News Features & Releases

The Work Continues: An HGSE Alum Teaching in Haiti Shares Her Experiences

2010-02-03T18:57:46Z

By Jill Anderson

As a teacher in Haiti for the past year, Betsey Bowman, Ed.M.'02, has shared many of her personal thoughts on her blog, where she continues to write about the living in Haiti in the aftermath of last month's devastating earthquake. HGSE recently spoke to Bowman about her experiences in Haiti and the challenges that her school faces.

What led you to Haiti?
Since graduating from the Teacher Education Program at HGSE in 2002, I have taught high school social studies at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge. Last fall, after seven great years there, I knew that I needed to take time away -- not to go get a new job in some other school, but just to do some different work in a different context. Working in Cambridge and Somerville so long, I have, of course, worked closely with so many Haitian kids and families, and I have always wanted to learn more about their unique history and culture. Volunteer service has also always been an important part of my life, so when I learned that L'ouverture Cleary School in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti included a cohort of foreign volunteer teachers on its staff each year, the match seemed perfect.

Tell me about the school.
L'ouverture Cleary school is a private, Catholic boarding school serving 358 middle school and high school-aged children from in and around Port au Prince. This school exists specifically for kids whose families would otherwise not be able to afford a first class education, and might not even be able to afford to send them to school at all. All of this fit in so well with my own experiences as an educator and my personal beliefs about service that I petitioned PHA to allow me to take a year off. The school generously offered me a yearlong sabbatical to take the time away to pursue this other important work. In early August, I joined a group of eight other U.S. American volunteer teachers and a Haitian staff of about 30 to begin the school year teaching high school Spanish.

What happened on the afternoon of the earthquake?
Every afternoon after classes finish at 3:30 pm, the kids have an hour long cleanup period in which they take care of the cleaning and basic maintenance of the school and even some of the surrounding neighborhood. At 4:45 pm when the earthquake struck, I and all of the other students and staff had just finished cleanup hour, and were relaxing in the hour before dinner. I was reading and chatting with two other teachers on the second floor of the administration building where we live when I heard a sound like a freight train. The shaking that followed was so violent that I knew I wouldn't be able to run outside without falling down, so we just got on the floor and covered our heads. After about 20 seconds -- which felt like an eternity -- everything was still again, except for the sounds of screaming and running outside.

How was the school affected?
The school itself sustained significant damage to the walls surrounding the campus, but our buildings all survived. We had several injuries when a few walls next to our soccer field and playground fell on kids, but thankfully, none of those injuries turned out to be too serious. We spent the night sleeping outside on the soccer field, holding our breath with each aftershock and rejoicing with each tearful reunion when parents and families arrived at the school to check on their children.

Is the school operating now?
For the first week after the earthquake, instead of teaching Spanish, I was helping to prepare meals for 300 students and many of the families whose homes were destroyed in the surrounding neighborhood. The kids and many staff members slept outside and set up a little tent city during the day. Slowly many of the kids returned home to their families, but we have had at least 70 students sleeping on campus every night since the earthquake. The government has officially cancelled school until the middle of February, but since we have clean water, enough food, and strong buildings, we decided that it would be simply irresponsible to close. Instead, last week we started running a modified school schedule -- with many fewer teachers and without access to some of our damaged classrooms -- for whichever students chose to stay with us. At the end of January we had about 150 kids back on campus and we're hoping that more and more will return each day.

How has your work changed?
Our work has definitely become more complicated since the earthquake. We're dealing with the paralyzing fear that still prevents many people from sleeping inside, even in completely safe buildings. We're working constantly on cleanup and construction projects to secure and repair our own campus. Many of our suppliers who had previously donated much of our food are dead and their stores are destroyed. Even driving around the city to do normal business is enormously complicated right now with buildings in the streets and continuously gridlocked traffic from all the NGO and relief workers. Yet despite all of this, we know we are blessed to be alive and to have the capacity to provide a safe, structured school and residential environment for so many kids. We don't know when we'll be able to "officially" open school again, but we are committed to serving the kids who are here, and when the resources become available, to helping our neighbors rebuild their houses as well.

What's the best way people can help Haiti?
After a disaster of this magnitude, the desire to reach out and help has been so strong for so many people. I have received many e-mails from friends, family and former students all offering to come and help or to send supplies. The reality of this particular disaster however, is that Haiti needs professional relief workers -- doctors, construction workers, and military personnel. Similarly, it's not practical right now to send "stuff" to Haiti. The supplies are actually here already, and as you've no doubt seen on TV, the challenge is getting all of those supplies out to the people who need them. From my own experience, the best way to help is to give money to the aid organizations on the ground. We are getting much of our food right now from Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor. The International Red Cross is always a responsible choice for sending money after a disaster. However, if you're interested in supporting the longterm rebuilding of Haiti as opposed to the immediate relief efforts, then contribute to the organizations that were here before the earthquake and will stay here long after the Red Cross has gone home.

Obviously I believe deeply in schools like L'ouverture Cleary which are going to continue to provide education, food, and housing to kids for years to come. We are also working closely with our neighbors to help them rebuild their homes and lives. If you do want to make a contribution, visit the website of the Haitian Project, the US nonprofit that supports the school. Or you can send surface mail contributions to: The Haitian Project, PO Box 6891, Providence, RI 02940

Long after the banner headlines and graphic pictures are gone from our TVs, the work of rebuilding Haiti will continue. My hope is that the international community will have the attention span and perseverance that this critically important work will require for years to come.

