January Member Spotlight: Tsehsien Kelly Vaughn, PhD
Tsehsien Kelly Vaughn, PhD of Notre Dame de Namur University has served for 16 years as a tenured professor and 1.5 years as an interim dean in teacher education, and her area of expertise is TPAs. She has served CCTE for over 17+ years, after first being invited to CCTE as a new faculty member by her then-Dean. Her pre-Dean roles in CCTE have been conference reviewer and member of conference planning committee, presenter, ICCU-Ed board member, CCTE/AACTE new faculty mentor program in 2011 (Cynthia Grutzik was her mentor). Dr. Vaughn, was a the recipient of CCTE Partnership Award at 2014 Spring Conference.
CCTE brings together educators across the state—deans, faculty, TK–12 teachers, policy advocates, graduate students, field supervisors, and more—who are committed to equity, excellence, and innovation in educator preparation. When asked, “How do you achieve this commitment in your everyday work as a teacher educator? In your work for CCTE?” Dr. Vaughn explained:
As a teacher educator and Dean at NDNU’s School of Education, I am deeply committed to equity, excellence, and innovation in educator preparation. My teaching centers whole-child advocacy and social-emotional learning, guided by the CRTWC framework and aligned with California’s Teacher Performance Expectations. I also lead initiatives in ethical AI integration and culturally responsive pedagogy, ensuring our candidates are prepared to lead with both digital fluency and human-centered care. Through strategic partnerships and curriculum design, I work to dismantle systemic barriers and foster inclusive learning environments that honor student identity and agency.
In her work with CCTE, Dr. Vaughn extends this commitment through collaborative research and policy advocacy. In 2024, she co-authored a statewide study with Marisol Ruiz and colleagues through CARE-ED, analyzing racial disparities in high-stakes assessments like the edTPA, CalTPA, and RICA. Theior findings revealed that these assessments disproportionately block Black, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian candidates from certification. This work has informed calls to eliminate these gatekeeping exams and uplift more equitable, program-embedded assessments. Through CCTE, Dr. Vaughn continues to advocate for systemic change that diversifies the teacher pipeline and affirms the brilliance of all aspiring educators.
Currently, she advances this work through a strategic partnership with the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child, embedding SEL and cultural responsiveness into educator preparation. At NDNU, thery are also building a human-centered AI hub that equips teacher candidates to critically engage with emerging technologies. Rather than focusing solely on productivity, their approach emphasizes ethical integration, emotional intelligence, and equity. They train educators to evaluate AI-generated materials for cultural relevance, inclusivity, and alignment with learning goals—ensuring that technology enhances, rather than replaces, human connection and care in the classroom.
Finally, when asked about what she was most proud of in her work with CCTE, Dr. Vaughn noted this involved:
Relationships and the building of community. From Cindy, to Anita, Deb, Allison, Keith, Daniel, Ruth, Reyna, Eduardo, Lori, Karen, Darrell and everyone in between… that is what I’m most proud of. We come together to network, be thinking partners and collaborate, and support each other in both bad and good times.
