Previous issues of Monday Report are at http://www.emich.edu/coe/monday. Send items and comments to jerry.robbins@emich.edu.

FACULTY AND STAFF NOTES

Nancy Halmhuber is the new president of the Council for Educational Diagnostic Services (CEDS), a division of the Council on Exceptional Children. She was in Washington, D.C. this past weekend attending a program advisory committee meeting. Halmhuber is also co-chair of the CEDS Topical Conference to be held in Albuquerque in November.

Jerry Robbins directed the Ypsilanti Community Band in concert in Candy Cane Park last Thursday evening.

Joe Bishop and Don Staub's grant from ACIE to support students from the former Soviet Union coming to EMU was the subject of the most recent "ORD Digest" article from EMU's Office of Research Development.

Lizbeth Stevens was recently in Anaheim, CA attending the 2003 ASHA Schools Conference. She also attended events associated with her work as a member of the ASHA SEALS (State Education Advocacy Leaders) group.

STUDENT NOTES

Sally A. Lezotte Covert will defend her dissertation, "Transferring Professional Development to the Classroom" on July 28, 12:30 p.m., in Porter 301 B/C. Charles Achilles is the chairperson. The public is invited.

Tiffany Byars, graduate student in SLI, has had an article accepted for publication in an online journal. The article is "Right Hemisphere Brain Injury," which will appear in Nurses, Online at www.advanceforNURSES.com.

ALUMNI NOTES

Joe Rossi '69, '73, '88, principal of Saline High School, has been named to a one-year assignment as the district's director of operations, substantially involved with overseeing the new high school building project. Jean Britton '80 will serve as the principal for the year. Nancy Brenton '74, '81 is now Saline's assistant superintendent for human resources.

Greg J. Slagon '72, '73 of Orchard Lake, is the owner of G.J. Slagon & Associates, a property management firm in Sylvan Lake.

Paul J. Delorey '73 became president of JanSport, the Wisconsin firm well known for back packs, book bags, etc., in 1988. Formerly with J. C Penny, Delorey brought a philosophy of "putting people first" to the JanSport presidency. During his time in that office, he stepped up initiatives involving child care and support for good causes ranging from environmental preservation and support of the National Park Service to the battles against breast cancer and other diseases. He also involved JanSport in numerous philanthropic undertakings.

I-Xing (Cinthia) Lee '99 will begin her doctoral studies in special education at the University of Washington this fall. Her master's is from EMU in learning disabilities. She will stop at EMU early in September en route from her native Taiwan to the University of Washington.

EARLY NORMAL SCHOOLS

Egbert R. Isbell, in his History of Eastern Michigan University, 1849-1965, refered to what is now EMU as "the first [normal school] west of the Allegheny mountains, sixth in the United States." He did not give a specific citation for this assertion.

A quick check of web sources indicates that this is at least approximately correct, especially if one allows for the fact that some of the early normal schools may have had a short life, been private in their nature, been for women only, and the like.

Concord Academy in Vermont, founded in 1823, claims to be the "first normal school in America." There is a claim of a normal school in Effingham, N.H. in 1830. It is said that there was one in Massachusetts as early as 1832 and three in that state by 1844.

History of education texts generally credit the first normal school to Horace Mann in 1839. Founded in Lexington, Massachusetts in that year, the school later moved to Newton, then to Framingham. It is now known as Framingham State College. However, Westfield State College in Massachusetts also traces its roots to Horace Mann's 1839 normal school.

In 1840, there was a normal school at Camden, Oneida County, New York. What is now Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts was founded as a normal school in the same year. A normal school (now SUNY, Albany) was in operation in Albany, New York in 1844 and another one in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1848.

The New Britain Normal School, now Central Connecticut State University, was established in 1849, the same year as EMU. An educated guess on my part, subject to further research, is that, in 1849, there were three operating normal schools in Massachusetts and two in New York, making the Normal School in Ypsilanti, MI the 6^th at that time. JHR

OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS

(For a complete list, see http://www.emich.edu/coe/newhome/opportunities.html)

July 30-COE Council meeting, 2:00 p.m., Porter 301B/C.

September 2-COE Fall Conference, Eagle Crest, all day.

CALLS FOR PAPERS/PROPOSALS

(For a complete list, see http://www.emich.edu/coe/newhome/proposals.html)

July 30, August 1-deadline for manuscripts for several journals. See complete list at URL above.

August 1-deadline for proposals and for other roles, American Educational Research Association annual meeting. For information, www.aera.net/meeting.

THEME STATEMENTS

Caring professional educators for a diverse and democratic society. (CPED²S) (Initial program)

Inquiry, advocacy, and leadership in education for diverse and democratic society. (Advanced programs)

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