Note: Learn about Harvard's response to the crisis in Haiti and other ways you can help.

PPE Launches International Institute in Greece

2010-02-01T18:42:38Z

By Jill Anderson

When educators at the Costeas-Geitonas School (CGS) in Athens decided to become the the first school in Greece to implement the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) -- an educational program and curriculum that encourages international-mindedness and a positive attitude to learning -- they knew it would require intensive professional development. Zoi Geitona, Ed.M.'06, the IB diploma program coordinator and vice president of the CGS board of directors, knew success relied on the primary school teachers being comfortable and committed to the intensive curriculum. "We set professional development as a priority for all our kindergarten and primary school teachers," Geitona says. "However, we had one major obstacle to overcome: professional development initiatives in Greece are partial, insufficient, too theoretical, or nonexistent."

Geitona turned to the Ed School for help. After months of collaboration with Senior Lecturer Kay Merseth and the Programs in Professional Education (PPE) office, 75 educators participated in December's initial three-day institute, Differentiating Instruction and Team Teaching in Mathematics and Literacy. In what was PPE's first blended professional program for an international audience, Merseth along with Lecturer Pamela Mason and Senior Lecturer Kitty Boles instructed teachers on working together with administrators and support staff to solve common teaching and learning problems and improve their instructional practice. The institute also taught teachers collaborative team-based approaches to improving instruction in mathematics and literacy. Beyond opportunities to observe and analyze instructional practice and student work, participants also worked together to apply effective protocols and build teamwork to improve teaching and learning.

The institute made a lasting impact on many of the participants, a group including both members of the CGS community and educators from schools throughout Greece. "Most of them agreed that this experience was by far the best experience they had regarding professional education," Geitona says. Participants reported many positive benefits including changing the way they think about education, having an opportunity to engage with HGSE professors, and learning that teaching does not have to be stagnant because there is always room to improve their practice.

"There was this tremendous energy," Merseth recalls, noting that the attentiveness, earnestness, and specificity of the participants' questions impressed her. "It made me think, that when we leave that they are really going to do this."

Following the initial three-day, face-to-face institute in Greece, Merseth, Mason, Boles, and Professor Chris Dede will reconnect with the 75 participants via Elluminate, an online learning environment. The sessions, which will happen once a month until May, are an ideal way to build on the skills and learning participants encountered in the initial institute, Merseth says.

Geitona points out that the collaboration and ability to uniquely tailor the institute is exactly what the CGS and Greek teaching community needs. This wasn't the first time that Geitona looked to the Ed School to help implement new teaching strategies for CGS. In fact, in 2006, Geitona coordinated with Merseth, who visited the school and provided a seminar on mathematics education.

Working with an enthusiastic HGSE alumna provided a perfect opportunity to pilot a new type of program. PPE is best known for its summer and academic year institutes that bring close to 3,000 educators to the Ed School campus. The ability to work with educational professionals internationally and to develop and deliver blended learning experiences using online technologies opens up exciting opportunities to extend HGSE's reach and impact.

"This is, I believe, an innovation in education, and I am proud that HGSE gave us the opportunity and the resources to make it reality," Geitona says. "Although ... Athens is 4,735 miles from Boston, I believe we managed not only to cover this distance but also, speak the same educational language, share the same goals and promote the HGSE philosophy and practices internationally."

Ed School Featured on CBS News

2010-02-01T13:44:31Z

On Saturday evening, the Harvard Graduate School of Education was featured in a segment on the present and future of education as part of CBS News' "Where America Stands" series. The piece, which aired during the CBS Evening News, said that if the Ed School's new Doctor of Education Leadership Program is successful, "school systems will end up with better leaders who hire better teachers, and American students may finally make the grade."

HGSE's Urban Scholars Committed to Improving Urban Schools

2010-01-20T19:55:41Z

By Jill Anderson

The Urban Scholars Program, which offers its recipients tuition-free enrollment in their selected master's programs, was started in part due to Dean Kathleen McCartney's vision of creating a prestigious fellowship for educators in urban school systems.

Now in its fourth year, the Urban Scholars Program has attracted dozens of candidates with superb academic records and a deep commitment to working in urban school systems. "This year's cohort comprises 14 experienced educators from urban districts including Washington D.C., New York City, and Oakland, Calif., and who possess research interests such as urban immigrant communities and adolescent development in urban environments," says Jennifer Petrallia, assistant dean for master's studies.

In addition to completing the standard master's curriculum, Urban Scholars participate in a dynamic interdisciplinary co-curriculum designed to facilitate the development of a life-long network of professional colleagues who share a common passion for improving urban schools. The co-curriculum includes sessions with leading researchers and practitioners in urban education.

Here the 2009-2010 Urban Scholars share their thoughts on being selected for the program, attending HGSE, and urban education today.

2009-2010 Urban Scholars (clockwise from top left): Stephanie Aberger, Michael Holt, Brent Reckman, Catherine Graham, Shimrit Paley, Allison Hertz, Ann Mantil, Masha Wasilewsky, Brendan Dotson, Joseph McIntyre, Jane Myers. (Not pictured: Melissa Diana Aguirre, Ami Gada, Eric Rafael Gonzalez.)

