Dr. Stacey Deering
Dr. Stacey Deering is a political scientist, policy strategist, educator, and community engagement leader with extensive experience advancing education equity, civic engagement, racial equity, and public policy in Michigan. As Manager of Partnerships and Engagement at Ed Trust–Midwest (ETM), Dr. Deering leads partnership and engagement efforts connected to the Michigan Partnership for Equity & Opportunity (MPEO), centered on bringing together diverse leaders and organizations committed to advancing educational equity and opportunity for Michigan students and families.
Dr. Deering brings more than a decade of experience spanning higher education, policy research, advocacy, community engagement, and public education. Her work has included developing and facilitating policy education initiatives, building cross-sector partnerships, engaging communities around civic and policy issues, and translating complex public policy into accessible information for diverse audiences. She has taught political science courses including American Government, Urban Politics, Civil Rights and Liberties, Public Administration, and the Legislative Process.
Her professional experience also includes extensive engagement with Michigan’s equity and advocacy ecosystem. Since October, Dr. Deering has contributed to professional development and community-engagement efforts with the Michigan Early Equity Alliance under Mothering Justice, supporting work focused on early childhood equity, advocacy, leadership development, and strengthening community capacity to advance equitable outcomes for Michigan children and families. This experience complements her new role at ETM by bringing an established understanding of community-centered advocacy and cross-sector partnership building to statewide education-equity efforts.
As a committed public educator and speaker, Dr. Deering has developed and facilitated educational programs on voting rights, American government, Black history, women’s history, urban public policy, social justice, and civic engagement. Her work reflects a commitment to connecting research, policy, and lived experience to strengthen communities and advance meaningful systems change.
Dr. Deering earned a Master of Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Political Science, with a concentration in Urban Politics, from Wayne State University. Her academic and professional background provides a distinctive foundation for her work at the intersection of public policy, education equity, civic engagement, community partnerships, and Michigan’s diverse communities.