2022 | YEAR in REVIEW
BUTLER COLLEGEUNIVERSITY of EDUCATION
COE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan
and STAFF
ART DIRECTOR Alisha
8 Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Celebrates Centennial Anniversary
18 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award
22 STEM New Educator Academy Aims to Keep More Teachers in Indiana
EPPSP 2022 YEAR in REVIEW
16 A Teacher’s Gift | The Hochman Ligon Scholarship
5 Faculty & Staff Retirements
Mark
20 Reflections on Year One
24 Butler University’s Teacher-Led, Teacher Education Program Provides Training for Teachers with Alternative Credentials
ABOUT the STUDENTSCOLLEGE
ALUMNIFACULTY
15 How Many Ways Can Butler Students Get Involved with Special Olympics? Ask Jillian Moss ’20.
CONTENTS
4 Shared 2022-23CommitmentsDean’sAdvisory Board Members
EDITORS
10 EPPSP-Butler Way Camp
Chasadee Minton Arnold MS ’21 Lyzun Luckenbill Adams Apple
Amy
12 A Shared Mission: How Butler’s College of Education and Special Olympics Work Together for Inclusion
25 Faculty & Staff Highlights
METL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nancy
Amy FinaeDanaKatieArnoldGriezeLee’19Rent’22
6 New Faculty & Staff
17 All About Impact
3 Dean’s Message
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As you read the 2022 Year in Review, I invite you to look for stories in this issue that highlight the hope we have for our profession, for schools and communities, and for the students we serve. You will also see evidence of the mission-driven actions faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners are taking to collaboratively and strategically realize our hopes. Among the work that gives me hope are initiatives for the strategic development of educator pipelines to serve children and youth in our communities. One example is the COE Future Educators Program (p. 11), which has successfully recruited high school students into our profession through dual credit offerings. This program will soon expand to include wraparound services for students and be accessible to students in additional districts.
Similarly, I am hopeful about the growing intentionality focused on the recruitment and retention of educators at all levels who come from identity groups currently underrepresented and historically excluded from the education profession. In pursuit of a just and equitable society, we committed to “providing maximum access and opportunities to notice, name, and interrogate our own practices… (and) dismantle systems and policies which have historically been used to marginalize and which persist in denying full educational access to all learners” (COE shared commitment). This has been precisely the effect of our own hiring policies, which we addressed with strategic actions in 2022. After transforming our search processes and protocols and using research-based inclusive hiring practices, our competitive, national faculty searches yielded deep pools of highly qualified candidates offering diverse pespectives and experiences in our field. In 2022, the COE hired four new, nationally recognized Black faculty scholars, whose excellence and expertise will strengthen our programs, enhance our responsiveness to students, and positively impact the communities we serve (pp. 6-7).
The COE seeks partnerships that are mutually beneficial, sustainable, and impactful and that enhance the preparation our students receive. These, too, give me hope. You will want to read about our unique relationship with Special Olympics of Indiana (pp. 12-15), where we are pushing the boundaries of inclusion and access in higher education. One of our new initiatives, the STEM New Teacher Academy (pp. 22-23), allows us to partner with local organizations while we strategically support and sustain new teachers through accessible STEM professional development and computer science licensure. Our other new initiative, Butler University’s Teacher-Led, Teacher Education Program (p. 24) supports new teachers, alternatively credentialed, emergency-permitted, or long-term substitute teachers with the training they need to succeed in the classroom and is one of the ways we are addressing state and national teacher shortages.
Dean’s Message
Last year at about this time, the College had just finished rethinking and rewriting our mission, vision, and shared commitments. These represent our collective, deeply held beliefs and intentions to be educators who “serve as inclusive collaborators and agents of change toward a just society” (COE Vision). We are educators with aspirations to live out our commitments to more equitable classrooms, schools, and communities. This is our hope, but it will also take meaningful actions that harness our emotional and personal energy to drive the kind of change that “creates conditions for individuals to reach their full potentials and for schools and communities to thrive” (COE Mission).
I am in awe of the educators and leaders who spend their days teaching, supporting, counseling, and creating conditions for children, youth, and community members to thrive. Thank you, educators, for your commitment, your efforts, and your excellence. As we look to the coming year, the COE will continue to move forward with hope and strategic commitment to serving educators and positively impacting our students, schools, and communities. I hope you—our valued supporters, friends, and alumni—will stay connected with the COE through our social media, COE events, and visits to our home on Butler’s South Campus. I look forward to our continued collaboration. Please share your thoughts, questions, and ideas with me at bkandel@butler.edu.
With gratitude, Dr. Brooke Kandel, Dean Butler University, College of Education
Colleen O’Brien | Education Policy Consultant
Shared Commitments
Dr. Jamyce Curtis Banks MS ’98 EPPSP | CEO, Whatever It Takes Consulting
Pursue a Just and Equitable Society.
As faculty and staff members in the College of Education, these Shared Commitments represent our histories as well as our opportunities to learn and grow in our beliefs and practices. We understand we make mistakes and engage imperfectly in this work. By learning from and with one another and with diverse communities, we use our strengths alongside these mistakes and imperfections to stoke our professional curiosities, provide provocations for improvement, and ensure that we avoid complacency in our work and in our world.
Embody Inclusive and Responsive Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring.
We work to integrate theory and research to inform, interrogate, and renew our professional practices. We are intentional and transparent in engaging with research to assess what is working within our practices while also challenging who we are and changing our practices to interrupt inequitable systems for all learners. Using the research we create and seek, we confront what is difficult in our individual and collective work to transform ourselves and impact communities.
*Affirmed by Omni May 7, 2021
Sara Marshall ’06 MS ’15 METL | Executive Director, Teach Indy
Randall Ojeda MS ’18 School Counseling | Director, Efroymson Diversity Center, Butler University
Arisa Moreland ’19 | English as a New Language Teacher
We demonstrate transparency in the ongoing and intentional development of our professional identities through self-examination and self-transformation. We are engaged and active contributors to our professional practice through collaboration and solutionfocused advocacy. We commit to keeping our teaching practices relevant and engaging for all students across all identities. Our teaching and mentoring must reflect what we hope to see revealed in our students’ professional practices.
Marsha Reynolds ’78 | Educational Consultant
Cathy Springer-Brown ’76 | Educational Consultant
Brittany Turner Purvis, MSW, LCSW | Bloomingkids Counseling, LLC
2022-23 ADVISORY
Our Shared Commitments
ABOUT the COLLEGE
DEAN’S
BOARD 4
Learn from, Contribute to, and Apply Theory and Research
We aspire to embody and enact anti-racist and identity affirming teaching, scholarship, and professional practices. This means providing maximum access and opportunities to notice, name, and interrogate our own practices and those of others. We commit to dismantling systems and policies which have historically been used to marginalize and which persist in denying full educational access to all learners. Simultaneously, we uphold, strengthen, and create systems and policies that promote just and inclusive practices.
John McShane, Jr. MS ’18 METL | Training Lead, Siemens Healthineers
Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera ’07, MS ’10 EPPSP | Director of Equity and Inclusion, MSDWT Schools
Jeff Kucer | COO, Regional President Organization, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Cindy worked in the College of Education at Butler University for 19 years, and most recently served as the Event and Scheduling Coordinator before retiring in Jan 2022. Her daughter, Liz, was four years old when she started at the University and now, she is a 2020 graduate of Butler. She enjoyed working for the COE and watching students blossom in front of her eyes. She also enjoyed two trips to Italy as a staff chaperone with a group of students. She said she’s made many lifelong relationships and she considers the COE her family.