]]> 2009-2010 Urban Scholars

Stephanie Aberger

Melissa Diana Aguirre

Project Zero's Boix Mansilla Awarded Schwartz Fellowship

2010-01-20T16:46:17Z

Veronica Boix Mansilla, Ed.M.'92, Ed.D.'01, principal investigator at Project Zero, has recently been awarded the Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Fellowship for her work on global consciousness and the educational demands of our changing world. She holds an Ed.D. in human development and psychology and a master's in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At Project Zero, she is the principal investigator of the Interdisciplinary Studies Project, which examines the intellectual, organizational, and pedagogical qualities of exemplary interdisciplinary work as it takes place in expert institutions and exemplary collegiate and precollegiate educational programs.

This marks the first time a Schwartz Fellowship has been given in the field of education and is among the first granted that is not exclusively focused on Asia, but has a broader global framing. The fellowship is designed to support Boix Mansilla's thinking, writing, and promotion of public dialogue about global competencies, building on her Project Zero research and the work she has done with the Asia Society and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). For more information about the other Schwartz Fellows, please visit: http://www.asiasociety.org/about/people/fellows/schwartz.

HGSE Remembers John Hobbs

2010-01-08T17:04:36Z

John Hobbs, a longtime supporter of education and the Ed School died on Sunday, January 3. A member of HGSE's Dean's Council, a former member of the Visiting Committee, and cochair of the last capital campaign, Hobbs, with his late wife Elisabeth, dedicated more than 20 years of service to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "With the passing of John Hobbs, I have lost a mentor and HGSE has lost one of its dearest friends. We are grateful for the legacy that John, and his late wife, Liz, have left through their philanthropy," commented Dean Kathleen McCartney. "I especially appreciate their dedication to fellowship support of our talented students. There is much I will miss -- John's wise counsel on strategy, his appreciation for the role of education in transforming lives, and especially his laugh."

In the following article -- originally run in the summer 2006 issue of Ed. magazine -- the Hobbses' dedication to both education and the Ed School is clear:

Supporting the Education of Educators

by Elizabeth Gehrman

Elisabeth and John Hobbs know the value of a good public education system. But they acknowledge that things have changed since the 1940s and '50s, when they attended public schools--she in Winnetka, Illinois, and he in Newton, Massachusetts.

"There is a consensus in this country that improving public education is necessary for successfully meeting the challenges of the 21st century," says John Hobbs (Harvard '60, HBS '65). Efforts to address it are underway at all levels of government, and many philanthropists are making large contributions to the effort, Hobbs added, "but it is essential the leading graduate schools of education, like HGSE, gather more resources to make a greater contribution to this complex issue."

Both Hobbses have long focused their volunteer efforts on education and cochaired the school's last capital campaign, which far exceeded its goal. "I've been saying for years," says Liz Hobbs, Ed.M.'61, "that I think the Ed School is the absolute gem of the University. It doesn't get appropriate recognition for what an extraordinary school it is. It's got outstanding students, an outstanding faculty, and outstanding programs. It's not just a place that is putting teachers into classrooms. It's so much broader, when you consider the Urban Superintendents Program, the professional-development programs, and so many others. It also plays an important role in educational research and in the development and articulation of educational philosophies."

The Hobbses have supported the school in their role as volunteers as well as financially, with cumulative gifts in excess of $5 million. Their most recent gift of $600,000 to the Ed School benefited from the University's relatively new cross-credit program that permits alumni of the business school, the law school, and Harvard College who wish to give $100,000 or more to apply the money to one of the public service schools while still counting the gift toward the annual drive of their graduating class.

"It's awfully hard for people not to want to give to their class," John Hobbs says. "But these schools--the Divinity School, the School of Public Health, and, of course, HGSE--also need more resources. This program makes it easier for people in the Harvard community to provide support to these very important schools, without having to choose not to support their class."

More than 80 percent of the Hobbs' most recent gift went to support fellowships for HGSE students. "Most graduate students finance much of their education with loans," John says, "but a teacher or principal has a much tougher time repaying those loans than a lawyer or businessperson would. We need to make it more possible for exceptional prospects to attend HGSE by alleviating the massive hurdle they face if they have to finance their own graduate education."

This gift is a significant contribution toward the Ed School's broader efforts to increase financial aid and fellowship opportunities for students. Education is a field where value to society is not reflected in income, so it is important for HGSE to establish prestigious fellowships and abundant financial aid opportunities in order to enroll the highest caliber students--students who, as Hobbs says, might otherwise opt for business, law, or medical school. "For the past two decades, John and Liz Hobbs have been pacesetters for HGSE, enabling the school to tackle its most important priorities," says William McKersie, associate dean for development and alumni relations. "Their unrestricted support for fellowships, which will be known as Hobbs Fellowships, will boost our strategic move to attract the best talent to the profession of education."

The remaining $100,000 of the Hobbs' gift supports the research of Hobbs Professor Howard Gardner, who is the first to hold the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Chair of Education and Cognition.

