Eastern Michigan University | College of Education | e-Focus on Student Learning

Dean Polite's letter to NCATE Regarding Social Justice

[Editor's note: In June 2006, NCATE eliminated references to "social justice" from its glossary because, according to NCATE President Arthur E. Wise, “the term is susceptible to a variety of definitions.” This is College of Education Dean Vernon C. Polite's response...]

Dear Dr. Wise:
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me last Friday morning. Your continued support of me over the past years is greatly appreciated. The purpose of this letter, however, is to state my opposition, as the Head of the Professional Education Unit at Eastern Michigan University, to the removal of social justice from the NCATE nomenclature....
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The College of Education's 2007 Celebration of Excellence Convocation took place March 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the EMU Student Center. Dean Polite (left) welcomed about 75 students and their faculty/staff mentors who were to be honored. Each department or program used its own criteria to select students who have demonstrated academic excellence over the past year. Student honorees were from the Department of Special Education, the Department of Teacher Education, the Department of Leadership and Counseling, secondary/K-12 programs and student teaching (i.e., the Dean's Award for Excellence).

STUDENT EXCELLENCE
Dean's Award Winners

Celebration of Excellence photos
Faculty and Staff Mentors
Undergraduate Symposium XXVII

FACULTY EXCELLENCE
2006 Ronald W. Collins, Distinguished Faculty Award Recipients
	TEACHING I: Ann Orr, Assistant Professor, Special Education (left) Read More TEACHING II: Linda Lewis-White, Professor, Teacher Education Read More

7th Annual Faculty and Tutor Appreciation Awards
COE winners include Willie Cupples (Special Education), for Outstanding Faculty in a Supporting Role, and Christopher Robbins (Teacher Education), for Outstanding Faculty in Classroom Instruction.

FACULTY ON THE MOVE - Selected Works
Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research General Service Intellectual Contributions Presentations

COE Hall of Fame
A reception and induction ceremony to honor education alumni will be held in the College of Education's John W. Porter Building April 20, from
4-5:30pm. Dinner, which is by invitation only, follows and will take place in Room 300 of the EMU Student Center.

2007 Honorees (from left above), Shirley Bryant, Bill Bushaw, Marvin H. McKinney, and J.M.B. Sill.

Contact Kelly Simpson for more info: ksimpso1@emich.edu or 734-487-5125. Read More

Pre-Clinical Teaching Experience in Seoul, Korea
May 18 - June 9, 2007

Dr. Myung Koh will lead a group of 8 undergraduate and graduate students to South Korea in May for the Department of Special Education's first international experience. "This three weeks overseas teaching internship will provide a culturally enriching experience to preservice teachers so that they can be better prepared to teach CLD students."
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Contact Dr. Myung Koh for more info:
mkoh@emich.edu or 734-487-7120, x2678.

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Special Education Summer Institute
Expanding the Dream: Transforming Special Education - Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Special Education
June 25-29, 8am-5pm
Porter Building

This course will examine how race, ethnicity, gender and disability impact schools and will explore ways in which special education can respond to the changing needs of diverse groups by transforming schools into powerful learning communities.
Download a flyer (pdf)

Contact Dr. Phil Smith for more info: psmith16@emich.edu or 734-487-7120, x2656.

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John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education
Planning is underway for academic year 2007-08. The conceptual working theme will be "Keeping Promises: Forging Social Justice through School, Family, and Community Partnerships."

Seminars, mini-conferences and guest scholars—Jean Anyon, Pedro Noguera, and Deborah Meier—will be featured.

Contact Dr. Patricia Williams-Boyd for more info: pwilliams1@emich.edu or 734-487-3260.

	APRIL:	17: Teacher Job Fair, Convocation Center 19: A Conversation with Georgea Langer, Porter Building, Room 203, 7pm (Dr. Langer is retiring after this semester) 20: COE Hall of Fame, 4pm-5:30pm, Main Student Lounge (2nd floor) 29: Winter Commencement, Convocation Center

	MAY:	18-June 9: Pre-Clinical Teaching Experience in Seoul, Korea

	JUNE:	25-29: Special Education Summer Institute

Dr. Kyung Hee Kim (Teacher Education) received a 2007 COE Faculty Scholarship Recognition Award for her work on "Can Only Intelligent People be Creative?"

