Spring 2018

Greetings from the Chair

Tom Shields headshot The start of the new year is always a great opportunity to revisit personal and professional expectations and to focus on our goals for the future. As you will see in this e-newsletter, the faculty and staff in Graduate Education are deeply committed to making sure our graduate programs are the best in creating future teachers, school leaders, and practitioners. We are also providing opportunities to the community for reflection and discussion on the changing context of K-12 education. With these main goals and expectations, we enter this spring’s semester with enthusiasm and energy.

Throughout the e-newsletter you will read about the successes of our faculty — both full-time and adjunct — in garnering awards for their teaching, service, and engagement with students and the community. Alumni of our programs continue to receive accolades for their teaching and work with students, while others are receiving promotions and positions across Virginia and even the nation.

You will also read about how faculty and staff are staying abreast of the rapid changes occurring in K-12 education. We have focused on three main areas which are of interest to school divisions: equity, diversity, and innovation and creativity in curricula. These areas are also the main focus of the Virginia Board of Education, local superintendents, and school boards as they begin to implement the federal government’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. In this edition of the e-newsletter, you will read about how faculty and staff are conducting amazing research, creating timely professional development and course offerings, and receiving large grants in these three areas. I have stated it before and truly believe it — UR Graduate Education is small, but incredibly impactful.

With each passing week of the spring semester, the daylight will grow longer and the temperature will climb higher. On behalf of all the faculty and staff of Graduate Education, we hope that energy, warmth, and light of the coming spring will bring a renewed spirit and commitment to your own goals and expectations.

Have a happy and productive spring!

Be safe and be well!

Tom
Tom Shields signature
Tom J. Shields, Ph.D.
Graduate Education Chair