Celebrating Teachers and Teaching
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UNIVERSITY CHICAGO School of Education • Spring 2012 • LUC.edu/education DAVID PRASSE Dean Message from the Dean he School of Education has a long and distinguished history of T working closely with our Pk–12 school partners in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As a Jesuit university, these school partnerships include a long-standing commitment to Catholic Violetta Bernadas (MEd '69), Angeline Duldulao (MEd '74), and Sarah Kinzler (BSEd '09) schools, not only in the Chicago area, but across the country. Our School, along Fall 2011 Alumni Reception with the School’s Center for Catholic School Effectiveness (CCSE), partners with the Office of Catholic Schools by Celebrating teachers and teaching delivering degree-based programs n Saturday, October 17 the School of Education’s Fall 2011 Alumni Reception celebrated the that focus on developing teachers and profession of teaching and recognized our future, current, and alumni teachers. The event leaders for the Catholic schools. was attended by 77 alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Alumni who have been teaching just For seven years CCSE has delivered O a few years had the opportunity to network with veteran teachers like Karen Thomas, (BSEd ‘73, MEd national workshops, including an Annual ‘80) who has been in the classroom for 38 years. When asked why she teaches, Karen said, “Teaching is Summer Institute for department chairs my life, my joy. I look forward to each September to begin a new journey into the lives of my students. and instructional leaders from Catholic What an adventure!” Dalila Duarte (BSEd ’06) traveled from Nashville, TN to be part of the celebration. high schools and an Instructional Leader- To read their stories and learn what other alums say about “Why I Teach”, go to LUC.edu/soe40. ship Conference for national and inter- » national participants. The professional clinical faculty attached to the CCSE work directly with numerous Catholic schools in the Chicago area via onsite profes- sional development focusing on reading and literacy, curriculum development, instruction, and assessment. Finally, the CCSE has taken a leadership role in the development of National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elemen- tary and Secondary Schools, which will be released in March of this year. Dr. Ernestine Riggs and Jeff Brown (PhD '09) Former classmates Alida Stiega (BSEd '96) alumnus and community school partner and Linda Bailey (BSEd '96) reconnect FACULTY NEWS Anita Thomas, PhD r. Anita Thomas has always been is a construct hypothesized to lead to thriv- interested in understanding and ing in African American youth, according to Dpromoting psychological health and the American Psychological Association’s well-being in African American youth. Her Resilience and Strength of Black Children and own childhood experiences led to some early Adolescents Task Force report, of which Dr. curiosity around these issues. Thomas clearly Thomas was a member. The primary ques- remembers the first time she was called a racial tion fueling the research that Dr. Thomas is slur, her reactions, and more importantly, the currently conducting involves developing a response of her parents and how they coached better understanding of critical conscious- her through it in a way that promoted healthy ness. The two projects include developing a self-concept. Her early research began with scale of critical consciousness, and a project the attempts to understand racial socialization; tracking awareness of oppression and critical the processes that parents engage in to help consciousness in Loyola undergraduates. children to develop positive racial identity in the Dr. Thomas hopes in the next year to bring light of oppression. Two themes emerged from the research full circle back to family racial that research. First, while parents report giving Anita Thomas, PhD a lot of messages on racial pride, strategies socialization processes. The first phase of the for coping with racism, and the importance of and a Black woman. The participants were study will include understanding the process spirituality, it is not clear how children interpret also asked how psychologists should use the in African American mother-daughter dyads, and integrate the messages. The second theme results, and all groups suggested developing and will include a quantitative examina- that emerged was the importance of addressing curriculum for girls to help with self-esteem. tion of factors that influence socialization gendered racial identity, as parents report giving Dr. Thomas and her research team developed processes of mothers, and the ways in which very different and specific messages to girls PRIDE (Promoting Resilience and Identity De- girls