Alum Accomplishments
We are so very proud of the accomplishments of our alums, so much so that we dedicated two issues of our newsletter, the Graduate Gazette, to the multiple leadership roles our graduates have taken. Here are those articles as originally published.
Teachers Do Make a Difference:
Part One in Our Continuing Series
“Teachers make the difference!” We’ve seen the bumper sticker, but do we really believe what it says? To make a difference means to make things different. Can teachers actually effect real change in a system that some feel evolves “not when it sees the light, but only when it feels the heat?” (anonymous) Graduates in the Field-based Graduate Program in Education are answering these two questions with a resounding, “Yes! And yes!”
Whether as a consequence of their action research or commitment to new learning gained through specific course work, teachers in the program are truly instituting change not just in their classrooms, but beyond. Below are stories of just some of our leaders who are making a difference in our profession.
In St. Albans, Vermont, Justin Bedell and Pete Symula are leading an effort to institute a new teacher observation assessment process that will provide teachers at Bellows Free Academy with ongoing feedback from a cross section of colleagues, the results of which will be used by administrators to determine more individualized professional development opportunities for each and every teacher at BFA. Meanwhile, just down the street at the St. Albans Town Education Center, Lisa Curry is steadfastly guiding administrators in finding the time and resources necessary for the teachers of SATEC to convert their current grading and reporting system to a standards-based, criterion-referenced system in which their students will be graded based on their individual progress in the criteria of the Vermont standards.
Fueled by his passion for the potential that technology has for improving student learning, a passion ignited through his action research on instructional technology, Bill Goldsworthy now finds himself serving as South Royalton’s (VT) Technology Committee Chairperson. As a direct consequence of his action research project, Bill has become South Royalton’s in-house expert to whom teachers go with technology requests ranging from technical assistance to budget requests. Down the hall from Bill, a similar story has unfolded. Jeff Thomas’s growing expertise in standards-based formative assessment, an expertise honed through his action research project on conducting standards-based assessment in physical education, has landed him in several assessment related leadership and mentoring roles both within and outside of his school. In fact, his rapid ascent in this field has earned him so much respect from his colleagues, they now have a special term of endearment for him. Although Jeff has granted us permission to share it with all of you, we’ll leave you guessing. And in the far wing of the school, Terri Bauder and Maureen Judge have become the district’s Pre-Kindergarten-Kindergarten team leaders, asked to take charge in mentoring the district’s PK-K teachers on how to use backwards design to create a standards-based curriculum and an accompanying formative assessment process that involves the use of generalized-standard rubrics.
Kim Miller of Bennington (VT) Elementary School and Rick Newton of Marion Cross Elementary School in Norwich (VT) have unique stories of leadership as well. As a consequence of her research on emotionally disturbed children, Kim gradually found herself playing a major role in ED placement decisions and social skill mentoring in her school. Her skill in those roles now has her administrators encouraging her to become a fellow administrator herself. Rick, upon completing his course work in Dimensions in Assessment and Evaluation, wrote an article for his colleagues in physical education to help them in their practice of assessment and evaluation. The article was published in the Fall 2005 Vermont Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance newsletter.
We have many more stories of graduates doing great things to effect real change in their schools, which we plan to share with you in the near future. Is your story one of them? Out of personal interest and as part of our continuing action research on the effectiveness of our program, we want to know if you have been or are currently in a leadership role as a consequence of your participation in the Field-based Graduate Program in Education. Let us know!
Teachers Do Make a Difference:
Part Two in Our Continuing Series
“Teachers often leave a mark on their students, but they seldom leave a mark on their profession.” (Wolfe, 1989) Teachers coming out of our Field-Based Graduate Program in Education are clearly dispelling this sentiment. In part two of our continuing series on teachers making a difference, we hear six more examples of how our current students and alums are continuing to take the lead and effect change beyond just the walls of their own classrooms.
Stephanie Miller (Chittenden, Vermont Cohort) will be serving in a leadership role on her school’s literacy team this year. “The old me would have run the other way …” but when asked by her vice principal to serve, Stephanie agreed. Stephanie attributes her experience from her two leadership courses as the reason she was asked to serve in this capacity. “Had I not been in this program, I would not be asking these questions and searching for the answers. We learned that we have to take responsibility if we want our students to get the best education and we were provided with the tools to be teacher leaders.”
Maryellen Schaefer, also a member of our Chittenden Cohort, shares a similar experience. “Because of my being in this program, I have been asked to serve on our school’s NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) follow up committee.” South Burlington High School, South Burlington, Vermont, where Maryellen teaches, went through their NEASC accreditation last year and Maryellen has been asked to help provide leadership as the school looks to institute changes recommended by the accreditation task force.
In Barnet, Vermont, Brooksie Stanton, Sue Roberts, Liddy Roberts, Mary Prior, Sue Persson, and Meg Clayton have become a force for school wide change at the Barnet Elementary School. Upon hearing of their action research project on student motivation, their principal, Kerry Keenan, asked the six of them last year to conduct various peer mentoring initiatives around better understanding and improving student motivation in their school. Due to the positive impact they have been having, their work will continue into this year as well.
Tess Manley’s (Colchester Cohort) passion for young children has led her on a journey that included getting her Master’s Degree from SNHU’s Field-Based Graduate Program in Education. While enrolled in the program, Tess was a pre-school teacher and a swimming coach. “What I did not readily anticipate was how quickly and thoroughly my coursework validated the work I had been doing with young children and families for many years, and also how the program enhanced my practice both in the classroom and at the swimming pool.” Tess’s passion eventually led her into the early childhood mental health field. “After completing my graduate degree in education, I was absolutely prepared to take my next professional step …” Today, Tess is teaching child development undergraduates at California State University, Chico.
The Spaulding High School and Barre Technical Center, in Barre, Vermont, has a new Assistant Director this year, and her name is Penny Chamberlin, an alum of our Northfield Cohort. Penny’s steadfast conviction for improving our understanding of effective administrative leadership and being a positive change agent not only drove her action research but has been fueling her professional journey as well. “I know that this would not have come about without the help of SNHU and in particular the action research component of my graduate program.”
Kathi Fuller, also an alum of our Northfield Cohort, is not only continuing in her role as District Special Education Department Head, but is also now participating in a principal mentoring program. Kathi is looking at an opportunity for becoming an assistant principal next year. “I never would have thought I would want to go into administration until this program… My only concern is that I do not want to lose contact with kids. Being an assistant principal will still allow me to have that.”
We know that there are many more examples of you making a difference as well, and we would love to hear your story. Many of you are taking a lead in some capacity, and those forms of leadership range from things you are doing as a classroom teacher working with students and parents to various forms of collegiality to serving in administrative roles. If you have such a story, please share it with all of us!