Chris started at Butler University in the summer 1991 as an in-house temporary secretary in the College of Business Dean’s office. In the fall of 1991, she was hired full-time in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the Physics and Astronomy department and stayed there until 2001 when she moved to the COE to become the Budget Manager and Office Administrator. In all, she worked at Butler for 32 years and said that she loved every minute of it. She says she was blessed to work with wonderful people and made many lasting friendships.
Rick Mitchell
Professor Rich Mitchell joined the Butler University-Pike Township partnership as the Master Practitioner in 2012. Prior to joining COE, Rick spent four years in the United States Marine Corps, then 38 years of teaching. He spent 11 years teaching middle school; five years as an assistant principal; 11 years as an ICP/ Bio teacher at Pike; and 10 years as the Master Practitioner for the Pike/Butler Partnership. At Pike, he has worked with 166 new teachers and has been a professor for 214 student teachers – over 20 of them who ended up being Pike teachers.
Dr. Arthur Hochman joined the College of Education at Butler University in 1989 and retired from Butler in May of 2022 after completing 33 years of service. In that time, Dr. Hochman made significant contributions in helping shape the culture of the COE, teaching community- and school-based courses in early childhood and elementary education and the Arts, and mentoring numerous colleagues, students, and alumni. As a parting gift, Dr. Hochman created the Hochman Ligon Scholarship in honor of Valerie Ligon ’97, to benefit students of color studying education..
Chris Price
Faculty & Staff Retirements
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Cindy Smith
Several beloved faculty and staff members recently retired. We miss them, but wish them the best retirement!ArthurHochman
Most recently, Mr. Heagy has served as the District Curriculum and Instruction Coach for social studies in Indianapolis Public Schools, and as a social studies teacher at Pike High School. He has also mentored our student teachers for the past few years.
Brian Dinkins ’07 EPPSP
Dr. Brian Dinkins joined our faculty in August 2022 as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Director of Experiential Program For Preparing School Principals (EPPSP). Dr. Dinkins started his education career as a Special Education teacher at Arlington High School and has served in a variety of roles including Principal, Athletic Director, and Dean of Students in schools across Indianapolis. He is a 2007 graduate of our EPPSP program, and he most recently served as the Coordinator for District Culture, Climate, and SEL in Indianapolis Public Schools.
Amy Arnold ’21 METL
Dr. Harris Garad earned her Ph.D. in Global, Multicultural, and Equity Studies in Education from The Ohio State University. A scholar-educator, Dr. Harris Garad has won numerous research awards including the NCTE Research Foundation Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color Fellowship and the Holmes Scholars Award. Her research has recently been published in Equity & Excellence in Education and British Educational Research Journal
Welcome New Faculty and Staff
Mr. Eric Heagy has been selected as the new Pike High School Master Practitioner. Mr. Heagy received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a Master of Science degree in cultural anthropology, both from Purdue University. He has studied abroad in Taiwan and earned his secondary education certificate in social studies through the Transition to Teaching Program at Indiana Wesleyan University.
ABOUT the COLLEGE
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Amy Arnold joined Butler University as the Administrative Specialist for the History, Anthropology, & Classics Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seven years ago. While working there, she earned a Master’s Degree in Effective Teaching and Leadership (METL) from the COE, researching university staff’s need for professional development as her thesis project. In July 2022, she excitedly began working in the COE as our Office and Student Personnel Services Administrator, where she will manage fellow staff and work with student teachers on placements, among other duties. She also teaches a course for Physical Well Being (PWB) in the university’s core curriculum, called Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Dr. Brooke Harris Garad joined our faculty in August 2022 as a Lecturer in Education. Dr. Harris Garad has served children, youth, and educators in a variety of roles including youth development program coordinator, teacher-educator in the Republic of Djibouti, cultural competency workshop facilitator, and university supervisor for teacher education candidates. She most recently served as an Assistant Research Scientist at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University, where she developed research-based courses and provided individualized coaching for teams of Indiana teachers and school leaders.
Brooke Harris Garad
Eric Heagy
Alexis Methner joined us in August 2022 as our Administrative and Events Specialist. She is a recent IU graduate and brings energy, adaptability and planning skills she has honed in her experience as an elementary classroom teacher in Carmel, Avon, and Brownsburg. Her work is focused on assisting Dean Brooke Kandel, Associate Dean Kelli Esteves, and Assistant Dean Angela Mager. She will take the lead on COE events and manage communications for the college. She is excited to join our team and share her passion for education.
In 2013, Ashley co-founded Word As Bond, Inc. (Word), an organization that provides free creative writing education to youth across central Indiana, and in 2018 she was awarded a grant from The Poetry Foundation to support her work with Word’s young writers. As an extension of her commitment to promoting and celebrating the literary arts in Indiana, she has been invited by organizations like the Indiana Writers Center, Indiana Humanities, and Heartland Society of Women Writers to curate and facilitate writing workshops for a diverse array of audiences throughout Indiana, the midwest, and beyond.
Deeply invested in giving back to the educational communities that have shaped her professional life, she currently serves as the president of the IUPUI University Library Community Board and a member of the Ball State University School of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Executive Advisory Council. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, The Indianapolis Anthology, Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, Drumvoices Revue, and elsewhere.
Ms. Williams is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., a historically Black sorority that was founded by seven educators at Butler University on November 12, 1922. She pledged Alpha Chapter at Butler University on February 15, 1992 and is ecstatic that she now gets to continue the legacy of “Greater Service, Greater Progress” as part of the faculty at Butler.
Ashley Mack-Jackson will join the COE teaching education courses and in the First Year Seminar (FYS) in the core curriculum. She comes to us from Ivy Tech Community College, where she served as an assistant professor and assistant department chair of English.
Ms. Mack-Jackson is a native Hoosier who received a B.A. in English with a creative writing concentration from IUPUI, an M.S. in nonprofit and association management from University of Maryland University College, and an M.A. in English from Ball State University.
Felicia Williams
In addition to a BA in English and African American studies, as well as a secondary education certification, she holds an MA in secondary administration, a graduate certificate in composition, and an MA in English.
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Ashley Mack-Jackson
Alexis Methner
Felicia Williams is a professional educator whose career started teaching middle school language arts in Ft. Worth, TX. She went on to teach high school English in Oklahoma City, OK before finding her first higher education position as an adjunct instructor at Mountain View College, Dallas, TX. There she worked to help writing students find their voice in academic writing. She has taught freshman composition, technical writing, and writing within the sciences at the college-level.
By Mark Apple
ABOUT the COLLEGE 8
On May 6, Butler posthumously conferred honorary degrees upon the seven founders of SGRho during the University’s Degree Conferral Ceremony in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Rasheeda Liberty again represented SGRho during the ceremony. Dr. Khalilah Shabazz, great granddaughter of SGRho founder Vivian White Marbury ’31, provided additional remarks.
his honor) on the values of diversity, inclusivity, and equality. The University admitted women and people of color on an equal basis with white males, a radical stance for the time.