"I'm honored to be the first occupant of the chair the Hobbses endowed," Gardner says. "Even when times are difficult at HGSE, the Hobbses are always coming to visit, keeping in touch, attending functions. They have an extremely caring attitude toward the school and have done a great deal to connect the Ed School with other parts of the University." Given the small size and meager endowment of HGSE and the knowledge and talent that other faculties at Harvard can provide, such linkages are crucial.

For almost 40 years, Gardner has been associated with the HGSE-based research group Project Zero, which endeavors to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, humanities, and sciences at both individual and institutional levels. He is also the cofounder of the GoodWork Project, which examines how professionals carry out work that is not only of high quality but is socially responsible. The Hobbses' most recent contribution "will help us look at GoodWork beyond the United States," says Gardner, noting that research has begun in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. It will also allow Gardner to continue working on the GoodWork Toolkit, which encourages secondary-school students to think about the consequences of their work for others.

Finally, the gift will expand the role of "trust, trustworthiness, and trustees" in the promotion of GoodWork. Trustees, Gardner explains, are people who are well-known, widely respected, and nonpartisan. "The Hobbses," he adds, "are trustees in that sense."

Forbes Highlights Revolutionary Educators

2010-01-06T18:28:44Z

Forbes recently named 14 educators -- including six prominent members of the HGSE community -- "revolutionary educators" who are "shaking up how we educate our most disadvantaged kids."

Among those honored are HGSE Professor and Academic Dean Robert Schwartz, C.A.S.'68; Harlem Children's Zone President and CEO Geoffrey Canada, Ed.M.'75; Posse Foundation President and Founder Deborah Bial, Ed.M.'96, Ed.D.'04; New Leaders for New Schools CEO and Cofounder Jon Schnur, GSE'00; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Mike Smith, Ed.M.'63, Ed.D.'70; and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a former HGSE visiting committee member. Forbes commended these education visionaries for "taking radical tacks" and "accomplishing the seemingly impossible" in education.

Read the feature in Forbes.

Emphasis on Education: Master's Student Tamam Waritu

2009-12-23T16:51:59Z

By Jill Anderson

When master's student Tamam Waritu dropped out of his Ethiopian school in the fifth grade, it could have been the end of his education. In fact, growing up in the East African town of Assassa, Oromia with few amenities -- electricity was even limited -- Waritu recalls that there was not a lot of emphasis placed on education.

"Not many people really understood the value of education. Back then, no one really cared that much," Waritu says. Although his father did stress the importance of education, Waritu lost interest in school when his father left for America. Without any other encouragement, Waritu spent the days that followed watching videos for 10 cents apiece at the only place in town with television and a VCR.

Ultimately, it was his father's decision to move to America that brought Waritu back to school. It took nearly two years before he, his mother, and 11 siblings joined his father in Portland, Ore., but, once there, the 16-year-old Waritu found himself back in school after an almost four-year absence. While his father worked as a dishwasher, the family shared a two-bedroom apartment where all the children woke at 5 a.m. to get ready for school. Even though Waritu was unable to speak English, he was too old to attend middle school and enrolled as a freshman in one of the inner-city high schools. School was entirely different from what he remembered back home, he says, recalling that it was the first time he ever touched a computer.

During his sophomore year, Waritu was introduced to the idea of college which, since no one in his family had gone to college, he knew nothing about it. Waritu learned from his teachers that there are certain prerequisites for college entrance and, unfortunately, English as Second Language (ESL) -- the course of study he was on at the time -- did not qualify. Waritu rapidly changed his trajectory. In order to increase his chances of getting into college, he shifted the way he had been approaching school and persuaded teachers to get him out of ESL. By his junior year, he had mastered the computer, stayed after school regularly to boost his grades, and started volunteering. When Waritu graduated on time, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Portland State University (PSU), where he majored in international studies and black studies, and minored in sociology and civic leadership.

While in college, Waritu continued to push himself hard, never forgetting the children back home in Ethiopia. In 2006, he created the Gadab Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for books and other educational materials to Oromia students who enroll in high school and universities.

Starting the nonprofit was an easy decision for Waritu, who believes in giving back. "Whatever opportunity has been given to me...if the same opportunity is given to someone else, then they may do something greater than what I have," he says. "I feel obligated...I've gotten this far so how can I give back?"

To date, the Gadab Foundation has helped 27 students continue their education in the Oromia region. "I know the situation which they come from and I will never forget," he says. "I promised that I would do something back there and what better thing can one do than to help someone attain their goals through education. By educating one child then you are impacting the entire community."

Waritu had never considered Harvard as an option for his own schooling until a professor at PSU encouraged him to look in to it. Currently a student in the Risk and Prevention Program, Waritu is interested in developing a prevention program for dropouts. He plans to continue his education and pursue doctoral studies in education, examining the factors that lead to dropouts.

Despite all that Waritu has overcome, he remains humble about everything he has achieved and is impressed by his fellow students. "Harvard makes you believe that you can do anything, especially my colleagues with their amazing backgrounds," he says, grinning widely. "I keep thinking, 'Wow -- I want to do that." In fact, Waritu's dreams of what he wants to achieve keep growing. Recently, he told his fiancée, 'I want to build a university.' She looked at him and replied, "You need to get a job first."

