Dr. James Martinez
Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
Dr. James Martínez is a professor of education and program coordinator in the Department of Teacher Education at Valdosta State University. A Chicano scholar, Dr. Martínez describes himself as living “in the space between the hyphen” in Mexican-American, reflecting a cultural identity that is “neither from here, nor from there” (Martínez, 2016; 2020).
He holds a doctorate in Education and Sociology from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Prior to academia, he spent over a decade teaching ELA / SCI and coaching football, basketball, and track in rural, inner city, and urban profile public schools. At VSU, he supervises student teachers and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses focused on classroom management, differentiated multicultural instruction, research methodology, critical pedagogy, educational law, and equity literacy.
Dr. Martínez serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Urban Review. His scholarship centers on critical race studies, Latinx education, urban and rural schooling, youth gang risk factors, education innovation, and immigration reform, with a special focus on middle grades education. Outside of his professional work, James enjoys traveling with his family, playing basketball, and attending both VSU and professional sports events.