interpret and integrate the messages. A and boys. velopment and Empowerment), a curriculum companion PRIDE curriculum for mothers is Dr. Thomas then became very interested for girls based on deconstructing historical being developed, and the second phase of in better understanding the intersection of images of African American women and fos- the research will be an outcome study of the gender and race on psychological function- tering positive self-concept. The team began curriculum and socialization processes ing. When she came to Loyola, she engaged to examine the outcomes of the curriculum, in families. in research examining gendered racial but realized that adequate measures did not For more information about Dr. Anita Thomas' identity of African American women and exist. The intent of the curriculum is to decon- » on-going research, visit LUC.edu/ThomasCV. girls. Early studies included focus groups with struct images and help participants develop girls on what it means to be Black, a woman, critical consciousness. Critical consciousness School of Education bids farewell to retirees Robert Roemer, PhD Vivian Gordon, PhD At the December SOE faculty and staff meeting, After nine years as a professor of Educational Dr. Robert Roemer, a former Dean of the SOE, Leadership, Dr. Vivian Gordon announced her was recognized for his exemplary contributions retirement from the School of Education. to the academy spanning 38 years. Dean Dr. Gordon joined the faculty in 2003 and was Prasse, referring to the 11 years he worked with awarded tenure as an Associate Professor in Bob stated, “You have been gracious, kind, 2009. She is a distinguished legal scholar with supportive and gentle. I am deeply grateful an emphasis on special education law. We for all you have done and more importantly are grateful for her many contributions to the for who you are. On behalf of all your former School of Education. students and colleagues, I say 'thank you.'” 2 LOYola UniVersitY CHicaGO • scHool of edUcation Current students Jamie Denten and Erica Donnelly Ozbeck display their Impact Projects for the NCATE team. SOE to receive NCATE continuing accreditation n early October, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher assessment, clinical practice, diversity, quality of faculty, and governance. Education (NCATE) visited Loyola's School of Education (SOE) to The accrediting team provided feedback at the end of their visit, not- I evaluate the school for its continuing accreditation. The NCATE visit ing outstanding findings regarding the integration of the conceptual began with a reception that welcomed the accrediting team with research framework in the programs of the school. Team members indicated presentations by faculty and students. The following two days included that faculty effectively embeds the theory and practice of social justice meetings with faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Standards, or evaluation throughout their scholarship, course assignments, and clinical experi- criteria, guided the NCATE accreditation process of the SOE and included ences. Official status of the accreditation will be acted on at the NCATE the consideration of student knowledge and skills, evaluation and Unit Accreditation Board meeting in April. Faculty Awards 2011 John Dugan, PhD Bridget Turner Kelly, PhD Outstanding New Scholar Outstanding Contribution John Dugan, PhD received the 2011 Bridget Turner Kelly, PhD was recognized with Outstanding New Scholar Award from the the 2011 Outstanding Contribution to Student College of Education Alumni Association Affairs through Teaching Award at the NASPA at the University of Maryland. Region IV-East Conference. 3 LOYola UniVersitY CHicaGO • scHool of edUcation ALUMNI & STUDENT NEWS Alum wins Chicago Emmy Garrard McClendon 4 (PhD ’10) won a Chi- cago Emmy at the 53rd Annual Midwest Emmy Awards hosted by the National Academy of Television and Arts in November for his pro- gram The Challenge of Raising American Boys. Director of Special Education appointed in Niles Lanée Walls (EdD ’07) has been appointed Di- rector of Special Education for Niles Township School District 219, effective July 1, 2012. ACPA Coeptis President Medallion Award recipient Michael Levasseur and Father Michael Garanzini. Award Christopher Bohle (MEd ’11) is one of the President's Medallion awarded 2012 recipients of the American College he 2011 School of Education recipient of the President’s Medallion was Michael Levasseur Personnel’s (ACPA) (pictured above). The faculty described Michael as a phenomenal scholar, leader, and Annuit Coeptis Award. T advocate for equal and just education for students in urban schools. And that Michael This is one of the most prestigious awards that stands out from his peers as an engaging leader who is dedicated to the Ignatian pursuits of social