“Our Founders—all educators—were young women committed to a vision of empowering communities by uplifting women and youth,” Liberty said. “These courageous women believed that education was the key to unlocking opportunities. As we embark on our Centennial year with 100,000 members globally, we are honored to witness this historic moment where the progressive work of these powerful visionaries is being recognized by Butler “SigmaUniversity.”Gamma
Welcome Home | Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Celebrates Centennial Anniversary
Throughout 2022, Butler University is honoring Sigma Gamma Rho (SGRho) sorority on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. The historically Black sorority was founded on Butler’s campus by seven educators on November 12, 1922. Of the nation’s four historically Black sororities, Sigma Gamma Rho is the only one that was founded at a predominantly white institution.
Rho’s founding on the Butler University campus is a source of pride for all of our students, alumni, trustees, faculty, and staff,” President Danko said. “Sigma Gamma Rho’s founders were seven courageous women who overcame the barriers created by racial segregation to form
Butler honored SGRho February 16, when President James Danko presented the inaugural Ovid Butler Founder’s Award to SGRho. Rasheeda Liberty, Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., accepted the award on behalf of the sorority. Molly Ford, Vice President of Employee Brand & Recruitment Marketing at Salesforce and a member of SGRho, delivered the Founder’s Celebration Keynote Address during the ceremony. The Ovid Butler Founder’s Award—which recognizes and celebrates individuals or organizations who embody Butler University’s values of innovation, excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion—is named for the University’s founder, a well-known attorney and newspaper publisher of his time, and an active supporter of the antislavery movement. In 1855, Ovid founded North Western Christian University (renamed Butler University in
“AsBreakfast.acommunity, Indianapolis strives to honor those who have shaped our history for the better,” Indianapolis Mayor Hogsett, MA ’87 said. “From its beginnings at Butler a century ago, Sigma Gamma Rho has been recognized internationally for its steadfast commitment to service and progress, a mission true to the seven dynamic young educators whom we celebrate today. Through this commemoration, we mark the contributions of past leaders while preparing the next generation to create their own legacy.”
Celebration at Butler on July 12. Other events planned for the week, many of which were open to the public, included a Day of Service, a Swim Clinic, community workshops, a concert, a Step Show, a Run/ Walk, a Gala, and a Prayer and Praise
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On July 12–17, more than 6,000 SGRho sisters and supporters converged on Indianapolis for the official Centennial Celebration, with President Danko serving as the celebration’s honorary chairman. A week of festivities were planned, including Thee Homecoming
an organization that has not just survived, but thrived, for 100 years. I am honored to use the occasion of Sigma Gamma Rho’s Centennial Celebration as a platform to recognize and applaud its founders, and all those who have followed in their footsteps.”
Butler will continue to recognize SGRho throughout the year. Most notably, the Sigma Gamma Rho Founders’ Plaza was completed in June and unveiled at the Centennial Celebration in July. It is located at the south east corner of Atherton Union. There will also be a celebration on campus on November 11, with a countdown to midnight, November 12, the date of SGRho’s founding.
If you would like to honor Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., please consider making a gift to the Sigma Gamma Rho 7 Founders Scholarship Fund:
STUDENTS
A major element of Empowering Future Leaders: The Butler Way was the creation of a change project that our students can take back to their home school or district. The students design a project that will impact their community, based off of a rubric that was designed specifically for this project. Students had the unique opportunity to present their projects to their families and administration at the conclusion of the camp. Students also received certificates of completion honoring their work throughout the week.
The Butler Way Leadership Camp is a great way for student leaders to grow their ideas and network with other individuals. We had over 55 students participate in the camp this year representing over 20 different schools from across Indiana. The students had an opportunity to hear different perspectives on the qualities of leadership. Relationships are important and we value making connections at the Butler Way Camp. Many of the connections that were made during the camp will last a lifetime.
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By Finae Rent MS ’22 EPPSP Group 40
The Butler Way Leadership Camp started about 10 years ago as a way for the students in the Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals (EPPSP) Master’s program, and our future school leaders, to “practice” their leadership skills while also serving the student leadership population in Indiana.
Each year, an EPPSP student is chosen to lead a committee. EPPSP students create curriculum, recruit high school students, and provide leadership and professional development to students across Indiana. Co-chairs Gwen Burke’17 MS ’22 EPPSP, Keith Marlow MS ’22 EPPSP, and I were selected to lead this year’s Butler Way Leadership Camp. This four-day summer program focuses on developing leadership skills for high school students, equipping them to be competitive in school, work, and life. Our theme for this year was Empowering Future Leaders: The Butler Way. Participants learned about the importance of the core leadership values of flexibility, caring, respect, trustworthiness, and responsibility through speakers, activities, and a leadership project.
Our speakers this summer were Reggie Simmons MS ’03 EPPSP, Principal of Hamilton Southeastern High School; Pam Griffin ’94 MS ’05 EPPSP, Deputy Human Resource Officer, MSD Warren Township; and Jagga Rent, Principal of Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High. We also partnered with Tom Karbowski MS ’88 MBA from the School of Lacy Business. We added a field trip component to the camp this year; students had the opportunity to visit Salesforce and The Children’s Museum for a behind-the-scenes tour.
Empowering Future Leaders: The Butler Way
DUAL CREDIT WORKING TO ADDRESS THE TEACHER SHORTAGE ONE DISTRICT AT A TIME 468 Number of high school students who have completed the Butler COE dual credit course In education since Fall 2016 Percentage of dual credit partner districts who had a student matriculated to Butler In Fall 2021 100% $195 Amount It costs to sponsor a student for 3 hours of dual credit who might not otherwise be able to afford It 17% Percentage of 2021 22 dual credit enrollees who applied and were admitted to Butler COE 11
“The vision of Special Olympics Indiana is that sport will open hearts and minds toward people with intellectual disabilities to create inclusive communities across the state,” says Jeff Mohler, President and CEO of SOIN. “ With all that Special Olympics does for persons with intellectual disabilities, ultimately, we empower our athletes, allowing staff and volunteers to implement programming with them. Our partnership with Butler University and the College of Education gives us legitimacy in our diversity and inclusion efforts to ensure that our athletes have leadership roles within our great organization.”
Empowered Leaders
By Katie Grieze
When the COE first reached out to Special Olympics Indiana looking for ways to connect, the timing was perfect: SOIN happened to be searching for connections, too.
“Being part of ALU was an incredible experience,” says Abbie O’Connell ’23, a junior Elementary Education major with
The idea sparked a relationship between the COE and Special Olympics Indiana (SOIN) that has continued to grow as both organizations work toward their missions of inclusion and advocacy. From hosting shared events on Butler’s campus to inviting SOIN athletes to attend college classes, the ongoing collaboration has evolved into a relationship that was recently formalized through a Butlernewunderstanding—creatingmemorandumthree-yearofopportunitiesforandSOINtosupportandlearnfromone another.
A Shared Mission: How Butler’s College of Education and Special Olympics Work Together for Inclusion
About seven years ago, faculty in Butler University’s College of Education (COE) read a book written by Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics—a global organization providing sports programs to empower athletes with intellectual disabilities. Inspired by the book, the COE invited Shriver to visit campus and speak with Butler students.
“We jumped on the chance to start hosting,” Garriott says. The workshop has been held at Butler since 2017.
