Education
connected university of california , berkeley • graduate school of
Urban Outfitters
Professional Program Graduates Change the Look of Bay Area’s Underserved Schools
PACEsetters at 25
winter 2008
From the Dean Welcome to the third issue of Connected. We hope you will enjoy learning about
the many facets of our work and the many people who shape it.
The School of Education makes a profound difference in Bay Area urban schools, in part because of our close location to them. But what really paves the way is our commitment and conviction to equitable schools. Our cover article, “Urban Oufitters,” affirms that commitment by profiling the tireless efforts of many of our alumni in our most needy local schools. Their leadership for a better future for students is testimony to the design and impact of our professional programs.
Photo: David Schmitz
As an alumna and educator who is quoted in the article says, “Whether they are teachers or administrators, they see working in schools as a profession, not just a stepping stone.” I concur that that distinction is one of many that sets them apart.
In a shaky economy, GSE’s aspiring educators need financial support in order to complete their degrees and receive their certification as teachers and school leaders. My highest priority for the ambitious capital campaign announced this fall by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau is to create endowments that will support GSE students far into the future. The value of your gift to education is practically limitless – it is a sure investment in the future of our schools, students and democracy. I hope you will take a moment to review our fundraising case statement online at http://gse.berkeley.edu/ admin/extrel or request a paper copy from our Development Office. If you can, please use the enclosed envelope to send a tax-deductible gift in support of our scholarship program. Thank you for your consideration, and I wish you a happy holiday season!
Graduate School of Education
P. David Pearson Dean and Professor ppearson@berkeley.edu
Dean P. David Pearson Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Frank C. Worrell Acting Associate Dean for Professional Programs Richard Sterling Head Graduate Adviser Sarah W. Freedman Assistant Dean for Administration Lisa Kala
GSE Advisory Board Al Adams Stacey Bell Mary Catherine Birgeneau Mary Jane Brinton Jerry Corazza Pat Cross Pauline Facciano Lily Wong Fillmore Ned Flanders Chad Graff Miranda Heller, Chair
Ellen Hershey Gary Hoachlander Lucinda Lee Katz Carol Liu Kerri Lubin Philip Lum Joyce Ng Alceste T. Pappas P. David Pearson Brian Rogers Cha Sanders
Anthony M. Smith Carolyn Sparks Richard Sterling Karen Teel William Tibbey MaryEllen Vogt Lynn Wendell Vic Willits Mike Wood Heather McCracken Wu
Cover: GSE professional program alumni are flourishing at Oakland’s Learning Without Limits School. Back cover: Family night at Oakland’s Learning Without Limits School Photos: Peg Skorpinski
connect ed Features 14 PACEsetters at 25 Research Center Celebrates a Quarter Century as Leader in Legislative Policy Analysis B y S te v e n Co h en
16 Urban Outfitters Professional Program Graduates Change the Look of Bay Area’s Underserved Schools Profiles: Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Jake Disston, Erica Ramirez, Patricia Newsome, Zareen Poonen Levien B y S te v e n Co h en
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School News Spotlight: Education Minor Has Major Impact Temple Wins Distinguished Service Award Cal Teach Attracting Committed, Diverse Undergraduates Center for Urban School Leadership Moves Forward with New Director, Directions All Signs Point Up for CAL Prep Race, Culture and Equity Speaker Series Inspires Fresh Thinking In Brief: Tillery Institute KidNet Commencement CREDE National Writing Project
16 From left, Developmental Teacher Education graduates Samara Ripps, Malana Willis, Olivia Sanders, Manuel Herrera and Daniel Seward gather in front of Learning Without Limits’ vision statement. Photo: Steven Cohen
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Faculty Spotlight: Marcia Linn New Faces: Lisa García Bedolla, Na’ilah Nasir, Janelle Scott, Tina Trujillo Honors Publications Appointments Grants
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winter 2008 • volume 3 Connected is published annually by the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education for alumni and friends. Editor/Writer: Steven Cohen Graphic Design: Grace Engels, Kat Jones
12 Students Spotlight: Usree Bhattacharya Students Launch Academic Journal Honors
28 Alumni Spotlight: Jennifer Russell Class Notes
