Dr. Marianna Harris, Ed.D.

Dr. Marianna Harris, is a leader in the field of education.  She has over two decades of on-site experience in K-12 schools. Further, Dr. Harris is a recognized expert in educational leadership and has led the training of teachers through teacher credentialing; masters and doctoral programs in both California and China.   In 2008, Dr. Harris created a college master's level course entitled “Urban Issues in Education” for the purpose of preparing new and veteran teachers for the unique challenges they are likely to face in an urban classroom setting. Dr. Harris’ “Urban Issues” course curriculum is constantly evolving due to the nature of the changing demographics in California schools.  

Dr. Harris wrote her dissertation entitled, “A Case Study about Young African Male Achievers: Achieving a Scholar Identity”, to enlighten the education community about the nexus between some Black males and their pursuit of academic excellence. She currently works with undergraduate and graduate students in the Sacramento area Freedom Schools and the Central Valley Leadership Program preparing leaders to meet the challenges of diverse communities. Summer 2016, Dr. Harris implemented the Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. Youth Leadership Development Program. This is a residential program hosted by the University of California, Merced to identify middle school students in the state before they matriculate to high school.

Dr. Harris, believes her life's work is to enlighten the overwhelmingly non-diverse universe of classroom educators about what young Black males value when making their decisions about learning and achievement in school.  In this way, Dr. Harris transforms her dissertation research into an organic document capable of ongoing application.

Dr. Harris received her BA in Liberal Studies from CSU, Sacramento, and went on to complete a Master's in Staff Development and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership both from Mills College in Oakland, California.  She resides in Sacramento and is married to Attorney and Professor Mark T. Harris; has two sons, Eric M. Harris, (A.B. University of Arizona, J.D. University of Oregon) and Martin T. Harris, (A.B. University of California, Merced).