Dear President Granberg and Interim Provost Lach:

We, the participants of the International Inclusive Education Symposium from Navrongo, Ghana (IIES), The IIES Organizing Team, and the Tiina Jori Ko Ba network in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana, write to you with deep respect and a sense of urgency. We have learned with dismay of the decision to not renew the contract of Dr. Doran Gresham at the Graduate School of Education & Human Development (GSEHD). We respectfully ask that you reconsider this decision. His work through the International Inclusive Education Symposium (IIES) has had, and continues to have, an immense and tangible impact on teachers, children, and communities in our region. Losing his leadership would seriously hamper a growing initiative that is already changing lives.

Below we humbly present the basis for our appeal, grounded in our direct experience, public record, and the prospective risks to collaborative inclusive education efforts in northern Ghana.

• The International Inclusive Education Symposium (IIES) is co-organized by Drs. Doran Gresham and Laura Engel (together with GWU alumna Elaine Walton). (Intl' Inclusive Education Symposium)
• In May 2025, GSEHD hosted our 2nd Annual IIES in Ghana, organized by Dr. Gresham, Dr. Engel, and Elaine Walton, bringing together more than 50 educators from across the Upper East region of Ghana. (GSEHD)

• The symposium combines theory with hands-on “labs,” emphasizes student voice, culturally responsive practices, and adaptable classroom tools. (GSEHD)
• The inaugural IIES (April 2024) was hosted in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality (for about 50 educators) as a pilot workshop, co-sponsored by GWU, GSEHD, the UNESCO Chair, and the Tiina Jori Ko Ba NGO. (Tiina Jori Ko Ba: Hope Restored)
• Through IIES, teachers in our municipality have been exposed to new inclusive practices, strategies for differentiating instruction, and professional networks previously inaccessible to many local educators. (This is our lived experience.)

In short: Dr. Gresham is integral in bridging GWU’s GSEHD with inclusive education capacity building in northern Ghana.

• Teachers in JOS Children’s School and in nearby schools have told us that IIES workshops have reshaped their thinking about students with special learning needs..
• Several participants of IIES now serve as local “champions” of inclusive practices in their schools and communities, multiplying the effect beyond the symposium itself.
• We are proud to report that more than 90% participants expressed being either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the training with data from the post-symposium survey among participants. Most indicated they would recommend the Symposium to others and found the content highly relevant.

• Additionally, a large number of attendees reported that the event “significantly” or “somewhat” enhanced their understanding of inclusive education practices.

• As part of the symposium, resource toolkits and follow-up networks have been shared, building sustainability. (GSEHD)
• The convening of educators from diverse schools strengthens local collaboration, enabling peer mentoring, shared problem solving, and collective advocacy.

• The visibility conferred upon our region through the symposia draws attention to the aspirations and challenges faced by teachers and children in northern Ghana, which helps garner further support and partnerships.

From our vantage point, the removal of Dr. Gresham’s leadership would risk discontinuity, loss of institutional memory, reduced accountability, and weakening of the momentum that IIES is building.

We understand that universities must make difficult personnel decisions. However, we respectfully want to encourage:

• Institutional continuity and relationships: Dr. Gresham embodies a trusted bridge between GSEHD, the UNESCO Chair, Tiina Jori Ko Ba, local educators, and district educational authorities in Ghana. Losing that continuity risks fracturing hard-won trust and dismantling a fragile network.

• Strategic alignment with GSEHD’s global commitments: The GSEHD’s own publicity on IIES highlights a commitment to inclusive education globally. (GSEHD) Removing a central leader of that work could undermine your school’s credibility and its ability to sustain global equity commitments.

• Threats to future growth and scale: The symposia are beginning to scale beyond Ghana: in the 2025 announcement, GSEHD noted plans to extend the model to additional schools in Senegal and Nigeria. (GSEHD) Without Dr. Gresham’s leadership, these expansions could falter or lose alignment with GWU’s vision.

• Signal to faculty, partners, and donors: A decision not to renew may send a discouraging message to other faculty engaged in international, applied, equity-oriented work, as well as to current and prospective partners or funders who see GSEHD as wavering in support.

On behalf of teachers, staff, and children whose learning and lives are touched by IIES, we humbly ask that you: Reopen for review the decision not to renew Dr. Gresham’s contract, considering the intangible and long-term impact he brings through IIES. In the interim, allow Dr. Gresham to continue in a transitional or advisory role for IIES, so that the momentum is not lost. Commit to assessing the fuller value of engaged scholarship, especially in the realm of inclusive education in underserved regions, not just by standard metrics but by community impact.

We know that many voices and priorities compete in a university setting, and that hiring decisions are not made lightly. But we also deeply believe that the richness of Dr. Gresham’s work cannot be captured fully in conventional metrics alone. The children, teachers, and communities in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality have begun a journey toward more just and inclusive schooling, and Dr. Gresham’s leadership is an indispensable anchor in that journey.

Thank you for considering our appeal. We would be more than willing to provide testimonials, data, or arrange direct conversations with participating teachers or district educational leaders. We sincerely hope that GWU GSEHD will reaffirm its commitment to the kind of global, collaborative, equity-driven work that Dr. Gresham helps make possible.

With gratitude, respect, and hope,

Elaine J. Walton, Co-Founder
Tiina Jori Ko Ba Nonprofit NGO
Kassena-Nankana, Ghana