Dr. Alicia Li and Professor Loreena Parks (Special Education) received an EMU Faculty Research Fellowship SS&M Award in the amount of $3,000 to support their research project entitled, "The Role of Visual Perception in Reading." Dr. Li and Professor Parks are partnering with Gretchen's House in this field-based research project.

PEAC
The Professional Education Advisory Council (PEAC) met March 15 at the EMU Student Center. PEAC meets twice each academic year and provides oversight to educator preparation programs at Eastern Michigan University. In addition to faculty constituents from four different EMU colleges, PEAC's membership includes EMU administrators, current students, alumni, and administrators from local school districts.

The Council reviewed student teaching data gathered during the fall 2006 semester. Based on student teaching data (i.e. placement diversity, final evaluations, and existing surveys completed by students), the Council made several recommendations to improve the quality of the student teaching experience. Associate Dean Shawn Quilter will present the Council's recommendations to various faculty groups and campus committees for consideration. The next meeting of PEAC is scheduled for Nov 8.

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Student Advisory Committee
The Student Advisory Committee met for the first time Feb 14 in the Student Center and is comprised of 10 students, 1 faculty member and 1 representative from the dean's office. The number one issue raised was a lack of information and training about LiveText. [NOTE: LiveText training is available to students at various times each week Mon-Wed. Learn More]

The committee plans to meet 2-3 times per year to discuss issues and to provide feedback to the COE. Minutes will be reported to the COE Council.

Contact Dr. Barbara Gorenflo for more info: barb.gorenflo@emich.edu or 734-487-2035.

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Patrick Soule and mentor Dr. Yvonne Callaway, Dept of Leadership & Counseling

Heather Steffy (right) and mentor Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, Dept of Special Education

Jeff Barnett and Erica Tepper (mentored by Dr. John Palladino), Dept of Special Education

Congratulations go to Heather Steffy and Jeff Barnett for being granted awards for their research.
Complete List of Presenters & Abstracts

MACTE Scholarship awarded to Micah Takeshi Cousins

Micah Cousins Micah Takeshi Cousins found his calling in life while teaching in Japan for a couple of years as part of JET (The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme).

He chose Eastern Michigan University because "I wanted solid qualifications to become a positive role model to my future students.... This school offers certification in a wide range of areas" and "the Michigan teacher's certification is very reputable throughout the U.S."

Encouraged by Dr. Jane Gordon (Teacher Education) to apply for the MACTE Scholarship, he recently found out he won, and will receive honors and $1000 at the MACTE Meeting, April 13 at Hope College.

He currently is student teaching at Garden City Middle School and hopes to find a permanent teaching position in the Lansing area once he graduates in May.

School-Based Practicum: Counselors-in-Training Serving the Ypsilanti Community

College of Education Counseling Program Faculty implemented a new pilot program this year called School-Based Practicum under the direction of Dr. Diane Parfitt and graduate assistant, Hannah Hyde. The program is in coordination with the traditional counseling practicum experience, the capstone activity for advanced counseling students in the College of Education, and the Ypsilanti Public Schools.
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The College of Education is continuing to stay strong in its fundraising efforts. We have opened several new endowed scholarships which will be available to award starting in the Fall of 2008.

The Scott W. Street Endowed Scholarship will assist students working toward becoming teachers with an interest or experience in progressive education. The Virginia A. Blied Endowed Scholarship will help students with children with tuition, fees and childcare expenses. And, the Halmhuber/Navarre Endowed Scholarship, established by two retired faculty members from the Special Education department, will assist graduate students studying Cognitive Impairment, Emotional Impairment, or Learning Disabilities.

Dr. Sherick Hughes, Assistant Professor of Foundations of Education, University of Toledo, presented "Toward 'Good Enough Methods' for Autoethnography in Teacher Education: Trying to Resist the Matrix with Another Promising Red Pill" to COE students and faculty on March 7.

Geddes Town Hall School is in need of school desks (prior to 1950). If you have an antique desk you would like to donate, please contact Rochelle Balkam at 734-668-6294.

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College of Education
Eastern Michigan University
John W. Porter Building – Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 – (734) 487-1414
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