Dr. Kelly Vaughn: A Career in Educational Advocacy
Though Dr. Tsehsien Kelly Vaughn is now a professor and the interim dean of the School of Education at Notre Dame de Namur University, many of her early school memories aren’t pleasant.
“I grew up in a very dysfunctional upbringing. We were the only Asians in our neighborhood and only one of several in our elementary school,” she remembered. “On top of that, my parents were separated and we were left in the custody of my mom. Looking back, I don’t think she was fit to do that because she had what was later known as paranoid schizophrenia.”
At school and in her neighborhood, Vaughn was taunted for her heritage and her mother’s mental health issues. One night in middle school, a group of teenagers vandalized her family’s home by covering it in ketchup and motor oil with racial slurs. The next day, terrified and saddened, she sought help from the one adult she thought she could trust — her principal, Mr. Taylor.
“He not only heard my story, but he made sure that my family and I were protected and justice was done on this criminal act,” she said. “And then, he continually checked in on my family, particularly with my mom and dad. I mean, this is amazing, right?” she continued. “To that point, I never thought that educators could do something like that. I mean, this is full-on whole child advocacy!”
Throughout her career, Vaughn has made full-on whole-child advocacy her No. 1 priority. Today, she teaches it in class, facilitates it in the communities she lives and works in, and ensures that it’s woven into the very fabric of the NDNU community.
Discovering a Passion for Student Empowerment
Vaughn earned her bachelor’s degree in Chinese history and didn’t plan on a career in education. Mr. Taylor, who became a close family friend, helped her discover that calling. One summer, he took Vaughn on as an intern at a local K-12 school district office. From there, she pivoted into substitute teaching.
“It was like the best learning experience,” she said. “It just solidified the seed that was sown by Mr. Taylor.” Enlivened by the experience, Vaughn earned her Master of Education (MEd) and became a full-time middle school math teacher, a position she held for 10 years.
The Pivot to Professorship
After a decade in the classroom, Vaughn wanted more out of her career. In 2000, she went back to school and earned a second master’s degree in Asian American Studies. During this time, she even produced a short documentary about immigrant students that made its way around the film festival circuit.
Ultimately, this empowering experience pushed Vaughn toward pursuing a doctorate in education in 2002. Toward the end of her studies, her husband made a life-changing suggestion.
“My husband said, ‘You need to teach teachers because then it'd be a multiplying effect,” Vaughn said. “He himself was a classroom teacher by this point. He was there for over 15 years.” Vaughn dove headfirst into this new opportunity and joined NDNU as an assistant professor in 2008. Since then, she’s proven her husband right — she’s used her talents to help not only NDNU and its education students but also teachers and students all over California.
Teaching Social-Emotional Learning
Vaughn’s childhood and classroom experiences alone are enough to inspire the next generation of educators like Mr. Taylor. However, inspiration isn’t always enough to create change. With that in mind, Vaughn teaches a framework for holistic development created by the Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC), an official partner of the NDNU School of Education.
The CRTWC framework breaks down social-emotional learning into core skills such as promoting collaborative learning, fostering growth mindsets, and building trusting relationships. Vaughn helps students develop these skills in every class, but they’re central to her Sociocultural and Multicultural Foundations in Education class.
“It’s actually a framework that's supported by the California Teaching Commission, but unfortunately, I don't think it’s really practiced well,” she said. “It’s my mission to help bring it back on the table.”
Academic Research With Real-World Impact
While Vaughn teaches her students how to advocate for their students, she advocates for her own students as well. There’s perhaps no better example of this than her research into the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) teacher performance assessment (TPA) protocols.
Vaughn and a colleague spent two years collecting and poring over CTC data. They found that Latino, Black, and Southeast Asian teachers have a lower TPA passing rate than other racial and ethnic groups. In their mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) analysis, they discovered that this is often because they’re intern teachers with little to no support inside or outside the classroom.
“It’s insane and it makes sense if you think about it, right? Why people would drop out, why people didn't pass the first time,” Vaughn said of this data. “We cannot afford to lose good teachers based on a high-stakes assessment. That is the very antithesis of what we as teachers promote for our students.”
Around the same time Vaughn did her research, the California Teachers Association (CTA) conducted an investigation and came to similar conclusions. After this one-two punch, the CTC revised its TPA standards, clearing the way for many highly skilled and immensely passionate educators.
AI in the School of Education: Human-Centered Innovation in Teaching and Learning
In May 2024, Dr. Vaughn took on another role at NDNU: interim dean of the School of Education. Unsurprisingly, she brings her trademark fervor to this new opportunity as well.
Vaughn’s goals include creating meaningful regional and global partnerships with other organizations, enhancing online programming, empowering educators to foster social-emotional learning, and helping educators use artificial intelligence (AI).
“When it comes to AI in schools, it’s the Wild West out there,” said Vaughn. “That’s why our School of Education is committed not just to adopting AI tools, but to critically engaging with them through a lens of social-emotional learning, cultural competency, and human-centered pedagogy.”
Rather than focusing solely on productivity, NDNU’s School of Education is preparing teacher candidates to analyze, evaluate, and ethically integrate AI into their practice. Faculty guide future educators to understand the broader implications of AI — how it shapes learning environments, influences equity, and affects student identity and agency.
This work is informed by strategic partnerships with CRTWC and the Human Intelligence Movement, and in collaboration with the Residency Lab of the CDE Foundation, all of which emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence, cultural responsiveness, and holistic development in educational leadership. These collaborations help ensure that AI integration is not just technically sound, but socially and emotionally attuned.
For example, while AI can assist with lesson planning by generating relevant materials, teacher candidates are trained to assess whether those materials align with learning goals and teaching standards, reflect diverse perspectives, and support inclusive classroom practices. “It’s not just about efficiency,” Vaughn explained. “It’s about intentionality, integrity, and impact.”
NDNU’s School of Education is also convening local experts in AI and teacher education to build a foundation in assistive and ethical technology use. This next generation of educators will be equipped not only with digital fluency but with the critical consciousness to lead responsibly in an AI-enhanced world.
“We’re proud to be shaping a future where AI supports — not replaces — human connection, creativity, and care,” said Vaughn.
To find out how you can become a part of this community of practice, build your teaching career, and more, fill out the form below to request more information about NDNU's School of Education today.
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