“He really challenged us to think about providing opportunities for our students to interact and learn from people with disabilities, rather than just talking about it,” says Erin Garriott MS ’01 METL, COE Lecturer in Special Education. “He told us, ‘If you give your students five minutes on the basketball court with one of my athletes, that will teach them a lot more about inclusion than I ever could.’”
Serving more than 18,000 athletes and unified partners across Indiana, SOIN provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. But their work goes well beyond the games, including a biannual weekend workshop called Athlete Leadership University (ALU) that empowers athletes to take on meaningful leadership roles and create inclusive communities. The program provides a college-like experience for participants, allowing them to choose majors, enroll in courses, complete practicums, and graduate.
ALU began in 2003, but around the time Butler asked how it could support SOIN’s mission, the event needed a new home—ideally at a university.
STUDENTS 12
Shriver refused the offer. Go further than that, he suggested.
While ALU courses are developed primarily by SOIN, Bulldogs from across campus come together to help plan and promote the event, prepare campus spaces, teach classes, and recruit volunteers. Garriott includes ALU support as a central aspect of her special education courses each semester, inviting students from the intro class to help throughout the weekend as those from the capstone serve on the workshop’s leadership team.
Butler’s collaboration with SOIN goes beyond those two weekends a year, often including shared service projects or social events. And since the relationship began in 2017, one
Over the years, the COE has also helped redesign some courses to provide more opportunities for Butler students who want to get involved—and for students and athletes to spend more time together. In one ALU Health & Fitness course, Butler students from an adaptive physical education class serve as instructors, sharing what they have learned in their own classes while earning credit toward their final projects. During the fall 2021 semester of ALU, a panel about disability-related healthcare experiences was organized and moderated by COE students, with Butler Pharmacy students in attendance.
“That idea of ‘time on a basketball court’ really stuck with us,” Garriott says.
In addition to helping plan the fall 2021 event, O’Connell worked closely with athletes in ALU’s Communication major, listening to their speeches and providing constructive feedback. She says the experience taught her that “the smallest interaction can make someone’s day so much better.”
“Empowerment is the key focus of our Athlete Leadership initiative,” Mohler says. “Our partnership with Butler has helped us take that to the next level.”
While DeBrosse was initially nervous about placing Emily in a live game situation alongside some very strong and competitive classmates, he says she and the Butler students immediately adapted.
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Diverse Learners and Special Education—Mild Intervention minors. “I really enjoyed being able to interact with those who are part of Special Olympics Indiana, and working alongside my classmates to achieve the goal of providing an impactful weekend for the participants.”
Butler Physical Wellbeing (PWB) class every semester has invited a Special Olympics athlete to participate.
athlete named Emily, who has Down Syndrome, joined a basketball class held in the Health and Recreation Complex. The course was taught by J.J. DeBrosse ’95, Butler Director of Graduate and Professional Recruitment, with Garriott co-teaching the inclusion component. DeBrosse believes the chance for students to interact with individuals they might not otherwise cross paths with helps them develop greater emotional intelligence.
Inclusion on the Court
Faculty from Butler’s Human Movement and Health Science Education program, including Drs. Fritz Ettl, Lisa Farley, and Mindy Welch ’79, were integral to the program’s development and growth. Since the initiative began, Butler has hosted six athletes across four courses: running, weight lifting, soccer, and Lastbasketball.fall,aSOIN
“Having Emily in our class has been an incredible opportunity to watch young people learn and grow,” he says. “She has brought an infectious energy and positiveness that everyone feeds off of. The class took to her pretty quick, and they treat her the same way they treat one another.”
“It was very cool to watch Emily try her absolute hardest in each drill we did,” he says. “Her competitive drive is admirable, and she never doubts herself in doing anything. When I’m shooting with Emily during our warm-ups, I laugh every time because it always seems like she has my number. Whenever I miss a shot,
she is letting me hear it, and when she makes hers, I hear that even louder from her.”
“Iteveryone.isforthe betterment of the entire class to share these experiences,” he says. “Emily impacted me much more than I could ever impact her. Regardless of how much people in the class learned about basketball, I think we all learned more about life and how to treat others—which is 1,000 times more Thatimportant.”kindof takeaway about the power of empathy and the importance of access is exactly what Garriott hopes for.
McGuire says participating in the class alongside Emily taught him that including people with disabilities is beneficial to
“I can’t help but think that spending a couple hours every week with Emily, watching how hard she tries and how much fun she’s having—all of that really just softens the heart and helps people see how important it is that we build spaces that are inclusive of all different kinds of people,” she says. “We create space for the athletes to feel important and seen, and for our students to help them feel that way.”
“Right away, they recognized when Emily was on the floor and went to work on getting her in the most advantageous spot. In this, I do not mean the safest (there is really no safe place on a basketball court), but where she could be most helpful to her team,” DeBrosse says. “Emily is shorter than most of my students, but strong enough to shoot from anywhere on the floor. Her teammates have constantly gotten her the ball in positions where she can score on offense. On defense, they have assisted her in identifying the player she is guarding. She has been bumped and knocked over, just like all of the students, but she quickly gets up and right back into the Johnaction.”McGuire ’23, a junior Finance major, says he also started the semester with some hesitancy based on his minimal experience interacting with individuals who have disabilities. But after making an effort to support and spend time with Emily, he says, “she tore down my assumptions.”
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“A lot of people just focus on the sports aspect of Special Olympics, and obviously that plays a huge role, but there is this whole other side through programs like Athlete Leadership that is really about helping athletes develop into well-rounded individuals and leaders,” Moss says. “Being able to see the program grow over the last few years, both from the SOIN side and from Butler’s side—with a lot more students getting hooked on this kind of work—that’s exactly what we want. We are also seeing the inclusion on campus grow, and seeing more athletes register for ALU.”
“I would not be where I am with the Special Olympics without the opportunities Butler provided me,” she says. “The College of Education, and especially the Special Education program, does a really good job of interacting appropriately with people with disabilities. I have learned so much about the importance of inclusion, and I think I have become a much better person because of my involvement with the Special Olympics. It’s something I wish everybody could do.”
Ask Jillian Moss ’20.
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Byevents.thetime
Moss says the biggest goal of ALU is to empower those athletes and help them discover what leadership means to them. And she says being involved with the Special Olympics has helped her grow, too.
When Jillian Moss ’20 saw the table for Butler Ambassadors for Special Olympics (BASO) during Block Party, the student organization’s work immediately appealed to her interest in special education and working with people who have disabilities. She joined the hospitality committee as a first-year, then switched to leading the Olympic Liaison committee, serving as the point person for collaborating with the Washington Township Special Olympics chapter to plan shared programming. She also worked to promote inclusivity across campus, and she spent her senior year in charge of the Polar Plunge and Spring Sports fundraising
By Katie Grieze
ALUMNI
How Many Ways Can Butler Students Get Involved with Special Olympics?
When the internship ended, Moss didn’t leave. She stayed on to help coordinate Athlete Leadership University from the SOIN side of things, and since graduation, she has served as the program’s Assistant Director on a volunteer basis.
Moss began volunteering for the biannual Athlete Leadership University program as part of a Special Education class, she’d fallen in love. “The athletes find joy in the littlest things, and I think that’s something a lot of us forget to do,” she says. “If you go to a Special Olympics event, you are always going to leave inspired. Helping foster those relationships and create valuable experiences—it’s hard not to fall in love with it.”
