2019: A Year in Review
As the year comes to an end, we like to look back on some of the Boulder School of Education's notable accomplishments and milestones. As we look ahead to future initiatives, we hope to keep steadfast in our dedication to democracy, diversity, equity and justice. Here are some of our top highlights from 2019.
1. Preparing for our move to a new campus home in 2020
2. Welcoming new faculty into our community
3. Celebrating our outstanding graduates and more
- At our School of Education Graduation Ceremony in May, we recognized seven exemplary education graduates who all exude a deep commitment and passion for education. Read our outstanding graduate features to learn more about these students and their advice for future graduates.
- We were thrilled to have our first cohort of Master’s in Higher Education students graduate this spring. Meet Paula Abitia, a recent MA graduate who is paying it forward as a higher education professional in the McNeill Academic Program.
4. Numerous faculty honored with national and university awards
- Bill Penuel was elected to join the National Academy of Education (NAEd), which advances high quality education research and its use in policy and practice. “As a leading scholar in learning sciences, Professor Penuel has dedicated his career to designing and implementing educational policies, professional learning programs and curricula for a more just and equitable educational system,” said Dean Kathy Schultz.
- With a theme focused on what it takes to truly know and love students, Boulder celebrated excellence in education by recognizing five faculty members — including Wendy Glenn, professor of literacy studies — K-12 teachers, and graduate students with Best Should Teach Awards.
- The Women Who Make A Difference award, organized by the Boulder Center for Inclusion & Social Change, numerous women across campus who made a significant impact within the Boulder community. This year, education community faculty, staff and students including Vicki Hand, Olivia Gardner, Pilar Prostko, Johanna Maes and Laurie Langdon were among the awardees.
5. Celebrating students and alumni with national and local accolades
6. New books from faculty examine distrust in education, vulnerability in the classroom, and intersectional approaches to diversity and inclusion.
- In Dean Kathy Schultz's new book, Distrust and Educational Change, Schultz draws on her own experiences to make the case that distrust in many forms is the elephant in the room for school reform—rarely talked about head-on but still capable of stifling even well-meaning attempts at change.
- Literacy Studies Professor Elizabeth Dutro's new book, The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy: Centering Trauma as Powerful Pedagogy, lays out a road map for how educators can begin to incorporate the difficult life experiences of their students into day-to-day school activities—from essay prompts to lessons on poetry.
- When friends and colleagues Johanna Maes, director Master’s in Higher Education program and Senior Instructor of the Multicultural Leadership Scholars program, and Elena Sandoval-Lucero could not find an intersectional teaching tool to aid in grappling with often painful situations that affect marginalized people in higher education, they launched a book project to fill the gap. The book, Case Studies in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education: An Intersectional Perspective, also features contributed chapters from Boulder School of Education and Engage colleagues including Charla Agnolotti, Ashmi Desai, Karen Ramirez and Sabrina Sideris.
- Take a quick look at what colleagues are saying about our faculty’s recent book publications, as featured in our Voices magazine.
7. Expanded and revised program pathways for future teachers
- The Middle School Mathematics Licensure Program is an innovative new track for non-math majors interested in teaching mathematics in the middle grades 6-8, an area of high demand across Colorado districts and beyond.
- A new one-year, immersive MA+ humanities teacher licensure program for future English language arts and social studies teachers is designed to further emphasize equity and justice by placing three key themes at the core of the curriculum: power, privilege, and positioning; culture and diversity; and professional identity.
- Our new STEM Education certificate offers STEM majors an opportunity to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts in local schools while developing the skills to more effectively communicate STEM topics.