Saroja Warner

Overview

Saroja Warner serves as Senior Director of Responsive and Sustaining Education in WestEd’s Center for Teaching and Learning. She leads initiatives that connect research on the science of learning with culturally responsive and sustaining education (CRSE) to transform how educators, curriculum designers, and EdTech developers create learning experiences that affirm student identity and deepen understanding.  

Warner’s work helps educators, professional learning providers and EdTech developers translate research on CRSE and motivation, engagement, and persistence into instructional practices and product design features aimed at fostering belonging, relevance, and equitable learning. A national expert in diversifying the educator workforce and culturally responsive systems, she also guides research, policy, and technical assistance projects that build capacity to develop and sustain diverse educators and leaders. 

Prior to joining WestEd, Warner was Director of Educator Workforce Initiatives at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), where she led the Network for Transforming Educator Preparation (NTEP), a collaborative effort among 15 states to enhance educator preparation. Participating states changed educator preparation policies and practices to ensure that every teacher enters the profession learner ready. She also initiated a national program with nine states, authoring an anchor paper: “A Vision and Guidance for a Diverse and Learner-Ready Teacher Workforce.” Warner is a nationally board-certified social studies teacher. 

Education

• PhD in teacher education and professional development, University of Maryland, College Park 
• Graduate Certificate in administration and supervision, Johns Hopkins University 
• MEd, with Secondary Social Studies Certification, University of Maryland, College Park  
• BA in history and Black studies, summa cum laude, University of Massachusetts, Boston 

Select Publications

Warner, S. (2025). Essential characteristics of culturally responsive and sustaining education in mathematics curriculum materials: Sample lessons. WestEd. https://wested2024.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/04112133/CRSE-Sample-Math-Lesson-ADA-FINAL-1.pdf 

Warner, S. R. (2024). Culturally responsive schools start with culturally responsive leaders. In K. Perks (Ed.), Transformational leadership for rapid school improvement (pp. 23–35). Teachers College Press. 

Warner, S. (2022). Going beyond the data in diversifying the teacher workforce. Comprehensive Center Network. 

Warner, S., & Larbi-Cherif, A. (2022). Educator diversity matters: Strategies for charter leaders to recruit, hire, and sustain teachers of color. National Charter School Resource Center. 

Warner, S. R. (2020). Unpacking the mysticism: Culturally responsive teaching as deliberate practice. In A. M. Quinzio-Zafran, & E. A. Wilkins (Eds.), The new teacher’s guide to overcoming common challenges: Curated advice from award-winning teachers (pp. 30–31). Routledge. 

Warner, S. R., Allen, M., & Coble, C. (2020). Improving teacher preparation: The promise, challenges, and research needs of state accountability systems. In J. E. Carinci, C. Jackson, & S. J. Meyer (Eds.), Linking teacher preparation program design and implementation to outcomes for teachers and students (pp. 1–31). Information Age Publishing. 

Warner, S. R. (2019). Beyond Brown v. Board: Building culturally responsive schools. ASCD Express, 13(23). 

Warner, S. R., & Duncan, E. (2019). A vision and guidance for a diverse and learner-ready teacher workforce. Council of Chief State School Officers. 

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

Member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ Certification Council (2019–Present)

Member of the CALDER Policy Council (2018–Present)

Member of Northwest Evaluation Association’s (NWEA) Assessment Literacy Taskforce (2015–2018)