One recent Special Education alumna has been watching the Special Olympics presence at Butler University grow since she first stepped on campus. Now, she’s helping lead the charge.
So, Moss looked for more ways to get involved. She served as a development intern with Special Olympics Indiana in summer 2019, assisting with fundraising and event planning. She spent much of her time collaborating with donors, sponsors, and vendors— building relationships both inside and outside the organization.
So, when Valerie was sitting in the College of Education office waiting to meet her advisor, Dr. Ena Shelley, Dr. Hochman walked in and exclaimed, “You look like a deer caught in the headlight!” Valerie, remembering her grandmother’s advice, began telling Dr. Hochman who she was. And Dr. Hochman, who was always looking for ways to connect with students, patiently listened. She left that conversation feeling hopeful and reassured that she was in the right place.
If you would like to honor Dr. Arthur Hochman and Valerie Ligon, please consider making a gift to the Hochman Ligon Scholarship Fund:
Today, Valerie Ligon is a calm, but firm, elementary teacher for Pike Township schools. She was named the 2022 New Augusta Public Academy South Teacher of the Year by her district. She knows how to sit back and patiently listen to students, waiting for the right moment to provide support and encouragement, just like Dr. Hochman did for her. Her presence and intentionality is a gift to each student.
Having invested in relationships with Butler students for 33 years, when Dr. Hochman retired last spring, he was inspired to leave another gift. He created the Hochman Ligon Scholarship, named in honor of not just Valerie but all the students she represents, to provide financial support to students of color studying Education. Dr. Hochman honors Valerie as an outstanding educator, and he sees greatness in her integrity, in her grace under adversity, and her ability to create space where students flourish. The Hochman Ligon Scholarship will be a gift to Butler COE students; giving them a chance to grow and become great educators like Dr. Hochman and Valerie Ligon.
Valerie continued to face adversity throughout her years in college but Drs. Shelley and Hochman wouldn’t let her fail. During her student teaching semester, Valerie had exhausted her financial aid and scholarships and had to move out of the dorms. She was determined to find a place to stay for that last semester and graduate, so she began asking around, looking for a place to live. One of those times, Dr. Hochman overheard her plea. He connected her to students who had room in their house near campus. She moved in, finished her last semester, and Theirgraduated.relationship didn’t end there. Valerie frequently visited the COE offices during her school breaks and Dr. Hochman would take the time to listen, still mentoring, still helping Valerie to see her greatness and building her confidence, just as he had done during their very first meeting.
If you know Dr. Arthur Hochman, you know that he has a gift. He has the ability to see greatness in any person, especially in his students. Valerie (Bryant) Ligon ’97 was one of those students and she told her story of being discovered by Dr. Hochman at his retirement celebration this past spring. It was the Fall of 1992 and Valerie had just started her first semester at Butler University. Anyone’s first year in college is full of adjustments, but for this Gary, Indiana native, attending a predominantly white institution, Valerie experienced culture shock and didn’t feel like she fit in. Her family encouraged her as best they could and she remembered her Grandmother Rose’s best advice, “Just tell them who you are!”
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A Teacher’s Gift: The Hochman Ligon Scholarship
By Amy Arnold MS ’21 METL
“That was profound to me, the impact that a teacher has on a student’s life,” Marshall says. “There is no greater gift. It’s that fire in your belly, like this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”Sheloved
When she decided to join The New Teacher Project, known as TNTP, seven years later, she was in charge of coaching 60 educators on effective teaching strategies, and Marshall liked to imagine the impact that would have, if every teacher she worked with then taught another 60 students, like a domino effect.
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By Dana Lee ’19
When Marshall arrived at Butler as a member of the school’s volleyball team, she found opportunities to practice what she had observed from her mom. When the team traveled to Australia, players brought suitcases of school supplies and worked with Aboriginal students. The team engaged with student ‘ball kids’ during the games and volunteered often.
seeing the “light bulb” moment appear on her students’ faces, and as a math teacher with 60 students at Pike High School, she saw that light bulb look frequently.
“The impact felt even bigger,” Marshall says. “Not for me, but for the students.”
She was a freshman then—still unsure what exactly she wanted to do career-wise and taking exploratory classes— until that moment.
Today, as senior director of talent at The Mind Trust, Marshall works with 60 schools, increasing that reach even further. The Mind Trust is a nonprofit that works to provide students in Indianapolis access to a high quality education regardless of race or income.
She never imagined at Butler that she would one day work in the nonprofit field, let alone in education. But looking back at it now, Marshall can point to influencing factors that led her to where she is now. Giving back to the community has always been important. She learned this from watching her mom when she was growing up, who “coached all the sports teams, was the Girl Scout leader, the mom who volunteered at the school,” Marshall says. “She was just constantly giving of her time, of her treasures. She would feed whoever needed to be fed. She just did everything.”
“We did all those things to give back and that’s just never left,” Marshall says. In addition to her work at The Mind Trust, Marshall is a member of Butler’s Latinx Alumni Association, the College of Education Dean’s Advisory Council, and on several community-focused boards.
“I think it’s important to fill your cup outside of your job with other community endeavors where you can give back in different ways.”
In July 2022, Sara started a new adventure as Executive Director of Teach Indy, a nonprofit with a mission to recruit, develop, recognize, and retain teachers in Indianapolis.
“At the core of who I am, I want to impact students in a powerful and positive way,” Marshall says.
“Teaching is the only profession where you impact every other profession.” It’s a phrase Sara Marshall ’06 MS ’15 METL remembers hearing during her introduction to education class.
All About Impact
Nominators: Dr. Arthur Hochman and Sara Wuellner ’02
What her nominators had to say about Kate:
Distinguished Alumna – Dr. Kathryn (Kate) Roberts ’02
Dr. Kate Roberts’ professional accomplishments are plentiful. Upon graduation from Butler University in 2002, Dr. Roberts entered the education field as a kindergarten teacher for Decatur Township in Indianapolis, Indiana. She taught several years there, creating a literacy-focused classroom. Dr. Roberts earned her M.A at IU in 2006 and then moved to Michigan to earn her Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 2010. She became employed at Wayne State University in 2010, where she was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016. Along with teaching a multitude of literacy courses at Wayne State, Dr. Roberts has been the Director of Educational Studies Doctoral Program. Dr. Roberts is currently the Associate Dean of Teacher Education at Wayne State, a feat of great proportion for someone her age. In 2020, she earned a faculty development award and has also won a faculty service award. She has directed multiple dissertations throughout the years. Dr. Roberts remains a vital part of Wayne State’s faculty and is consistently looking for new ways to further the educational field.
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With a focus on literacy in her teaching, her advocacy and her scholarship, Dr. Kate Roberts has made a significant impact on her field generally and for public schools in Detroit and around the state. A quick overview of her scholarship shows a focus on working with parents and educators to address specific and concrete needs. For example, she received multiple grants, two of which were for $220,000 in support of literacy professional development in public schools. In another example, she received grant funding to nurture and study the effect of postpartum bonding interventions on literacy development. These are only a few examples of the funding she has received and how she has used it to directly impact her field. Among her 4 chapters and 28 publications in refereed journals, she was the lead author of Navigating Maps to Support Comprehension: When Textbooks Don’t Have GPS, winner of the National Council for Geographic Education’s Best Content Article for 2015 award. She has presented extensively locally, regionally, and nationally, with an emphasis on literacy and early childhood education at conferences such as the American Educational Research Association, the International Reading Association, and the Literacy Research Association.
