We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of NAEd member and former president Lee Shulman on December 30, 2024. Below is a tribute to his life and career. We invite you to share your personal memories, stories, or messages by January 31 that captures what he has meant to you. We will then link to the contributions to this remembrance and share them with the family.
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Dr. Lee S. Shulman, a pioneering academic and beloved educator, who died on December 30, 2024, at the age of 86. A distinguished scholar in education and psychology, Dr. Shulman spent his career shaping the landscape of teaching, learning, and educational leadership. His research transformed our understanding of the intersection of knowledge, pedagogy, and human development.
Dr. Shulman was a visionary in the field of education, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of teaching and the importance of teachers as both intellectual leaders and compassionate guides. His landmark contributions to the study of pedagogical content knowledge continue to influence educators and researchers worldwide.
Lee Shulman was born in 1938 and raised in Chicago, the only child of Jewish immigrants who owned a small delicatessen. Growing up in a deli gave Lee a lifelong appreciation for pastrami and a well-marbled life. After attending a yeshiva high school, Shulman won a scholarship to the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy and psychology. He earned his PhD in educational psychology at Chicago’s famed Department of Education under the mentorship of Joseph Schwab and Benjamin Bloom.
Upon receiving his PhD, Dr. Shulman joined the faculty at Michigan State University, where he established the Institute for Research on Teaching at Michigan State University with the mission to advance the understanding of teaching and learning processes. In 1982 Shulman moved to Stanford University, where he was named the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education. In his early years at Stanford, he engaged in the research that yielded his conception of pedagogical content knowledge, the idea that launched a new research stage in teaching and teacher education. His research laid the foundation for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. During his tenure at Stanford (1982-1997), he served as president of both the American Educational Research Association and the National Academy of Education.
In 1996, Shulman was named the 8th president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. During his eleven years as president, the Foundation invested in studies of professional education in law, the clergy, nursing, medicine, and teaching and created a robust program that invited both college professors and K-12 teachers to share their wisdom of practice.
Among his dozens of honors, he was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Education. He was a Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of both the prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Education and E.L. Thorndike Award for Distinguished Psychological Contributions to Education. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association for College of Teacher Education and countless honorary doctorates from universities worldwide. Additionally, he served as a trusted advisor to Jerusalem’s Mandel Foundation, and a former Chairman of the Eddie and Jules Trump Family Foundation in Israel.
Dr. Shulman’s commitment to education extended beyond his academic contributions. He was a cherished mentor to countless students and colleagues, inspiring generations to think critically, innovate, and teach with integrity and empathy. His research on the nature of teaching, the role of the teacher, and the ethics of education have had an enduring impact on educators, policymakers, and school systems worldwide.
Dr. Shulman is survived by his loving children, Allen Shulman (née Debby Dresner), Dina Shulman, and Dan Shulman (née Lisa Weingarten). He was the proud grandfather of five grandchildren: Joey Shulman (née Leila Gorstein), Jordy Shulman, Becky Shulman, Sarah Shulman, and Sam Shulman (née Julie Touger), and an adoring great-grandfather to little Norah. He was preceded in death by his wife and collaborator, Judy Horwitz Shulman. A scholar herself, Judy created the Institute for Case Development in Education, which became a national and international resource for educators.
Donations in Lee’s honor can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Camp Ramah Tikvah Program in Ojai, California. May his memory be for a blessing.