Geoffrey Canada, Ed.M.'75, Featured on CBS' 60 Minutes

2009-12-07T15:19:01Z

On Sunday, December 6, CBS' 60 Minutes featured Harvard Graduate School of Education alumnus Geoffrey Canada, Ed.M.'75, and the Harlem Children's Zone. Canada, the president and CEO of the Children's Zone, was the recipient of the 2008 HGSE Alumni Award and was recently honored by Harvard's Phillips Brooks House Association.

From One to Many: Master's Student Nathaniel Dunigan

2009-12-02T20:22:12Z

By Jill Anderson

Nathaniel Dunigan never could have predicted that being given the opportunity to travel to Uganda for one month would forever alter the course of his future. But, it did.

Nine years ago, while working as the deputy director for the office of the governor in Tucson, Ariz., Dunigan trained to teach HIV/AIDS prevention through the Governor's Office of AIDS Awareness, which subsequently led to him traveling to Uganda to educate for a month. "Africa was not on my radar screen at all," he says, looking back. "When I got over there, I saw this incredible need. The suffering was so intense...I couldn't take it."

On one particular day, Dunigan traveled to a village where a jam-packed hut of people awaited his talk on HIV prevention. At the end of the talk, he was approached by an Ugandan woman holding a young boy flushed from a fever and covered in sores, who said, "So you talked to us about hope, but what can you do about him?" The question affected Dunigan so much that he realized, though looking at the big picture of HIV/AIDS can be overwhelming, on an individual level, there are a lot of things one person can do. "When you think of that little boy, you realize... you can help him," he says.

Within a year after that initial trip, Dunigan left his aspirations to a political career behind, held a yard sale, sold his car, and moved to Uganda armed with a donated laptop and digital camera. In a moment of serendipity, Dunigan came across eight acres of space complete with multiple buildings owned by a local church. The church community gladly rented the facility to Dunigan citing their hope that someone would come along and use the space for the community.

Now, nine years later, Dunigan's hope to help one little boy has flourished into a full-blown organization serving 3,000 children. Aidchild comprises two centers which supply homes, medical care, laboratory support, psychosocial support, and education to orphans living with AIDS. Additionally, the organization also runs two art galleries, a restaurant, a café, and a massage center as means to help support the centers. In fact, due to these amenities, the center is 70 percent self-sustained.

"I couldn't have done it all by myself," Dunigan says, noting that Ugandan partners, volunteers, and his family were immensely helpful in getting the center off the ground, as well as keeping it running. Although starting an organization has its challenges, Dunigan notes the commitment he made to the children, partners, and donors keeps him going.

At the forefront are Dunigan's questions about how to tackle problems revolving around the teaching profession and the recruitment of teachers in Uganda. Children within his center do well academically, but due to the country's structuring of the teaching profession, it can be difficult to understand most teachers' motivation. To many in Uganda, teaching is considered just a job requiring only two years of professional training. "There needs to be answers so we can be better," Dunigan says. "I see education being key to achieving change not just in Uganda, but everywhere."

It was the plethora of questions about children, emotional development, education, and teacher recruitment led him to the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Human Development and Psychology Program (HDP). "HDP has the flexibility I needed with my international focus," he says. "I want to think more like a psychologist to understand what's happening."

At HGSE, Dunigan says he has found a wonderfully supportive community. "It feels like everyone wants you to succeed not just in your master's but with your aspirations and goals beyond being here," he says. The rapport even led to Dunigan to invite the entire HDP cohort to Uganda for spring break.

As for Dunigan's future after HGSE, he admits that as much as he enjoys all the luxuries of American living, he's eager to get back to Uganda. "It's hard to be away from the kids," he says.

Colleagues Reflect on Kennedy's Education Legacy at Askwith Forum

2009-11-18T18:55:02Z

By Jill Anderson

Although much of country is familiar with the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's efforts in healthcare reform, he was also a leading force behind such education policies as Goals 2000, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the Direct Loan Program. The senator's achievements in education were the focus of last Tuesday's Askwith Forum, "Edward Kennedy: The Education Senator."

"If you look at his record over the past 15 years, he had an enormous impact on the education framework in this country," said Academic Dean Robert Schwartz, who moderated the discussion that included panelists Clayton Spencer, vice president for policy at Harvard University; Nick Littlefield, partner at Foley Hoag LLP; Ellen Guiney, executive director of Boston Plan for Excellence; and Donica Petroshius, CEO of Policy Strategies & Solutions, LL - all former members of Kennedy's staff.

"When I think about Kennedy...I want to say that his commitment to education was equal to healthcare," Littlefield said. Kennedy remained passionate about early childhood education and school reform during the ever-changing political landscape of the past 15 years. Littlefield recalled that when former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich proposed eliminating the Department of Education Kennedy and his staff fought hard and ultimately prevailed.

One of the many bills that Kennedy would push through the Senate, Goals 2000 -- the predecessor to NCLB which established academic standards -- was pivotal in creating a larger role of the federal government in education.

"It was a difficult bill to get passed," Guiney said. "Most of the Republicans did not think the feds should be toying around with standards for kids...the Senator never gave up on it."

Guiney recalls that once they had the necessary 60 votes to get Goals 2000 passed, Republicans called for the very large bill to be read in its entirety, potentially pushing discussion into the Passover holiday, which could have resulted in the defeat of the bill. In the end, the bill passed, due in no small part to Kennedy. "It was extraordinary what Kennedy and his staff orchestrated to get everyone on board," Guiney said. "Goals 2000 laid the groundwork for standards and [No Child Left Behind]."

