Florida's High Poverty/Low Performing Schools - Part II: Building Organizational Capacity Under the Auspices of the A+ Plan." International Journal for Educational Reform, Fall, 2002.
  • Acker-Hocevar, M. and Touchton, D. "How Principals Level the Playing Field of Accountability In Florida's High Poverty/Low Performing Schools - Part I: The Intersection Of High Stake Testing and Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning." International Journal for Educational Reform, Spring, 2002.