photo of Khuram Houssain
Office
Hesslegrave 101
Tel
(315) 729-2286
Email
khussain@middlebury.edu

Khuram holds a PhD in cultural foundations of education from Syracuse University, where he was awarded the All University Dissertation Prize; a master’s in American history from Binghamton University; and a bachelor’s in American history and political science from Oswego University.

He teaches classes that explore social movements for racial justice in schools and the pedagogy of democratic, multicultural classrooms. His research examines social actors who work to reinscribe schooling as a site for culturally responsive, community-oriented, democratic learning. He has published numerous journal articles, and his book, Weapons for Minds: Visual Thought in Muhammad Speaks, 1960–1975, is under contract with Johns Hopkins University Press.

Khuram has also served as a dialogue facilitator, trainer, and consultant to schools, universities, government offices, nonprofits, and community organizations on issues of diversity and equity. His work has been recognized by the NAACP, the U.S. Armed Forces, and community and campus organizations nationwide. He is the cofounder of Tools for Social Change (TFSC), a dialogue-driven initiative that advances equity and inclusion in the Finger Lakes region of New York. As a member of TFSC, he helped design and facilitate Geneva’s largest grassroots self-study on diversity, equity, and land use. Khuram also collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice to sustain Geneva’s Community Compact between communities of color and law enforcement.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Education in the USA
What are schools for? What makes education in a democracy unique? What counts as evidence of that uniqueness? What roles do schools play in educating citizens in a democracy for a democracy? In this course, we will engage these questions while investigating education as a social, cultural, political, and economic process. We will develop new understandings of current policy disputes regarding a broad range of educational issues by examining the familiar through different ideological and disciplinary lenses. 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Fall 2026

Requirements

AMR, SOC

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Course Description

Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Pedagogies
Gloria Ladson-Billings’ foundation work on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) rests on these core propositions—students must experience academic success; students must gain cultural competence in relation to their own culture and at least one other culture; and students must develop a critical consciousness. In this class we will examine CRP and other liberatory pedagogies such as Culturally Sustaining (Paris, 2012); Reality Pedagogy (Emdin, 2016), Abolitionist Teaching (Love, 2019) each of which “seek to open up possibilities,” so that students can bring their “whole self into the classroom and into the world.” (Ladson-Billings, 2021). This is a required course for all students seeking a Vermont teaching licensure. (EDST 0115) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Fall 2026

Requirements

AMR, CMP, SOC

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Course Description

Independent Project
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Fall 2025, Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027

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