34 Friends Spotlight: PLI Cohort 8 Supports New Endowed Scholarship Fund Carolyn Sparks’ Touch of Class Spring Scholarship Tea Brews Gratitude CAL Prep Relocates Major Grants Fund GSE’s Work in Urban Professional Development Donors
Contributing Writers: Joseph Bui, Zack Rogow Proofreader: Joyce Burks Editorial Board: Christine Cziko, Heather McCracken Wu, David Pearson, Della Peretti, Sophia Rabe-Hesketh, Janine Sheldon Contributing Photographers: Steven Cohen, Peg Skorpinski, David Schmitz, Bijan Yashar, José Zavaleta Printer: UC Printing Service Printed on recycled content paper Connected University of California Graduate School of Education 3627 Tolman Hall #1670 Berkeley, CA 94720-1670 Phone: 510/643-9784 E-mail: ext_rel@berkeley.edu Fax: 510/643-2006 Web: gse.berkeley.edu To subscribe to gsE-news and receive Connected and the gsE-bulletin by e-mail, please visit gse.berkeley.edu/ admin/communications/subscribe.html ©2008 by the Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
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Spotlight Education Minor Sports Major Accomplishments GSE’s popular undergraduate minor and courses in education continue to attract a growing number of undergraduates, with more than 160 active declared minors. One of the largest minors on campus, it has attracted disproportionately more students of color than their numbers on campus would predict. But where do education minors — 1,600 since the program started in 1990 — go from there? The short answer is that they make a profound difference in the field of education. A snapshot of some recent education minor students tells part of the story: Edd Taylor, an African-American professor at Northwestern University, was the inspiring 2008 GSE Commencement speaker. He says that the core course in the Minor, Current Issues in Education (EDUC 190), influenced his career trajectory change from law to education. Amanda Kruger, a recent graduate of the Principal Leadership Institute, is now principal of Bay Area School of Enterprise (BASE) High School, a charter school in Alameda. For a project in her education minor classes, Kruger led a group of high school students and teachers that founded the school — perhaps the first public school in the nation initiated by and governed in significant part by the students themselves. Kenzo Sung completed his Ph.D. in POME in 2008 after graduating from Harvard. As an undergraduate minor, he initiated Project College Bound in 1996, an innovative mentorship and tutoring program serving disadvantaged Asian Pacific American Youth from Berkeley’s public schools. The project continues today coordinated by Hong Doan, who attends UC Berkeley because of the inspiration and support that she received as a member of the group when she was in middle school. 2
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Environmental Education students participate in a consensus orienteering exercise on a field trip to Jug Handle Creek along the Mendocino Coast.
Tony Smith, who received his Master’s in 1993 and Ph.D. in 2002 from the School of Education, was appointed Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, Innovation and Social Justice for San Francisco Unified School District last year. Smith, a former Cal football player, was formerly superintendent of Emery Unified, where he led the 800-student district out of a state takeover. Other education minor students, like Jennifer Goldstein, who received her Ph.D. from Stanford’s School of Education and is now an assistant professor at Baruch College, say that the education minor solidified aspirations. “As an undergraduate I believed theoretically in the link between public education and democracy,” says Goldstein, “but the ability to take coursework in education helped me realize that on a very practical level I had found a home and a field.” While a number of education minors such as Goldstein have gone on to leading graduate schools of education in both advanced degree programs and credential/masters’ programs, Professor Emeritus John Hurst, who established the program in 1990, says that the main purpose of the minor is “to enable students to systematically examine education and to begin to understand how it shapes, and is shaped by society. “They’re exposed to a wide array of career possibilities in the field of education,” says Hurst, “and that’s why they have made such a great impact in the field, but the minor is not a preprofessional program; it’s a serious inquiry into one of societies most critical institutions.”
Photo: José Zavaleta
Dean Pearson with Temple after the award announcement
All in the Family?
