Headshot of Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul

Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Education
  • Profile

    Ma’asehyahu Isra-Ul has over 24 years of successful experience as a history/social science teacher, instructional coach and instructional specialist. Currently coordinating history programming across the school district of Richmond, Virginia, he is a teacher-centered leader. He firmly believes that when classroom teachers are supported and given the tools to succeed that they will raise the levels of student progress and success in turn. More effective teachers truly produce more successful students. He is the host of the Leading By History podcast and a consistent lecturer on what he has coined as “REAL history,” which emphasizes a challenging of prevailing narratives about history to uncover truth.

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    • Awards

      JV Educational Leadership Award, JV Educational Consultants, 2019 Black Educators Conference Virginia Union University (2013)

      Richmond Teacher Residency Teach for Change Career Coach Award, Center for Teacher Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University (2013)

      Teacher of the Year, The Georgetown School, Hanover County Public Schools, 2007

    • Presentations

      Isra-Ul, M. (2022, August). 3 Days in 3 Ways: Historical Literacy from Research, to the Field, to the Classroom. Presentation given at the 2022 Summer Literacy Institute, Richmond, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2022, February). R.E.A.L. Richmond History. Presentation given for Mentor VA's Community Spotlight Program.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2021, July). Teaching Difficult Topics: How Have Americans Fought for Democracy” Presentation given to the Stratford Hall Summer Teacher Institute.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2021, February). Examining Urban Hip Hop Videos through the Lens of Protest and Struggle Presentation given to RVA Schools for District History Training.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2021, February). Race, Culture and the Rise of African American Religious Movements. Presentation given at the Arise Black History Lecture Series, Brandon, Fl.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2020, August). How did we get to this Place and how do we Change it? Keynote Speaker for the Richmond Public Schools Central Office STAMPED text study.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2020, July). Challenging prevailing narratives in history instruction/culturally viable instruction. Presentation given at Stratford Hall, Stratford, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2019, October). What Africana studies? An examination of Dr. John Henrik Clarke's “Why African History?” Guest lecture given in the African American Studies Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2019, June). How we change the narrative in history/social science. Presentation given at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, Charlottesville, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2019, March). Performance assessments and the power of authentic instruction. Presentation given at the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies, Richmond, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2016, February). Re-imagining education: Envisioning emerging possibilities in the landscape of K-12 public school education. Presentation given at the Koinonia School of Race and Justice, Richmond, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2015, August). Under construction: Building a successful tool kit. Presentation at the Center for Teacher Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

      Isra-Ul, M. (2014, April). How are our children learning? Presentation given at Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.

    • Memberships

      Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative, Virginia Department of Education/GoOpenVA

      Virginia Social Studies Leadership Consortium

      Oliver Hill Day Committee

      Center for Teaching Rule of Law

      Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)

      Council for Undergraduate Research

    • Professional Experience

      Subcontractor (2020-Present)

      Virginia Department of Education

      K-12 Instructional Specialist (2016-Present)

      History/Social Science, Richmond Public Schools

      Instructional (Career) Coach (2012-2016)

      Richmond Public Schools

      History & Social Science Teacher (2006-2008)

      Hanover County Public Schools

      History & Social Science Teacher (2008-2012)

      Elk Hill Private Day School, Goochland, Va.

      History & Social Science Teacher (1997-2006)

      Powhatan County Public Schools, Powhatan, Va.

    • Certifications

      Virginia Postgraduate Professional License, Endorsements in History & Social Sciences and Administration & Supervision PreK-12

      Certification in Advanced Spanish, Cuauhnáhuac Institute of Language & Culture

    • Community Service

      • Co-Coordinator, Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative (2020–Present)
      • President, Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (2021)
      • President-Elect, Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (2020)
      • Mission & Vision Committee, Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (2019)
      • Oliver Hill Day Essay Contest Committee, Oliver Hill Day Committee (2017–Present)
      • Rule of Law Committee, Center for Teaching Rule of Law (2017–Present)
      • Learning Forward Virginia “A-Team,” Commonwealth of Virginia (2017–2020)