- Email:
- pmgregor@iu.edu
Dr. Pennie Gregory is the director of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning (CELL) at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Gregory’s research, practice, and leadership span a wide range of areas, including special education policy and implementation, instructional equity, systems change, educator development, and inclusive school practices. A central focus of her work is dismantling inequitable structures and improving outcomes for students with disabilities, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds. Her work draws from lived experience across school, district, state, and federal systems, and centers on bridging policy and practice to ensure access, belonging, and opportunity for all learners. Gregory’s contributions appear in peer-reviewed journals, practitioner publications, policy briefs, and national presentations. She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator of courageous conversations focused on redesigning special education with a lens on justice, quality, and sustainability.
Degrees
Gregory holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Special Education endorsement from Ball State University, a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Marian University, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from Harvard University.
Personal Statement
I am a systems-oriented special education leader dedicated to transforming how students with disabilities are served across classrooms, districts, and states. As a former teacher, director, and federal resident at the U.S. Department of Education, I bridge policy and practice to ensure access, inclusion, and outcomes for students who have been historically underserved. My leadership is grounded in instructional quality, systemic equity, and the lived experiences of educators and families. I bring deep expertise in special education program design, cross-sector collaboration, and continuous improvement—always with a focus on building adult capacity and dismantling inequitable structures. Through courageous conversations, data-informed strategies, and culturally responsive practice, I seek to reimagine special education as a space of possibility, not limitation.
Research Interests
- Instructional quality in special education
- Specially designed instruction and high-leverage practices
- Systems change and program implementation
- Racial equity in disability identification and outcomes
- Adaptive leadership in education
Publications
- Gregory, P. (2024). Leading with heart and soul: 30 inspiring lessons in leadership. Harvard Educational Review, 94(3), 456–473. https://doi.org/10.17763/1943-5045-94.3.456
- Gregory, P., Kuhn, L., Pratt, C., & Trivedi, M. (2020). Applied behavior analysis in schools and in clinics: Similarities and differences. Indiana Resource Center for Autism.
- Gregory, P. (2020). First opinion: BIPOC children's power and brilliance. First Opinions, Second Reactions, 13(3), Article 10. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/fosr/vol13/iss3/10
Awards and Honors
- CASE Early Career Special Education Administrator Award, 2021
- Indiana Governor’s Achievement in Education Award, 2021
- Indianapolis African American Excellence in Education Award, 2018
- Teacher Leader Evaluation Member, Indiana, 2016
- George Washington High School Justice Award, Indianapolis Public Schools, 2014