Temple Wins Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award GSE Assistant Dean for Administration Frankie Temple has received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award, one of only two given in 2008. Dean P. David Pearson presented the award, which recognizes outstanding service, other than teaching or research, in a UC Berkeley school, college or department, to Temple at the first GSE school-wide meeting of the year in September. Temple has served the School of Education since 1971, when she worked with the late Professor Nadine Lambert for the School Psychology program. She was named assistant dean in 2000 after serving as director of administration since 1992, and the School’s management services officer for several years before that. “Frankie has always been respected and esteemed for her competence, fairness and collegiality,” said Pearson. “She is without doubt the go-to person in the School, and she knows the majority of our students by name.” Said Professor Sarah Freedman: “In all my years of working with her, there has never been a problem within her area of responsibility she could not solve; she always takes responsibility and sees to it that the work gets done.” Temple, who received the Outstanding Staff Award in 1992, has worked directly with four deans during her tenure: Bernie Gifford, Bill Rohwer, Gene García and Pearson. In addition, she worked with acting dean Geraldine Clifford and chairman Jim Guthrie. “Every aspect of Ms. Temple’s work is infused with excellence,” said García, who worked with Temple from 1995 through 2001. While officially retired as of last June, Temple is on recall appointment as an administrative advisor to Pearson. She is mentoring her successor in the Dean’s Office, Lisa Kala, and Kala says she looks forward to the challenge of “living up to the gold standard that Frankie has set.” Temple says she is enjoying semi-retirement and the extra time it gives her to spend with her two grandsons.
Weducators Tie the Knot Andy Maul (Ph.D., Qualitative, Methods and Evaluation ‘08) and Diana Arya (Ph.D. Language and Literacy, Society and Culture expected ‘09) married on June 14, 2008 at the UC Botanical Garden. The couple met when Maul was Arya’s GSI in Data Analysis I and II.
Six Degrees of Separation Barack Obama with his maternal grandparents, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham during a 1982 visit to New York, where Obama was attending Columbia. Stanley’s brother, Ralph Emerson Dunham, received his Ed.D. from UC Berkeley’s School of Education in 1950. No doubt, you’re wondering why none of us were invited to the Inaugural Ball.
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Students experienced the beach during a fall field trip to Marin Headlands.
Cal Teach Attracting Committed, Diverse Undergraduates Cal Teach, a new campuswide program that encourages, prepares and supports mathematics, science and engineering majors to become middle or high school math and science teachers, is gaining momentum in its fourth year. The partnership with the College of Letters & Science, College of Engineering, Graduate School of Education and Lawrence Hall of Science, offers several courses for students interested in teaching including Engineering in K-12 Math and Science Learning. GSE’s education minor (see page 2) is highly recommended as part of the Cal Teach program. Cal Teach students take coursework to examine and develop subject matter-specific curriculum, pedagogies and assessment methodologies along with the coursework in their majors. Graduate Student Instructor Rick Ayers teaches a required course in Year 2 of the program, “Teaching Mathematics and Science: A Focus on Equity and Urban Schools,” which serves as an equityfocused introduction to teaching and learning mathematics and science in urban schools. “This is the most diverse undergraduate class I’ve seen at UC Berkeley,” says Ayers, a GSE doctoral candidate in Language and Literacy, Society and Culture (LLSC). “They have overcome great obstacles to get to Berkeley, often on at least partial scholarship, and they want to go into teaching. They’re very caring and thoughtful students who have decided to give back.” Additionally, Xiaoxia Newton, an assistant professor in POME, is a principal investigator for Cal Teach working on evaluation; and Assistant Professor Dor Abrahamson and Professor Alan Schoenfeld are creating a new course, “Problem Solving as an Approach to Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Science,” that will debut in the spring semester.
GSI Rick Ayers, left, has been impressed with his Cal Teach students.
