Kerri J. Tobin

Associate Professor

Bachelor's Degree: Haverford College, 1997

Master's Degree(s): MSEd, Mercy College, 2004; MSW, University of Pennsylvania, 2007

PhD: Vanderbilt University, 2011

Office: 107 Peabody Hall

Biography

Dr. Tobin is a researcher who focuses on the effects of poverty on all facets of education, with particular interest in the intersections of race and class as they play out in classrooms and schools. Knowing that poverty impacts which schools children attend, what their teachers expect of them, and what they will ultimately go on to achieve, she helps new and pre-service teachers recognize and understand their tremendous responsibilities in the classroom. 

Dr. Tobin started her teaching career in the lowest-income Congressional district in the United States and spent a decade mentoring new teachers in high-poverty schools in New York City, Philadelphia, and Nashville before pursuing her PhD. She uses the foundational social work values and ideals she learned in her MSW program to guide students in developing empowering, student-centered classroom practices.

While studying with Dr. Joseph Murphy at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Tobin developed her specific focus on children experiencing homelessness; they co-authored the book Homelessness Comes to School (Corwin Press, 2011). Dr. Tobin has since written, published, taught, and delivered professional development for teachers on the needs and experiences of this vulnerable population. Her most recent book, Homelessness in the Classroom (DIO Press, 2021), offers teachers and other school personnel practical approaches for serving undomiciled students. Dr. Tobin’s expertise has been sought by such outlets as NPR and Politico.

Selected Publications

Tobin, K. & Gros, B. (2021). Homelessness in the Classroom. New York, NY: DIO Press.

Clark, C., Fasching-Varner, K.J., & Tobin, K. (Eds.) (2021). Multicultural Curriculum Transformation in Social Studies and Civic Education. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Tobin, K. (2016). Homeless students and academic achievement: Evidence from a large urban area. Urban Education, 51(2), 197-220.

Tobin, K. and Murphy, J. (2016). Understanding homelessness. In D. Burnes, (Ed.) Ending homelessness: Why we haven’t, how we can. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Murphy, J. and Tobin, K. (2014). Homelessness in the United States: An historical analysis. American Educational History Journal, 41(2), 281-298.

Tobin, K. and Murphy, J. (2013). Addressing the challenges of child and family homelessness. Journal of Applied Research on Children, 4(1), np.

Tobin, K. and Murphy, J. (2011) A policy agenda for addressing homelessness. School Leadership Review 7(1), 71-97.

Murphy, J.F. and Tobin, K. (2011). Homelessness Comes to School. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Selected Presentations

Tobin, K. (2021). Evicted: A book talk. Presentation given for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA.

Tobin, K. (2021). Attitudes toward homelessness: Impact on students. Presentation at the Louisiana Educational Research Association, February 2021.

Tobin, K., Moulton, M., and Bower, C. (2019). Homelessness and school: Continued challenges. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the University Council for Educational Administration, New Orleans, LA, October 2019.

Tobin, K., Moulton, M., and Andermann, R. (2018). Homeless education case study: The continuing importance of supporting and educating teachers. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY, April 2018.

Shaffer, M., Tobin, K., and Fasching-Varner, K. (2018). Black students’ experiences at rural PWIs. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY, April 2018.

Tobin, K. (2017). Homelessness as a barrier to educational opportunity: A statewide analysis and case study. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX, April 2017.

Bower, C. and Tobin, K. (2014). Social spending and educational inequality in OECD nations. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA, April 2014.

Tobin, K. (2012). Homelessness and academic achievement: Evidence from a large urban district. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, Canada, April 2012.

Miller, P. and Tobin, K. (2011). Examining academic and social outcomes of a community-based intervention for homeless and highly mobile families. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 2011.

Awards & Honors

TAF Undergraduate Teaching Award (2020), Ogden Honors College, LSU

Early Career Award (2019), LSU College of Human Sciences and Education

Best Paper (2014), AERA International Studies SIG

Dissertation of the Year Award (2011), AERA Leadership for School Improvement SIG