Education

Meir Muller, an ordained rabbi, earned his Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education and Master's of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina - Columbia. He has a bachelor's degree in Talmudic Studies from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz.

Expertise

Issues of racial equity, constructivist theory and pedagogy, Jewish education, social studies education, and pre service teacher preparation.

Biography

Rabbi Muller serves as an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. His research interests include countering antisemitism in education, anti-racist pedagogical frameworks, Pro-Blackness, and Jewish early childhood education. Muller has served as lead author of South Carolina’s early childhood state standards and recently co-edited the Bloomsbury text, Early Childhood Jewish Education: Multicultural, Gender, and Constructivist Perspectives. Muller is the co-founder of the Cutler Jewish Day School where he spent 30 years heading the school.

Selected Publications

Muller, M. & Braden, E. (2024). The Stories We Tell Our Young Children: Using Picture Books to Explore Race and Black–Jewish Relations. Journal of Jewish Education, 1-23.

Dubinsky, I. & Muller, M. (2024). The Jewish moral covenant: A bond stronger than blood. Shuddhashar (শুদ্ধস্বর) Free Voice Magazine, 40. https://shuddhashar.com/the-jewish-moral-covenant-a-bond-stronger-than-blood/

Achituv, S., Muller, M., Alexander, S. T., & Alexander, H. (Eds.). (2023). Early Childhood Jewish Education: Multicultural, Gender, and Constructivist Perspectives. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Muller, M., Achituv, S., & Gorsetman, C. (2023). Constructivism in Early Childhood Jewish Education. Early Childhood Jewish Education: Multicultural, Gender, and Constructivist Perspectives. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Friedman, I. D., & Muller, M. (2023). From the Melting Pot, to the Salad Bowl, to the Seder Plate: Moving beyond Multiculturalism in Early Childhood Jewish Education. Early Childhood Jewish Education: Multicultural, Gender, and Constructivist Perspectives.

Kirylo, J., & Muller, M. (2023). To Serve and Unite Children within a World of Diversity is to Recognize the Presence of God, Religious Education, DOI: 10.1080/00344087.2023.2198412

Wynter-Hoyte, K., Braden, E., Boutte, G., Long, S., & Muller, M. (2022). Identifying anti-Blackness and committing to Pro-Blackness in early literacy pedagogy and research: A guide for childcare settings, schools, teacher preparation programs, and researchers. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14687984221135489

Muller, M. (2022) Pre-service teachers engage young children in equity work, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 43:3, 347-362, DOI: 10.1080/10901027.2020.1832632

Muller, M., et al. (2022). "Another 100 Years?: Du Bois' Brownies' Book Goals, Just as Vital Today in the Education of Young Children and their Teachers." Journal of Negro Education 91(1), 137-148.

Muller, M. (2022): Anne and Emmett: University education students’ reactions to a course in countering racism and antisemitism in the classroom, Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, DOI: 10.1080/15505170.2022.2098209

Muller, M., Braden, E., Wynter-Hoyte, K. Long, S., & Boutte, G. (2022). Toward Pro-Black Early Childhood Education. Young Children, 77(1), 44-51.

Muller, M. (2021). Preparing Black Children to Identify and Confront Racism in Books, Media, and Other Texts: Critical Questions. In Boutte, G. S., King, J. E., Johnson, G. L., & King, L. J. We Be Loving Black Children.  Myers Education Press.

Muller, M. & Baum, A. (2020). Covid and Code. Focus on Ethics column, Young Children.

Muller, M. & Bryan, N. (2020). W.E. B. DuBois and Paulo Freire: Toward a ‘Pedagogy of the Veil’ to Counter Racism In Early Childhood Education. In Kirylo, J. Meeting the critical pedagogues: The enduring legacy of Paulo Freire. Bloomsbury.