The panelists agree that Kennedy saw education as an "engine of opportunity." His efforts stretched beyond policies solely geared toward K-12 into higher education. Spencer shared stories about the first time she wrote a memo about direct lending for college students. Kennedy's first question after commending her work was, "How many votes do you have?"

Dean Kathleen McCartney asked the panelists how much the Senator relied on research to inform his policy decisions. "I think more than most [senators] he wanted to know what the research said on topics," responded Schwartz, recounting a time when Kennedy met with him, Professor Bridget Terry Long, and Professor Tom Kane to discuss NCLB, teacher provisions, and simplifying the FAFSA process.

The senator was also well-known for inviting policy experts to dinner on a regular basis. However, the panelists contended that sometimes it's difficult for research to stand during a political debate. "It's a complex game," Littlefield said. "We were lucky that Kennedy really cared about talking to researchers and getting ideas."

In closing, Littlefield encouraged students to work hard to get their research in front of politicians and policymakers. Though Littlefield noted that it is often difficult, he said that it is "doable." He encouraged students to take short periods of time and try to work as interns or fellows in Washington as a means of getting to know key people in the policy world. "There are no limits to what you can achieve once you get access to these people," he said.

Prospective Students Visit Campus for Diversity Recruitment Program Event

2009-11-18T18:47:24Z

By Jill Anderson

Just a year ago, Rhonda Baylor visited HGSE's Diversity Recruitment Program where she met plenty of students and began setting the path to her future at HGSE. Now, Baylor is studying for her master's at the Ed School and is giving back to a new cohort of prospective students at the annual event.

"I can remember sitting in those chairs when I was thinking about applying," says Baylor, who studies the transition of high school students to college. "It motivated me to see students going through the program. I had planned to apply for a while but coming here encouraged me - at that point figured I didn't have anything to lose."

Baylor's story is similar to many students who travel to HGSE each fall for the now annual Diversity Recruitment Program event. Last week 195 prospective students from all over the country turned out for the 20th offering. The day-long event provides an opportunity for prospective students of color to meet faculty, administrators, alumni, and current students, as well as to learn about academic programs, student life, admissions, and financial aid, and even to kick start their application process.

"HGSE is committed to attracting a diverse student body. Since its inception in 1991, we have held highly successful diversity admissions events to recruit talented and passionate students to apply to our degree programs," says Dean Kathleen McCartney, who spoke to students at the start of the event. "This year's event drew double the number of prospective students compared with last year. I enjoyed the many one-on-one conversations I had with prospective students, who will be future leaders in education practice, policy, and research."

Director of Admissions Maria Curcio explains that the Diversity Recruitment Program is a reflection of the need for a diverse group of educators. "We seek to develop leaders who will be able to represent and incorporate multiple perspectives and voices in their work," Curcio says. "We value diversity of all kinds in the classroom and in the field of education, whether it is based on ethnicity and race, geography, prior work experience, professional interests, and more."

Formerly known as the Students of Color Recruitment Program, the program began in 1991 when the HGSE Admissions Office aimed to attract diverse applicants who may not have considered HGSE as a graduate option.

"I think there are a lot of people who don't know about the school or perhaps what it has to offer," says Assistant Director of Admissions Shirley Greene, who oversees the office's diversity recruitment efforts. Part of Greene's job is meeting with prospective students throughout the country and speaking about potential opportunities at HGSE.

Historically, the Diversity Recruitment Program event plays a unique role in attracting students of color to HGSE. "The recruitment program is an affirmation in many ways for prospective students who may not think it's possible," says Greene recounting a recent visit to Spelman College and Morehouse College where even top students did not think they could apply to HGSE. "This gets the idea in students' heads that this is possible. This is about exposing prospective students to the Harvard community, providing a real opportunity to see the school, but also addressing misperceptions about being here at Harvard," Greene says.

The one-day event exposes prospective students to many aspects of the Ed School beyond academics, from student life to writing a statement of purpose.

Doctoral candidate Adrienne Keene came to the Diversity Recruitment Program last year to work on her statement of purpose and get a feel for the school. "I felt really encouraged by the fact that HGSE showed a commitment to diversity and they were looking to bring in a group of diverse students," Keene says. "For me, the best part was being able to meet current students and see that they were real people, who were passionate about education, but at the same time could sit and have a casual conversation. [The program] was definitely a positive experience and then I knew I was ready to go to grad school."

Visiting HGSE in advance, particularly through the Diversity Recruitment Program, does make a difference in student enrollments. Although it is difficult to track exactly how many students come to HGSE as a result of the recruitment program, according to Curcio, 55 percent of people who attended the recruitment program last year applied to the school for this academic year. "This does not factor in the many others who may have attended in previous years," she says.

After all, the decision to return to graduate school can take much advance planning and time. For many students of color, attending a school with diversity is an important factor in their decisions. "I felt coming out would be a great way to learn more about my program of interest, visit the campus, learn key insights as to the application process, and most importantly, see for myself to what degree diversity is encouraged at Harvard," says Lynette Tannis, a doctoral candidate.

