Keturah Proctor

Educator Elmsford Union Free School District

Keturah Proctor has just completed her 20th year in education in the Elmsford Union Free School District. She began her career as a Special Education teacher and for the last 18 years, she has taught 6th grade Math and English Language Arts.  For the duration of her career, Keturah has centered the lived experiences of students of color in curriculum and instruction. As a former graduate and current resident of the school district in which she teaches, her unique perspective has afforded her the opportunity to forge authentic relationships with students, parents and community members which she credits to her success.

In addition to teaching, Keturah is the Curriculum Assistant for her building and she sits both on the building and district level Curriculum Council and facilitates Professional Development in this area. She revised the ELA and Math Units of Study for her building and she works with the Middle/High School teachers and Department Chairs in their curriculum efforts. She acts as an Instructional Coach and is a Mentor Teacher to new teachers.  Along with serving on the Curriculum Council, Keturah is also a member of the District Wide Equity Team. She has been instrumental in ensuring that the voices of Black and Brown students, their parents and the voices of the community are elevated. She is passionate about empowering students and co-constructing authentic learning experiences that promote agency and action. She is a leader in the school community.

Keturah has facilitated Professional Learning experiences for PNW BOCES, Ossining Union Free School District and for teachers in the Elmsford Union Free School District in the area of Anti-Bias,Anti-Racism. She is a member of the Regional Equity and Diversity Steering Committee and will join the ACTION Network out of PNW BOCES to collaborate and facilitate the professional learning opportunities for districts.  She was a webinar panelist to discuss Anti-Bias,Anti-Racism in schools which was coordinated through SUNY Cortland and the Syracuse City School District and has been a guest speaker on podcasts and for community groups. 

Keturah extends her commitment to her students to the community as well. She is the co-founder of the Community Action Alliance (CAA) which is an organization dedicated to serving students in the Elmsford Union Free School District whose families were directly impacted by Covid-19. The organization delivers food, provides financial assistance, and serves as a hub for housing, employment and legal services. Additionally, she co-founded Together for Justice. This group harnesses the power of community members to speak out against instances of social injustice, bias and racism. As a community organizer, Keturah is able to build relationships as well as fight alongside students, parents and community members to demand that marginalizing  and oppressive policies and structures be dismantled. She most recently was an organizer and speaker at The Rally For Justice in which over 300 people came out to protest against the horrific murder of George Floyd. 

Keturah holds a BS from the School of Education of Syracuse University in Inclusive Elementary and Special education and a BS from the College of Arts and Sciences in the area of African American Studies. She has a MS in Curriculum and Teaching  from Fordham University and will receive her MS in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College in 2021.

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