2021-22 Distinguished Alumni
Nominator: Janet Distel
What her nominator had to say about Christine:
• Crafting SEL strategies and helping implement them in different content areas in the high school through the CHS SEL Committee.
• Mentoring students to provide emotional, social, and academic support through the CHS Mentor Program.
All of the aforementioned service has been in addition to excelling at her regular teaching duties, demonstrating exemplary service and commitment to the field of education.
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Distinguished Young Alumna – Christine Ellis ’18
• Serving as Freshman to Sophomore Class sponsor at Carmel High School for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
• Named “Most Influential Teacher” in 2019 at Carmel High School
• Creating the virtual learning curriculum for ninth grade students in the district and integrating technology to enhance learning and meet the needs of students.
• Participating in a year-long real-world application professional group and implementing a real-world experiential learning presentation into the English 9 Honors curriculum.
• Working with Carmel High School’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) committee to create an opportunity to reach out to teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2021) with words of appreciation for their efforts during the unprecedented pandemic year. The goal is for every one of Carmel High School’s 316 certified teachers to receive a letter of support from students and/or families. Miss Ellis organized this effort and worked tirelessly to accomplish this monumental recognition of her colleagues and the teaching profession.
• Rated Highly Effective for both 2019 and 2020, a distinction even veteran teachers do not often achieve after many years in the classroom.
• Sponsoring Best Buddies at Carmel High School, continuing the strong involvement she had with this organization at Butler, where she was named Indiana President of the Year, as well as Butler SGA’s Volunteer of the Year just prior to graduating. Shortly after beginning her teaching career at Carmel, she was nominated for the 2018 Best Buddies Indiana Champion of the Year, raising $25,000 in two months (with her best buddy) for Best Buddies Indiana.
In my experience, no one can engage in effective, meaningful, and sustained DEI work in isolation; community and collaboration create the conditions necessary to get started and to stay engaged for the long haul. In my role as the inaugural COE DEI Director, with funds generously provided through the COE’s Dean’s office from the COE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fund, an initial cohort of Eliza Blaker DEI Fellows was formed. These cohort members are Cathy Hartman ’97, Mindy Welch ’79, Brandie Oliver ’96 MS ’97, Lisa Farley, and Ryan Flessner ’97. The Fellows cohort met with me intensively during the 2021-2022 academic year. Our time together was spent establishing ourselves as an intentional learning community, developing trust, exploring and applying new DEI resources, and stretching our comfort zones by planning for and taking the lead at COE OMNI meetings by facilitating mini workshops on a variety of DEI topics of shared interest with our colleagues.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) seemed to be on everyone’s mind in recent years and this renewed interest creates an auspicious moment for educators. While I have been on my own DEI journey for many years now, and if I have learned anything along this path, it is that the road will continue to unfold, to twist, and to turn, but never allow me to check a box, attend a workshop, and announce that I have arrived at my final destination. For educators, there is always more learning to do and more work to be done to improve access, experiences and outcomes for all learners, regardless of any predictive identities which they bring to our learning spaces. We can always do better. We must do better. Our shared humanity and future well being depend upon the quality and impact of our personal and collective DEI efforts today.
By Dr. Susan Adams, COE DEI Faculty Director
Reflections on Year One
• Representation means ensuring that student, faculty, and staff identities and backgrounds* are appropriately reflected in participation, leadership, and decision-making. (*e.g., race and ethnicity, ability and disability, age, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation and other identities)
In our COE DEI curriculum, we will explore each of these pillars in our ILCs through the lens of transformative adult learning (Mezirow, 1991). Transformative adult learning is built upon the premise that adults need first to experience a bit of cognitive dissonance-something that interrupts or challenges our prior assumptions about the way the world works and our impact or role in the world. We need time to reflect, to give and get feedback. We need to learn under the same conditions we hope to create in our own classrooms. If we want each COE student to experience the benefits of Representation, Belonging, and Engagement, we must first ensure that all COE staff and faculty feel seen, valued and respected in these same ways. In our ILCs we will dig deeply into the impact and ongoing consequences of personal experiences through the lenses of our various identities. We will excavate, name and closely examine our own biases and assumptions and their impact on our teaching and scholarship. We will question our own preferences and practices and ask ourselves the hard questions about intentions vs. impact. Under the facilitation of the DEI Fellows, we will co-create
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the Fellows will facilitate three intentional learning communities composed of COE colleagues. These intentional learning communities (ILCs) will be formed in August 2022 and will meet regularly throughout the academic year. In facilitation pairs, the Fellows will support the ILCs by engaging with a custom COE DEI curriculum. The COE DEI curriculum is built upon three themes tentatively identified by a group of Butler faculty and staff who worked extensively under the auspices of Provost Brooke Barnett with an external consultant, EAB, during the 2021-2022 year. These selected themes or pillars in their current form are:
• Engagement means a continual striving of students, faculty and staff to make meaningful contributions toward advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus and in our communities.
• Belonging means welcoming, including, respecting, and honoring a diverse body of students, faculty and staff, where differences are valued and everyone’s well-being is supported.
FACULTY
supportive, challenging, and collegial learning spaces in which COE colleagues have time and support to explore fresh approaches to teaching and learning to ensure that we in the COE are practicing what we preach in our own educational spaces and roles.
Citation Mezirow, Jack. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Every day I am inspired to work with my colleagues in the COE where we share an ongoing commitment to developing and refining inclusive and relevant pedagogies for COE students so that they will be well-prepared to create warm, supportive, relational, and engaging conditions for all learners in their future professional work. My COE colleagues and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to take the lead in developing, maintaining, and modeling high impact DEI practices necessary to make institutional, systemic, and pedagogic changes at Butler University that will bring Butler University closer to living out its mission and vision for all community stakeholders. But first, we must begin with ourselves and our own ways of being and doing. I am excited for our ILCs to begin their learning journeys this August under the facilitation of the Eliza Blaker DEIIfFellows.youwould
like to help continue our DEI work, please consider making a gift to the COE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund:
BY THE NUMBERS 2022 COE $20,042 Total dollars raised to allocations supporting COECOE Annual Scholarship Fund COE Annual Scholarship Fund COE(Sprunger)Dean’s Opportunity Fund Hochman-Ligon Scholarship Special Education Gift Fund COE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund$2,600$100$11,857$935$1,250$3,300 21
STEM New Educator Academy Aims to Keep More Teachers in Indiana
By Katie Grieze
“Thecareers.teacher shortage in Indiana is a state crisis, but we have the knowledge and tools to solve it,” explains Dr. Catherine Pangan MS ’99 EPPSP, Butler Professor of Education and Director for the STEM New Educator Academy. “The first years of teaching can be challenging, and creating solutions to support new STEM educators is crucial for success. Through this collaborative and experiential program, we hope to move the needle so teachers want to stay in the
Butler University is collaborating with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Zoo, and Codelicious to establish the STEM New Educator Academy to support and retain new STEM teachers throughout the state of Indiana. Initially funded by a $230,000 grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the initiative provides mentorship and professional development opportunities for K-6 teachers in the first three years of their
Cohort members in the 11-month program will attend twicemonthly training sessions covering an integrated and projectbased curriculum meant to empower them with strategies for developing a “STEM habit of mind” in their classrooms. Lessons include content from topics such as life and health sciences, conservation, biology, sustainability, engineering, chemistry, and computer science, as well as pedagogical models to help teachers meet the needs of all learners. Participants will also receive mentorship and support from a group of experienced STEM educators. Both the cohort members and their mentors will come from under-resourced districts across the state.