Many of the students who enroll in HGSE following the Diversity Recruitment Program inevitably find themselves committed to the event the following year seeing as though it was pivotal in fostering their HGSE experience. "Once I came to HGSE, there was a familiar face and someone that I felt comfortable reaching out to," says Keene, whose research focuses on potential barriers and success factors in Native Americans' college application process. "It was the first step in building those relationships that were key in the process and transitioning process. I was so happy to give back this year and help because I appreciated it last year."

Although the Diversity Recruitment Program's mission is to attract students of color to HGSE, Greene emphasizes that ultimately increased diversity and awareness benefit everyone on campus.

The students who attend the Diversity Recruitment Program echo similar sentiments as Greene in striving for a diverse campus. "Our nation's diversity is ever increasing and we must embrace the fact that we learn so very much from individuals who differ from us in some way," Tannis says. "Bringing people together from various backgrounds with a common goal to impact the world through policy, research, and practice is powerful. It will take different perspectives and experiences to help us achieve our mission for all our nation's children to receive high quality instruction each and every day."

Johnson, Perkins Named to Endowed Chairs

2009-11-18T18:27:54Z

Dean Kathleen McCartney has announced the appointment of two Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty members to endowed chairs. Susan Moore Johnson was named the Jerome T. Murphy Professor of Education and David Perkins was named the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professor of Teaching and Learning, the chair being vacated by Johnson.

The Murphy Chair is named after longtime HGSE professor and former dean Jerome Murphy, who said of Johnson's appointment, "Susan epitomizes the best of the Ed School - a dedicated teacher who treasures her students, a superb scholar who grasps the subtleties of practice, a tireless denizen of the community, and a wonderful person who radiates integrity. I'm thrilled and honored by her appointment to the Murphy chair."

"Susan was academic dean during most of Jerry's deanship, so it is an extremely fitting tribute to them both that Susan should be the first holder of the Jerome T. Murphy Professorship in Education," said McCartney.

Johnson is an expert on teacher policy, organizational change, and administrative practice. As a former high school teacher and administrator, her research focuses on the work of teachers and school reform. Currently, Johnson and a group of advanced doctoral students are engaged in a multiyear research study, The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, that examines how best to recruit, support, and retain a strong teaching force in the next decade. The project includes studies of hiring practices, alternative certification programs, and new teachers' attitudes toward careers and experiences with colleagues.

Of Perkins' appointment, McCartney commented, "The common strain through all of David Perkins' work is a singular focus on how we learn. Books such as his recent Making Learning Whole, as well as his long-standing work with Project Zero and WIDE World make Dave a deserving choice for the Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr. Professorship in Teaching and Learning."

Perkins research focuses on creativity in the arts and sciences, informal reasoning, problem solving, understanding, individual and organizational learning, and the teaching of thinking skills. Perkins's 2008 book, Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education, presents a new and practical research-based teaching framework in which he describes teaching as being more effective when students are introduced to the "whole game" instead of isolated disciplines. An advocate of school change, he has participated in curriculum projects addressing thinking, understanding, and learning around the world. He is also the cofounder of Project Zero, a research project at HGSE that investigates human symbolic capacities and their development, and WIDE World, a distance-learning initiative for practitioners developed at the Ed School.

Everyday Heroes: Brence Pernell, Ed.M.'09

2009-11-18T17:57:18Z

By Jazmin Brooks

"Everyday Heroes" is a continuing series that tells the stories of Ed School alums who are focusing their considerable talents and efforts on teaching, administration, counseling, and other areas that impact students and their learning on a daily basis. These are the people, as we noted in a 2003 Ed. magazine feature, "leading our nation from its classrooms."

Brence Pernell, Ed.M.'09, approached his first assignment as a teacher with the same balance of passion, humility, and determination that graced him during his academic career. "I practiced in the mirror for an hour before class," says Pernell of his preparation for the first day of school. He explains how important the first encounter a teacher has with his or her students is: "It sets the tone for the entire year."

Pernell is a history teacher at York Comprehensive High School in York, S.C., a rural, socially conservative, tight-knit community with roots in the mining industry. Pernell's students reflect the struggles and achievements of their town.

"Two of my students have children and one works the third shift before coming to school," he explains. The real-world challenges his students face create a deeper layer to Pernell's curriculum. "Learning how to engineer opportunities for students to authentically learn new knowledge is the most intellectually engaging thing I've ever done," he says. It is about finding symmetry between accountability and encouragement, and about being creative and making the material accessible to the students in order to keep them interested.

It gives him great joy to see the awakening students experience when they are taught something either they did not know before or that challenges their knowledge, says Pernell. So far this school year, Pernell introduced his students to W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington, and engaged them in a discussion about Thomas Jefferson and the affair Jefferson had with one of his slaves. The students have also compared the current economic crisis to the Great Depression, and the ties that both financial catastrophes had on the town of York.

Pernell is aware that teachers with his educational background are not the norm in schools in small, rural, working-class towns like York. That is part of why he is so passionate about creating a classroom that gives his students the opportunity to picture themselves as part of a bigger world and show them that they can accomplish any and all feats because they are worthy and capable of greatness. This lesson - one that Pernell learned growing up in the similarly tiny town of Blackville, S.C. - is one he kept with him during his undergraduate work at Duke University, and his graduate work at HGSE, and one he has returned to South Carolina to share.