Muller, M. & Boutte, G (2019). A Framework for Helping Teachers Interrupt Oppression in Their Classrooms. Journal for Multicultural Education, 13(1), 94-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-09-2017-0052

Wynter-Hoyte, K., Muller, M., Bryan, N., Boutte, G., & Long, S. (2019). Dismantling Eurocratic Practices in Teacher Education: A Preservice Program Focused on Culturally Relevant, Humanizing, and Decolonizing Pedagogies. In Hodges, T. & Baum A. Handbook of Research on Field-Based Teacher Education.  IGI Global 

Muller, M. (2018). Justice Pedagogy: Elementary Students Challenge Racist Statues. Social Studies and the Young Learner. 31(2), 17-23.

Boutte, G. & Muller, M.  (2018). Engaging Children in Conversations about Oppression Using Children’s Literature. Talking Points. 30(1), 2-9.

Muller, M., Gorsetman, C. & Alexander, S. (2018). Struggles and Successes in Constructivist Jewish Early Childhood Classrooms. Journal of Jewish Education, 84(3), 284-311.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Presentations

Muller, M, & Braden, E. (2024). A Critical Content Analysis of Anti-Black Racism and Antisemitism in Picture Books with Black, Jewish and Black Jewish Characters. AERA Conference.

Braden, E. & Muller, M (2024). Solidarity, A Critical Content Analysis Black and Jewish Characters. AERA Conference.

Muller, M. (2024). Amplifying Diasporan Literacies in Educational Research and Teaching. Invited panel member. AERA Conference.

Muller, M., Miller, A, & Gelnick, A. (2024). What Do We Tell the Children: October 7th. Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Muller, M. (2024). Teacher Educators Engage Students in Challenging Conversations to Explore Racism and Antisemitism. Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Muller, M (2023). Constructivism in Early Childhood Jewish Education. Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Muller, M (2023). What’s the Story: A Critical Content Analysis of Black and Jewish Characters in Picture Books. Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Muller, M (2023). Case Study: The Emmett and Anne Course. George Washington University’s summer institute on Antisemitism & Inclusion in Educational Settings.  

Muller, M (2022). Anne and Emmett: Countering Antisemitism and Racism through Pedagogy. London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism

Muller, M (2022).   Reading the Word and the World: Toward Pro-Blackness. Center of Excellence for the Education and Equity of African American Students. Columbia, S. C.

Muller, M. (2021). Engaging Children in Justice Pedagogy. National Council of Social Studies, Summer Pop Up Event.

Muller, M. (2021). What is the Real Message: Developing Anti-Racist Skills. Jewish United Fund of Chicago (JUF) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference.

Muller, M. (2020). Preservice Teachers Engage Young Children in Anti-Racist Work. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Zoom.

Muller, M. (2020). Talking About Race With Young Children. Association for Constructivist Teachers, Zoom.

Muller, M. & Matthew, I. (2020). Comparing Social Emotional Profiles of Kindergarten Students from Parent and Teacher Ratings. South Carolina Educators for the Practical Use of Research, South Carolina.

Muller, M. (2019). Justice Pedagogy: Preservice Teachers and Elementary Students Contest Racist Sstatues. Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education, New Mexico.

Muller, M. (2019). Anne and Emmett: Confronting Antisemitism, Racism, and Otherness Through Pedagogy. Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies. St. John’s College, Oxford University.

Muller, M. (2018). A Case Study: Successes and Struggles of Constructivist Teachers. Network for Research in Jewish Education. Washington, D.C.

Selected Awards

• Carolina Creed Champion Award, University of South Carolina (2024)
• Dr. Martin Luther King Social Justice Award, University of South Carolina (2023)
• The Two Thumbs Up Award for going above and beyond for students with disabilities (2023)Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of South Carolina (2019).
• George H. Lackey Inspirational Teaching Award, College of Education (2019)
• Appointed member of the UNESCO partnered Office Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) work group forming curricula materials to counter bias and anti-Semitism in Europe, Lithuania (2018), Slovakia (2018) and Portugal (2017).
• 2016 National Association Early Childhood Teacher Education’s Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award
• 2013 University of South Carolina's College of Education's Early Career Award in Teaching