Anne Beitlers, associate teaching professor and director of the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP), was quoted in an article published by The Post Journal about how the pandemic has prompted change in how future teachers are trained. Many U.S. educator preparation programs are incorporating more digital tools, online instruction and mental and emotional wellness in their courses to reflect takeaways from the pandemic. In particular, the prominence of technology will have benefits regardless of the pandemic's course and teaching programs are giving more emphasis on how to plan and implement quality virtual learning.
Pandemic Prompts Changes In How Future Teachers Are Trained
Give K-12 schools the opportunity to open effectively
David Knight, assistant professor in Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy, co-authored an op-ed urging state leaders to ensure that schools have the resources and appropriate policies in place to reopen safely and provide high-quality instruction. For schools to open successfully, argue Dr. Knight and his co-author, state policymakers must remove barriers to evidence-based decision-making at the district and school levels. They recommend that states prioritize adherence to recommended health measures, clarity around allowable and effective use of federal stimulus funds, and open lines of communication with families.
The Epidemic of Play Deprivation
Dr. Julie McCleery, director of research-practice partnerships and a research associate and lecturer in the Center for Leadership in Athletics (CLA), was quoted in an article featured in the July 2021 issue of ParentMap magazine. In "The Epidemic of Play Deprivation," Dr. McCleery spoke about the connection between physical activity and developmental growth in children. She also shares findings from State of Play: Seattle-King County, a 2019 report co-produced by the CLA and the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program that shows that fewer than 19 percent of King County's kids were getting the CDC-recommended amount of physical activity before the pandemic. Dr. McCleery estimates that during the last year and a half that number has likely been close to 10 percent. Coming out of the pandemic, she argues, kids will need the opportunity for free play and physical activity to heal from the trauma they experienced and to propel their physical and mental resilience.
Sheila Edwards Lange selected as chancellor of UW Tacoma
Alumna Sheila Edwards Lange (PhD, 2006) has been selected as chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma. Her appointment, pending approval by the UW Board of Regents, is set to begin on Sept. 16. Prior to her current role as president of Seattle Central College, Dr. Edwards Lange served as vice president for Minority Affairs and Diversity at the UW. Through these roles and others, she has been a leading advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. While earning her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the College of Education, Dr. Edwards Lange developed research and teaching interests in higher education policy, diversity in higher education, assessment and program evaluation, and underrepresented student access in STEM fields.
Stagnation in Diversification: The 2020 Olympics
Jennifer Hoffman, associate professor of educational foundations, leadership and policy and faculty member in the Center for Leadership in Athletics, was quoted in a Diverse Issues in Higher Education article about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo ― delayed last year due to COVID-19 ― and its connection to the stagnation of diversity in college sports. In addition to representing their country, many Olympic athletes also represent their chosen higher education institution and diversity within collegiate sports has plateaued. Hoffman shares that to create significant change, institutions and athletic boards need to make a conscious effort to hire a "critical mass" of diverse persons in leadership roles like coaching and expand their reach into youth programs to eliminate barriers tied to cost and location prohibitions. For low-income students to make to the collegiate level and beyond, they need access to role models they can relate to as well as good nutrition and training. "The system as it is doesn't support [underserved student-athletes] with the athletic training they need to perform at a high level," Hoffman shares.
Supreme Court Hands NCAA 9-0 Loss
Jennifer Lee Hoffman, associate professor of educational foundations, leadership and policy, headlined an episode of the Going For Two podcast. Hoffman spoke with host Bryan Fischer about the ramifications and nuances of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in NCAA v. Alston, which concerns whether the NCAA's restrictions on education-related grant-in-aid compensation are illegal under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Court's 9-0 decision recognizes that the NCAA's "amatuerism" rules cannot work to benefit everyone except the student-athletes who produce a product and will substantially impact the NCAA's operations going forward, particularly when it comes to compensating college athletes.
Up with Her: Spokane teacher receives national innovation award
Alumna Jennifer Macias Morris (MiT in Elementary Education, 2015) was recently selected as a 2021 Grand Prize Winner in The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards sponsored by Raytheon Technologies. The Teacher Innovator Awards recognize teachers who inspire students to challenge the rules and take risks, who demonstrate how to be collaborative and empathetic, and who teach the value of learning by staying curious and learning from failure. Macias Morris is one of 10 grand prize winners from across the nation. She is a first grade Spanish immersion teacher for the Libby Center in Spokane Public Schools and was recently profiled in an "Up with Her" segment by Spokane news station KREM 2. "I want [my students] to be critical thinkers," Macias Morris shared. "I don't tell them what to think. It's them ― it's their perspective ― and that's big into developing and empowering students for the twenty-first century skills." Macias Morris completed her program at the College of Education with support from Jennifer Lindsay, Liz Donat, Mary Beth Canty and Patrick Sexton ― all of whom she would like to give special thanks. She was a recipient of the Martinez Fellowship as well as the UW's Ferguson Endowed Scholarship.
Chelsea Craig and Dr. Anthony Craig on Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Leading
Chelsea Craig and Anthony Craig, professor of practice in educational leadership and policy studies and director of the Leadership for Learning (L4L) program, co-headlined an episode of the Getting Smart Podcast that focused on Indigenous ways of knowing and leading. Speaking with host Tom Vander Ark, the Craigs shared their respective journeys as leaders, educators and advocates for Indigenous practices and knowledge systems that shape ways of life, relationality and community. Together, they are part of a growing group of leaders who are working to center Indigenous ways of leading and decolonize educational practices.
Irene H. Yoon: Learn the history of inequality so we can build a better future
Alumna Irene Yoon wrote an op-ed published in The Salt Lake Tribune urging leadership in Utah to advance educational equity. Specifically, Yoon urges state leadership to reject Utah State Administrative Rule 277-328, which could be interpreted as banning all discussions about race in the state's public education systems. "Learning about histories and structures of inequity is about honoring and learning from the past, good, bad and in between, so that we can dream a better future," she argues. Yoon is an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Utah.
How school districts responded to Inslee’s school reopening order
Faculty members David Knight and Meredith Honig were quoted in an article recently published in The Seattle Times about how schools have responded to Gov. Inslee's school reopening order. While nearly all school districts in Washington state have complied with Gov. Inslee's order to reopen schools, some students are getting much more in-person time than others. Knight, an assistant professor of education finance and policy, commented on the variety in schedules and responses to Inslee's order and highlighted that the imbalance is concerning. Honig, director of the District Leadership Design Lab and professor of education policy, organizations and leadership, emphasized the need for data that includes race and class when studying in-personal learning as well as measures that can speak to the quality of the time spent in the classroom.