In addition to teaching in the classroom, Pernell's dedication extends to his school's Home Bound Program. For several hours a week he provides additional tutoring to those who need the extra assistance at their homes. Pernell says it not only helps the students but also shows the parents that the school cares about their children's education, and hopefully encourages parents to become more involved.

Pernell is keeping a journal chronicling his first year of teaching. He says other teachers had advised him to keep track of all the positive encounters, lessons, and epiphanies he will experience, because the first year can be filled with hurdles and negativity. Even with the bumps in the road, Pernell says the immense support from his colleagues has made all the difference in the world. He says the sense of community amongst the teachers at his school motivates him daily. In order to give the lessons he learns depth, Pernell believes reflection is key. His journaling has brought a calming perspective to his teaching career and the direction of his future. "It's given me so much that I decided to start having my students keep reflection notebooks." It's another lesson of passion and purpose that Pernell shares with his students.

]]> Everyday Heroes Profiles

Frankie Cruz, Ed.M.'06

Aaron Dworkin, Ed.M.'04

Julie Krieger, Ed.M.'08

Eric Marcos, Ed.M.'03

Camsie Matis, Ed.M.'05

Julie Joyal Mowschenson, Ed.M.'08

Rob Stein, C.A.S.'93, Ed.D.'01

Lecturer Joe Blatt on 40 Years of Sesame Success

2009-11-12T18:18:11Z

Today you would be hard-pressed to find an adult or a child who has never heard (or rather seen) Big Bird, Grover, or Oscar the Grouch. After all, Sesame Street, celebrating 40 years this week, has remained instrumental in captivating not only children's attention and learning, but also adults. We talked to Lecturer Joe Blatt, Ed.M.'77, director of the Technology, Innovation, and Education program, about the amazing success of Sesame Street and its impact on education -- and the Ed School.

Q. What does the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street signify for media and technology in education?

A. Remember, when Sesame Street made its debut, the idea of using television for education was innovative, largely untried and untested, and still unfamiliar, certainly to most parents and educators. Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney had the fairly radical idea that entertainment techniques -- including commercial-style jingles and celebrity cameo appearances -- could be repurposed for teaching the alphabet and other preschool content. Today, when children are engaged with so many new technologies, from video games to the web and to smartphones, the achievements of Sesame Street pose a real challenge for us: Can we be equally inventive in harnessing the new technology of our time to serve learning?

Q. How has Sesame Street made a lasting impact in education?

A. It's hard to know where to start. After more than a 1,000 monographs and articles, Sesame Street is almost certainly the most thoroughly researched educational intervention in history. One clear finding is that the key to an effective learning program is a carefully researched and clearly articulated curriculum, constructed jointly by content experts and talented writers and producers. Another contribution is methods for testing audience appeal and comprehension while material is still in development -- what's called formative evaluation -- which has now become standard practice in creating educational media.

I also want to highlight two types of impact that are less formal but no less valuable. Sesame Street was the first national television series to feature a fully integrated cast -- the original hosts were an African American couple, and their friends and neighbors were a mix of other ethnic groups, not to mention multi-colored Muppets. Versions of Sesame Street have now been broadcast in more than 70 countries, largely through co-production arrangements with indigenous officials, educators, and producers. While the rest of us have started to recognize the importance of pursuing a truly international perspective in our work, Sesame has been doing it for decades.

Q. Sesame Street and the Ed School have a long-standing relationship. Can you discuss how Sesame Street Workshop remains an important contributor to the learning at HGSE?

A. The special Sesame-HGSE relationship goes back to the very beginning, when HGSE Professor Gerald Lesser chaired the board of academic advisors who constructed the original curriculum for the series. To this day, colleagues on the faculty like Professor Catherine Snow and Dean Kathy McCartney -- who is, after all, the Lesser Professor -- continue to contribute their expertise. However, the Sesame Workshop is also deeply engaged with our learning at HGSE. A few years ago, I created a new course called "Informal Learning for Children," which Sesame generously supports, sending senior executives and researchers to teach a number of sessions, and sharing unique internal materials related to design and evaluation. Every year Gary Knell, Sesame Workshop president and CEO, or another top workshop official, comes to campus to talk with HGSE students. Also, each semester a student from the Technology, Innovation, and Education master's program gets to undertake a virtual internship with the Cooney Center, Sesame's new hub for research on digital media. I think this relationship will continue to grow, and I am very grateful for the learning opportunities the workshop gives our students.

Q. Why do you think Sesame Street has maintained this unusual level of success of 40 years in television?

A. "Unusual" is too tame a word. It is extraordinary that a show would last that long, especially one aimed at children. I think there are three principal reasons for Sesame Street's success. On one hand, the series has never been static. There are new characters, new formats, and new curriculum goals being adopted every year, and the most recent season that started November 10 is no exception. You can watch for segments on nature and the environment, and a new 3D look for Abby Cadabby. On the other hand, the core values mutual respect among children and adults, love of discovery, belief that the world can be a friendlier and happier place these values have never given way to attitude or other fashionable trends in children's media. Finally, even as it reaches out to younger viewers, Sesame Street has not forgotten the importance of appealing to parents and caregivers. I've never met anyone of any age who doesn't like Grover, and who else can you say that about?