Indiana has a severe shortage of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers, but a new partnership aims to fix that challenge in a unique way by supporting educators with inspirational programs when they need it most—when they first start.
There is an economic loss of up to $20,000 per educator when teachers leave the classroom, and Indiana has a
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profession and be part of our dynamic community. The Academy’s goal is for participants to feel inspired, confident, and capable of serving as STEM leaders in their schools—and in turn, passing that inspiration on to their students. The program’s partners are not only champions for educators but also offer unique and exceptional educational resources. Thinking nationally, the inclusion of such powerhouse partners has the potential to transform the traditional professional development model in education.”
“Educators are one of the most important influences on inspiring the next generation of conservationists,” says Bill Street, Senior Vice President of the Indianapolis Zoo. “Connecting STEM educators to real-life conservation issues worldwide, and introducing them and their students to the unsung heroes saving wildlife and wild places, provides opportunities for young people to identify careers in the preservation of species and empower them to make a positive impact in our world. The program connects STEM educators to our living collection and introduces them to how they can encourage students to take simple actions that can save species both here in Indiana and around the globe.”
Butler’s College of Education (COE) will serve as the primary home for the STEM New Educator Academy, providing the pedagogical foundations needed to create a cohesive curricular experience. Butler faculty will be invited as subject matter supporters in collaboration with the project’s partners, and the COE will oversee enrollment, communication, and overall operations.
teacher churn rate of about 13 percent—compared to the national average of approximately 8 percent. The number of new teachers entering the profession has also fallen significantly over the past decade. The STEM New Educator Academy aims to change that narrative, drawing on recent research showing that a strong sense of belonging is linked to a 56 percent increase in job performance and a 50 percent decrease in turnover risk. When combined with higher teacher salaries— as recommended by Indiana’s Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission—community connection is an important element of effective solutions.
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New educators and their mentors will also receive a STEM Educator Certificate from the University upon completion of the Academy.
Codelicious, a company that develops full-year computer science curriculum for K-12, will provide direct instruction preparing program participants to take the Indiana Computer Science Licensure exam. Additional content from Codelicious curriculum will be embedded throughout the year, including topics of data analysis, impacts of computing in career fields, and computational thinking application.
The Indianapolis Zoo will provide professional development focused on conservation in education. All educators will receive a Zoo membership, and their classrooms will have the chance to visit the Zoo for a field trip. The Zoo’s expert network includes Indianapolis Prize winners and life science researchers from around the globe through the newly opened Global Center for Species Survival.
“We know introducing computer science and computational thinking improves outcomes for students,” says Christine McDonnell, Codelicious CEO. “We also know from our partners that finding teachers and ensuring they have the professional development and training they need to feel confident teaching computer science is a challenge. Codelicious is designed to be responsive to these needs by empowering every teacher to engage and inspire every student. As part of the STEM New Educator Academy, we will leverage that experience to help early career K-6 teachers build confidence in including computer science and STEM practices in their Theclassrooms.”grant-funded program is free for participants. Applications for the Academy’s first cohort open in December 2021, and training begins in February 2022. The initiative’s proposed two-year budget of $453,000 has been partially funded by the recent Higher Education Commission grant, and fundraising efforts are currently underway for the remaining costs. Leaders hope to eventually obtain long-term funding that would allow them to expand the program to reach a wider variety of participants.
Through The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, cohorts will have access to immersive content galleries and robust networks of scientists to help them develop meaningful STEM curricula that is exciting for teachers and students. All participants will also receive an individual museum membership during their time in the
“Aprogram.keystone of education at the museum is immersing teachers and students in STEM content through our exhibits,” says Becky Wolfe, Director of School Programs and Education for The Children’s Museum. “This includes everything from visiting a recreation of the International Space Station to traveling back to the time of dinosaurs. Our exhibits and hands-on experiences provide teachers with inspiration to connect STEM learning to the real world.”
• Developing plan activities, lessons, and or units
• Discovering how e-learning and technology can enrich both the physical and virtual classroom
Butler’s Teacher-Led, Teacher Education program starts with the self-paced Foundations Module, in which teachers learn the basics of lesson planning, classroom management, developmental theory, and assessment. The 6- to 8-hour training provides real, relevant, bite-sized, and actionable vocabulary and information for immediate implementation. Learning outcomes include:
of the Foundations Module, participants can choose to continue with one of the subjectspecific modules to learn how to teach their content in a more effective manner:
Butler University is addressing Indiana’s teacher shortage through a new program designed to support new teachers, alternatively credentialed teachers, emergency-permitted teachers, or long-term substitute teachers with the training they need to succeed in the classroom. Butler’s first cohort of teachers will begin the first module of training in its “Teacher-Led, Teacher Education” program at the end of AccordingAugust.
preparation areas need additional training and practical support that can quickly get them up to speed and make them more effective in the classroom.”
• English as a New Language
to a 2016 report from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, 8.5 percent of Indiana educators leave the field for reasons other than retirement (the third highest rate in the nation). The high attrition of educators, coupled with an insufficient pipeline of teacher candidates from bachelor’s degree programs, has led to drastic increases in alternative teaching credentials and emergency permits.
In the 2020–2021 school year in Indiana, there were 4,474 emergency permits, 419 transition to teaching permits, 11,731 substitute teacher permits, and 1,251 adjunct teacher licenses
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Butler
“Indiana’sissued.K-12schools are doing everything they can to ensure they have enough teachers for their classrooms, but it’s a struggle,” Shelly Furness, Professor in Butler University’s College of Education, said. “Our schools are filled with newly hired teachers who have great intentions and a willingness to do this important work, but simply aren’t equipped enough yet to succeed in this complex role. Our newly hired teachers and those asked to stretch beyond their
• Exploring developmental attributes and needs of learners ages 11–18
• Science
FACULTY and STAFF
• Understanding different types and purpose of
• Social Studies
The Teacher-Led, Teacher Education program is available to schools and school districts for a subscription-based model with plans as low as $9,900. The program is a partnership of Butler’s College of Education and its Executive Education department. For more information, teachers and school districts can email Liz Jackson or call 317-940-9315.
TrainingTeacher-Led,University’sTeacherEducationProgramProvidesforTeacherswithAlternativeCredentials
Followingassessmentcompletion
• English
• Mathematics
• World Language
› Alongside SC program alum Lade Akande, presented yoga and mindfulness research at the American School Counselor Association national conference and published a follow-up article in the ASCA national newsletter.
› With the ED308 class, served over 40 fourth and fifth grade readers at Central Elementary using both Zoom technology and in-person teaching and returned to teaching a section of First-Year Seminar (FYS) each semester.
