HGSE Remembers Longtime Faculty Members

The pandemic turned education upside down, leaving schools closed and desks six feet apart. It also prevented the Ed School was honoring the life and legacy of several former faculty members who had passed away around that time — all titans in their field. And so, on March 27, the community gathered to share stories of those six scholars: David Cohen, Dick Elmore, Kurt Fischer, Tom Hehir, Bob LeVine, and Charles Willie.

“These remarkable individuals brought a singular brilliance to their work, yet they shared a common purpose: a deep and abiding belief in education as a force for progress,” said Dean Nonie Lesaux in her opening remarks. “Their scholarship moved our field forward. But as importantly, their mentorship guided us, and their friendship enriched us. They taught this community not only what it means to be rigorous thinkers, but also what it means to be compassionate educators, willing to engage with complexity in service of a more just world.”

Below are a few excerpts from reflections and memories shared during the gathering.

Richard Elmore
“Let’s turn now to those individual faculty members whose backgrounds differ widely and learn about what they brought to HGSE…Our first is Dick Elmore, who probably did more to shift focus to issues of schooling than any other single faculty member. I remember when he came for his interview with Jerry Murphy and me, and he launched into a detailed analysis of the British Empire’s historical role. After several minutes of learned discourse, I asked how this was relevant to the job for which he was being interviewed. He replied that he had looked me up and saw that I was trained in history and that I would find this compelling. No, I said, what can you tell us about how schools can improve? He then switched gears and gave a coherent and effective discussion of that topic. We hired him.” — Professor Emerita Pat Graham, former HGSE dean from 1981–1992

Charles Willie
“Dr. Willie was Morehouse, class of 1948, and this is something all of his scholars, as he called us, knew well. And for so many of us, first generation, in awe of, and overwhelmed by our surroundings, that expression of respect and expectation was so vital. Dr. Willie’s passion for social justice, his pride and belief in historically Black colleges and universities, and his championing for Black families, would be my north star as a young student on Appian Way.” — Rich Reddick, Ed.M.’98, Ed.D’08; University of Texas at Austin associate professor, senior vice provost for curriculum and enrollment, and dean of the undergraduate college

“Dr. Willie was not just an exceptional scholar. He was the embodiment of Black excellence and integrity. As an African American scholar, he understood the heightened scrutiny our work would face, and he prepared us to meet it with unwavering standards. I vividly recall my first paper and the shock I felt upon receiving a grade of C from this warm and generous professor, who was usually full of smiles and praise. But it was his commitment to our growth and excellence that motivated such high expectations. Dr. Willie believed in us, challenged us, and equipped us with the tools to rise above — to be the best versions of ourselves.” — Professor Karen Mapp, Ed.D.’99

David Cohen
“David was really unique among policy giants because he actually spent time, as he called it, ‘crouching in classrooms’ — David was a big man, and third-grade desks are really little — in order to understand what happens to policy after it leaves the state house and as teachers start to learn about it and implement it. And this remains really unique in education policy today. Many scholars look for an impact of policy in state or district data without ever talking to a teacher or sometimes even learning anything at all about policy implementation. But starting one’s analysis of policy by looking at its effects in classrooms makes a big difference to the insightfulness of your work, something David proved time and time again.” — Professor Heather Hill, Teaching and Teacher Leadership faculty co-chair

Kurt Fischer
“To be sure, Kurt’s ideas of post-Piagetian cognitive development, social and emotional development skill theory in its developmental and educational implications, became and have remained important in the field, but I want to emphasize what I personally think will ultimately be most important, most memorable — the conceptualization and realization of mind, brain, and education. Really his brainchild. I was the politician. Kurt was the visionary. Probably that is his most long-lasting contribution to scholarship, thought it won’t be adequately recognized until or unless an astute historian of science does the necessary homework.” — Professor Howard Gardner

Bob LeVine
“Bob received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1958. His main field, then and ever after, was social anthropology. But Bob brought a very special voice to that particular field. He was fascinated by the way that human cultures, and especially different patterns of child rearing, leave their mark on children. I readily admit that my own field, developmental psychology, and psychology more broadly, ignored the impact of culture for many decades. Under the spell of Piaget, we thought there was some universal highway accessible to all children. We’ve gradually learned otherwise whereas Bob placed culture, and its many pathways, front and center from the very beginning of his career.” — Professor Paul Harris

Tom Hehir
“Mary Grassa O’Neil tells this anecdote: ‘When Tom told me he had ALS, I told him I thought it was unfair for someone like him who worked his entire life for and with people who needed support. He replied, “Who better than me to get ALS? I know what all the assistive devices are. And I know how to use them!”’ A perfect exemplar of what we mean by professor of practice: lengthy experience in schools, in school districts, in the federal government, and in the academy.” — Professor Catherine Snow

Full list of speakers:

• Pat Graham and Liz City, Ed.D.’07: reflections on Richard Elmore, Ed.D.’76
• Jal Mehta and Heather Hill: reflections on David Cohen
• Karen Mapp, Ed.D.99, and Rich Reddick, Ed.M.’98, Ed.D.’08: reflections on Charles Willie
• Paul Harris and Meredith Rowe, Ed.D.’03: reflections on Bob LeVine
• Howard Gardner and Mary Helen Immordino Yang, Ed.M.’98, Ed.D.’05: reflections on Kurt Fischer
• Catherine Snow and Arun Ramanathan, Ed.D.’07: reflections on Tom Hehir, Ed.D.’90