Defending his dissertation, earning a doctorate degree, has been the grandest achievement in Sid Crudup II’s life.

“It definitely was a journey,” he said in a recent interview. “Not bad for a kid from Jersey [Perth Amboy].

Dr. Crudup, long-time Orlando resident, is an educator who wears many other hats: He is a husband, an ordained Preacher/Reverend, businessman; author and playwright, to name a few.

He served as a minister at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville from 1998 to 2005, spending most of his time with the Prison Ministry.  His wife, Sandra, was active in the Women’s Ministry and in Home Mission. They currently serve at St. John Baptist Church in Orlando (where he was ordained in 2015).

Dr. Crudup defended the dissertation, “Examining the Relationship Between Teacher Stress and Disruptive Student Behavior,” online (on Zoom) around the onset of news of the Coronavirus outbreak. In the qualitative study, about 200 pages long, he shadowed six teachers and posed the same 17 questions to determine their stress levels, student disruption levels and classroom management. The doctorate is from the University of New England.

He said he saw first hand, while working as a Reading and Math Tutor with third and fourth graders at an inner city elementary school, the challenges teachers faced daily and also, the heavy stuff students dealt with on a regular basis.

“The truth is, in a lot of schools, the teachers are babysitters,” said Dr. Crudup, Program Assistant with Orange County Public Schools. “There are children who are homeless. Some have been labeled, misdiagnosed and heavily medicated. It is difficult for them to learn under those circumstances.”

Teachers have to get creative, especially now with learning being remote-based. “Highlight their interests,” he said. “Do you feel the students are getting what you’re putting down, as much as they did in the classroom?”

His inspiration to get the doctorate degree came from his mother.

“My mom called it. She told me, ’I know you’re in the music field and you’re doing well,’ I just see you standing in front of a large group of people, speaking, teaching.” He didn’t see it then as a young man in his 20’s pursuing a music career and later working with people like D.J. Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith (then hip hop rapper and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).

Family members have always called him professor and earning his doctorate degree moved him a step closer to that title. In fact, before the degree, he authored and co-authored several books and a hit stage play, “Church Folk Can be Dangerous People.” (The play is based on a revised edition of a book he wrote prior to the play.) He has also worked remotely as a guest lecturer with California State University-San Bernardino, mostly covering the African American history and experience especially related to literature, politics and Racism. His dissertation in the education field got published not long after he earned the degree.

Recently, Dr. Crudup shared a milestone: He’s gotten more than 300 downloads of his dissertation! Of course, he gave thanks to Christ, for getting him through the task of writing it and people reading/using it.

Dr. Crudup, who holds bachelor and masters degrees in Criminal Justice, plans to do more academic writing and would consider a professor position (higher education).

“Eventually, I want to build a school for our kids, write the curriculum,” he said. And of course, he will extend his study.

Connect with him online on LinkedIn: Dr. Sid Crudup II.

© Orlando Community News, 2020