Faculty and Staff Highlights
Lori Desautels ’84
› Using Guyer Chair Award funds, worked on a research project with Dr. Mindy Welch ’79 called Investigating a Flow State in Adult Badminton and Pickleball Players from Diverse Geographical Regions. Conducted research in Naples, FL at the US Open Pickleball Tournament as well as surrounding courts in the Indianapolis area.
› Stephen Porges integrating the Polyvagal Theory into
Shelly Furuness MS ’05
› Together with special education colleagues, redesigned the Alternative Special Education graduate certificate licensure program to expand access and take steps toward addressing the special education teacher shortage.
› Under the guidance of executive director, Stephanie Hinshaw, Butler University Transformation Lab, and Ascend Indiana, engaged in year-long collaboration with educators from Early Learning Indiana to develop an affordable, accessible, and innovative experiential learning certificate program for early childhood educators.
Nick Abel
Susan Adamson
› Received funding from Butler University’s Giving Circle to initiate a Mentoring Toward Social Justice in our Schools and Communities program involving five teacher-mentors of color and 10 COE undergraduate students, which will be continued in the 2022-2023 academic year.
› Secured a contract with co-editor, Dr. Angela Breidenstein, for an edited book on intentional learning communities to be published through IGI Global.
Lisa Farley
educational protocols with educators across the world. We will begin our third cohort this upcoming fall.
› Along with Erin Garriott, received a Global Initiative Grant and visited Berlin Germany to set up a Summer 2023 Study Abroad to study the Intersection of Disability and Sport. Butler members will learn about the culture of disability in a few cities in Germany, including Dortmund, Frankfurt and Hamburg, with the culmination of volunteering for the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin.
Ryan Flessner ’97
› With the support of the Butler University Transformation Lab and seven amazing alumni, the Teacher-Lead, Teacher Education Virtual PLC was selected to be developed further
› Co-wrote an article with Ann Giddings on teachers’ professional development as part of the “Science of Reading” discussions to be published in the Indiana Literacy Journal
Karen FarrelL MS ’91
› Completed the Butler University Social Justice and Diversity Fellowship program while simultaneously participating in the College of Education’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Fellowship.
Susan Adams
Deborah Corpus ’74
› With wife Courtney Flessner ’97, completed the second installation of videos related to the teaching of K-8 mathematics. Produced in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Education and the Partnership for Inquiry Learning, the complete set of 54 videos is freely https://partnershipforinquirylearning.org/standards/available:
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› Beginning Cohort Seven in Applied Educational Neuroscience certification which has expanded into a trauma accommodating framework addressing how adversity and trauma impact the developing brain and body of our students.
Kelli Esteves
› Compiled data for federal and state reporting for 2020-21 and continued work with accreditation
› Used spring semester sabbatical to continue program development for two new online graduate degrees in counseling which were recently approved by the university and scheduled to launch in fall 2023.
› Selected as inaugural COE DEI Director for 2022-2024. With support from Dean Kandel, a cohort of Eliza Blaker DEI Fellows was selected to prepare for future DEI facilitation during OMNI meeting times.
› Published an article co-written with Dr. Arthur Hochman in Canadian Review of Art Education: Research and Issues about our research on the impact of our co-taught Perspectives in the Creative Arts course that involved experiential learning and collaborative art-making with young adults with intellectual dis/abilities.
› Celebrated 15 year Anniversary with Butler University in spring of 2022
Brandie Oliver ’96 MS ’07
Cathy Hartman ’97
Danielle Madrazo
Theresa Knipstein Meyer
› Earned promotion to the rank of senior lecturer.
providing accessible support to novice educators across the state and beyond.
› Wrote a proposal with Mr. Ron Smith, principal at Lab School #60, to host the Reggio Emilia traveling exhibit, called the Mosaic of Marks, Words, Materials Exhibit & Atelier. The proposal was accepted and will be housed in our College of Education at South Campus.
› Selected at Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2022 from the Indiana Council for Exceptional Children
› Kicked off the statewide STEM New Educator Academy in collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Zoo, and Codelicous
› Promoted to Budget and Scheduling Coordinator
Catherine Hagerman Pangan MS ’99
› Expanded the COE’s existing partnership with Immigrant Welcome Center to include ED 299 students in the design and delivery of citizenship classes. As a result of the partnership, students reported gains in their understanding of the immigrant and refugee experience, increased feelings of self-efficacy related to working with immigrant families, and increased capacity to implement culturally responsive pedagogy.
› Students in the Fall 2020 semester of ED485: Advocacy and Leadership in Special Education class wrote a Memorandum of Understanding between Special Olympics IN and the COE. That MOU made it through the process and was signed this year! Shout out to Nick Adams, Gretchen Beatty, Sara Carpenter, Aracely Escobedo, Alexis Faith, Jordan Rhinesmith, Ashley Ritzenthaler, Robby Joe Underwood, and Lily Wright for all their hard work and leadership in starting this important paperwork!
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› Hosted an alumni gathering this summer.
› Completed the HERS Higher Education Leadership Institute
› Spent another year working alongside and learning from incredibly talented COE faculty, staff, and students
Erin Garriott MS ’01
› Together with Department colleagues, the School Counseling Master’s degree program had a successful CACREP reaccreditation visit.
› Keynote Speaker for both the 2022 Child & School Counseling Summit sponsored by the Mental Health Academy and the Teach Indy Conference.
› Facilitated a series of workshops for K-12 educators in a Michigan school district around topics of equity and inclusion. Within this series, co-presented a workshop with three ED 299 students on supporting LGBTQ+ students in the K-12 classroom.
Brooke Kandel
Chasadee Minton
› Accepted additional role as Marketing and Graduate Programs Specialist, supporting COE Graduate Programs in addition to marketing support for the College.
› Honored to continue work as co-chair of the multicultural recruitment work group that was charged with providing recommendations to, “Increase full time undergraduate multicultural student representation to align with University mission and provide greater cultural and socioeconomic diversity.”
› Honored at a Butler basketball game with an “Excellence in Teaching” certificate from Dr. Brooke Kandel, Dean of the COE, and Dr. Brooke Barnett, Provost of Butler University. Also promoted to Senior Lecturer.
› Served as the chair and author of one of the dimensions as defined by the Gardner Institute, working to improve the first-year experience for Butler students.
› Named as an inaugural Butler Innovation Fellow as part of the Transformation Lab to support and create new ideas to transform the undergraduate experience!
Angela Mager ’92 MS ’01
Tom Keller
› Developed and launched two Canvas Courses for Indiana educators: Social-Emotional Learning for Educators (introductory course for all educators) and Social-Emotional Learning Specialist (advanced course for educators focused on leading/coordinating SEL).
› Celebrated 10 year anniversary with Butler University
Kelley Hahn ’86
MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS School Counseling Educational Administration (EPPSP) CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Applied Educational Neuroscience Licensed Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) FULLY ONLINE Special Education – Mild Intervention Certificate and Pathway to Licensure Teaching English Learners Pathway to Licensure DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD FLOURISH WITH COE GRADUATE INSTRUCTION? MAYBE IT’S YOU! Request program information www.butler.edu/education/tap-form.atwww.butler.edu/education BUTLER UNIVERSITY COLLEGE of GRADUATEEDUCATIONPROGRAMS TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING AT COMPETITIVE COST TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING AT COMPETITIVE COST
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