Spring 2008 — Volume 7   |  

News - College of Edcuation's dean to retire at end of current academic year

 

 

samThe dean of TCU's College of Education, Dr. Sam Deitz, will retire at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year after serving TCU for eight years. Dr. Mary Patton, the College of Education's associate dean, will serve as the interim dean during the 2008-2009 academic year while a national search for a new dean is conducted.

 

"Sam's legacy is considerable. Self evident to all of us is his role in the creation of the magnificent Education Complex that enhances the southern part of our campus," said TCU Provost Nowell Donovan. "Less tangible, but in the end more important, is the enthusiasm of the faculty and students in the College."

 

"I have been thrilled to serve as dean of the College of Education and consider these the very best years of my professional career," said Dr. Deitz.

 

When Dr. Deitz first arrived at TCU, he immediately started working on redesigning undergraduate programs and new certification levels and developing strategic plans to guide academic and fundraising efforts. During his tenure at TCU, numerous college-wide accomplishments occurred including:

"I do not take credit for what we did as everyone was involved in major ways," said Deitz. "There is not a single person in our college who did not make significant contributions to these accomplishments."

 

Prior to joining TCU in 2000, he was the dean of the College of Education at Georgia State University. Having taught for a total of over 40 years, Dr. Deitz first began as a high school English teacher and moved on to higher education a year later. Dr. Deitz then went to Georgia State University where he taught for 29 years, and served his last ten as their College of Education's dean.

Over the years, he has published numerous articles and given countless presentations on education trends and topics. After retirement, he plans to travel, spend more time with his family, and be available for consulting.

 

College of Education receives gift to support special education programs

 

TCU’s College of Education received a $100,000 gift from the Amon G. Carter Foundation to support special education through TCU’s Laboratory Schools and the Alice S. Neeley Special Education Institute.

 

The gift from the Amon G. Carter Foundation would pay the startup costs for special education programs sustaining them for approximately three years. The programs include a kindergarten-level transition program called LEAP (Life, Experience And Promise) that prepares children to move from early intervention settings into more inclusive general education classrooms. LEAP, and model programs based on LEAP, would be accessible for Tarrant County school districts, general and special education programs.

 

“Far too often we hear from parents that their child was prepared for inclusion, but the child’s teacher wasn’t prepared for them,” said Nancy Meadows, education professor and director of TCU’s Alice S. Neeley Special Education Institute. “The funds from the Amon Carter Foundation will allow us to work not just with our children, but also with teachers, administrators, and others in the child’s receiving school and in their community to provide a successful transition and general education experience.”

 

TCU first began LEAP as a successful pilot program, a small experimental class from 2005 until 2008. In Fall 2008, TCU will implement the program in a full-size class on a permanent basis. They will also begin a partnership with the Fort Worth ISD to develop a Collaborative LEAP Classroom, an extension of the original LEAP model.

 

The Alice S. Neeley Special Education Institute has developed an additional slate of programs designed to make the LEAP model also accessible to other Tarrant County school districts and special education programs. These programs include state-approved professional development offerings, a speaker series, a curriculum and transition guide, a lending library of curriculum and assessment resources, presentations at education conferences, consulting with other special education programs, and opportunities to involve students, parents, and teachers in the LEAP model and the Alice S. Neeley Institute.

 

Among laboratory schools connected with higher education, a few function as college preparatory programs, but most -- like TCU’s -- are tied to a teacher preparation program. TCU is the only institution that operates two laboratory schools in special education. Laboratory schools are valuable to teacher preparation programs for the following purposes research, experimentation, clinical teaching experience, and curriculum and staff development.

 

TCU’s two laboratory schools include KinderFrogs and Starpoint Schools. KinderFrogs School is a special-education preschool that provides early-intervention education from ages 18 months to 6 years for children with Down syndrome. Starpoint School is a special-education primary school for grade 1-6 children with learning disabilities.

 

For more information, contact Nancy Meadows at n.meadows@tcu.edu.

 

New statue dedicated at Bailey Building

 

statueIt's 96 inches tall, weighs more than 1,200 pounds and depicts a blissful little girl on tiptoes atop a globe. It's the College of Education's new bronze statue, dedicated recently as a permanent symbol of the cause of education. Fittingly, it's called "Teaching to change the world."

 

The work, sculpted over eight months by Dallas artist Angela Mia de la Vega, is mounted on a stone platform on the southeast side of the Bailey Building and is meant to inspire future education students.

 

"This beautiful statue represents what we accomplish in the College of Education," said Sam Deitz, dean of the college. "Our task is to empower – to make teachers and children more able to succeed in a complicated and intertwined world. All education students and alumni will visit the statue, and it will make them smile and understand the heights they can reach."

 

Funded and donated by the Malcolm and Ann Louden family, the work is dedicated to Malcolm's late parents, H. Malcolm and Olive Gooding Louden, who passed away in 2006 and 2005 respectively.

 

A plaque at the base of the statue describes the senior Loudens as parents and grandparents "who instilled in their children and grandchildren a love of learning, service to others and gratitude for family." The couple met in the seventh grade in Ohio, and until their deaths some 80 years later, were nearly inseparable. Both attended Ohio State University in the 1930s before moving to Texas in 1941. Mac, as he was known, served as Mayor of Waco and sat on the Waco City Council. The city's Little League Complex is named in his honor. Olive was a community and church leader.

 

"I think the statue represents their spirit and courage," said Malcolm Louden '67. "They had great hope for their children and grandchildren and encouraged a dedication to learning." The work took artist de la Vega five months to sculpt in clay and another three months to complete the founding process. It is 100 percent bronze with stainless steel supporting the interior of the globe.

 

"It was a joy for me to work on this piece and to do it for the cause of education," said de la Vega, a mother of three children. "I hope people who see it, especially students, will be reminded that society is empowered through education. And it's fun. The little girl, who I called 'Joyful,' embodies the pure joy of a young person rejoicing on top of the world."

Education seniors and alumni participate in largest Interview Day yet

 

job fairOver 107 school district representatives from 38 North Texas districts came to TCU in March for the College of Education’s annual “Metroplex Interview Day,” making this year the largest turnout in the event’s history. The school district representatives interviewed 100 TCU education students, including 10 alumni members, to potentially hire them for teaching positions in their districts.

 

“This was a very successful event,” said Dale Young, director of College of Education’s Student Teaching and Career Services. “We had more district representatives than students. One hundred percent of the students will get job offers, with an average starting pay of $44,920.”

 

The Metroplex Interview Day offered the opportunity for students and alumni to interview up to 20 times during the event, with each interview lasting for 28 minutes. A ringing bell indicated the end of the interview, at which time the students/alumni rotated to the next district’s table.

 

When asked why so many districts participated in the event, Young responded, “The districts think TCU’s education students are very well-informed, the best prepared first-year students and the most well-rounded.”

 

“The districts also like how well-organized the event is and they appreciate actually getting to interview the students,” said Young.

 

The students also participated with interview and career workshops through volunteers from Birdville Independent School District. “It’s a great partnership, as the Birdville ISD provides this training opportunity for the students and they get a head start on other districts through the early introduction.”

 

This was the second career fair this year hosted by the College of Education for graduating seniors and alumni: the previous career fair included 35 districts from around the state and Colorado Springs. The College of Education has been hosting the Interview Day since 1995 and the event has grown every year since.