All Signs Point Up for CAL Prep California College Preparatory Academy (CAL Prep) students had another great year. Their hard work, and that of their teachers, led to solid gains on the California Standards Tests for the second year in a row — increasing the school’s API 51 points from 725 last year to 771. In its first year of testing (2006), CAL Prep’s API was 648. In 2008, math proficiency doubled to 47.4 percent from 23.7 percent in 2006. A total of 43 percent of CAL Prep students scored “proficient” or “advanced” in English Language Arts, up from 23.7 percent in 2006. The achievement gap is narrowing for many CAL Prep students. Equally important, CAL Prep students are benefiting from practical, research-based innovations; courses taught by UC Berkeley and Berkeley City College faculty; no-cost intervention and enrichment programs; and intensive academic, social and emotional support from adults, including 30 UC Berkeley undergraduates, to help them build the habits needed for success in higher education. A fully staffed, campuswide study hall at the end of the school day allows students to get help and a jump on their homework. Then they can join in a rich set of after-school activities, including drama, visual arts, cooking, sports, music production and dance. In addition to CAL Prep’s new facility at the former St. Joseph the Worker parochial school building in Berkeley and temporary parting from the sixth graders (see related story, page 36), students encountered two more changes at the beginning of the school year. Megan Reed, last year’s dean of students, was promoted to principal, and Maia Correal is filling the dean’s role. “The students respond extraordinarily well to Megan,” said GSE Dean David Pearson. “They know she cares about every one of them and is deeply committed to their academic and personal success. She has the educator’s gift of inspiring each student to be the best he or she can be, and the atmosphere at the school this year is really exciting.” CAL Prep continues to enjoy broad support from UC Berkeley. Since 2003, a multidisciplinary faculty oversight committee has guided all activities to co-construct the school from the ground up with Aspire Public Schools, California’s first charter management organization. With the leadership of the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Graduate School of Education, the Bill and Melinda Gates-funded early college model is being replicated at other Aspire schools and has promising implications for other multicultural school settings throughout California. CAL Prep is open to all students and families, with preference given to students who face barriers to college going. Currently serving 200 students in grades 7–10, the school will add a grade each year, reaching grade 12 in 2010–11. The student body is 62 percent African American and 35 percent Latino, 35 percent are English Language Learners, and 64 percent are eligible for Megan Reed free or reduced lunch. is CAL Prep’s new principal.
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Photos: Steven Cohen
Race, Culture and Equity Speaker Series Inspires Fresh Thinking GSE’s Race, Culture and Equity Initiative (RCEI), inaugurated last spring to provide a forum for faculty, staff and students to address race and racism in education and society, presented six provocative speakers in 2008: Charles Mills, Prudence Carter, Bryan Brayboy, Na’ilah Nasir, Michael Omi and Christine Sleeter. “GSE must exert leadership and fresh thinking in our schools to lift low-achieving students,” says Professor Bruce Fuller, who co-chairs the initiative planning committee with Associate Professor Patricia Baquedano-López. “The Initiative spurs new thinking on how we can serve children of color and the schools that serve them through our research and service to practitioners.” Mills made two public presentations on November 7. A morning lecture in Tolman Hall entitled, “White Ignorance and the Racial Contract,” was followed by a lunch session with faculty. That evening, Mills spoke on “Exploring the Connections between the Racial Contract and Education” at Berkeley High’s Little Theater, a fundraiser for the Principal Leadership Institute at the Center for Urban School Leadership. Mills, a professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy at Northwestern, works in the general area of social and political philosophy, particularly in oppositional political theory as centered on class, gender and race. His first book, The Racial Contract, won a Myers Outstanding Book Award for the study of bigotry and human rights in North America. It has been adopted widely in college courses across the United States. His most recent book Contract and Domination, co-written with Carole Pateman, explores the intersection of racism and feminism.
The RCEI series began in January when a crowd of more than 300 visited UC Berkeley’s Alumni House to hear Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies Michael Omi discuss the inherent contradictions of a colorblind society. One week later, CSUMonterey Professor Emerita Christine Sleeter addressed ways in which racism becomes institutionalized in education and what can be done about it. In October, Stanford’s Prudence Carter gave a public talk with follow-up conversations that compared race dynamics in mixed-race high schools in the U.S. and South Africa, and demonstrated that students with “cultural flexibility” confidently navigate school culture by avoiding rigid racial associations concerning achievement. “Professor Carter’s interaction with us was decisively helpful,” says Assistant Professor Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, one of the faculty organizers of RCEI. “The comparative nature of her work opened lines of dialogue about race in the U.S., shedding light on race relations as a social rather than natural process.” The speaker series continued November 19 when Bryan Brayboy from the University of Alaska and Arizona State University, spoke on “White Ignorance and the Racial Context.” Na’ilah Nasir, a new associate professor in GSE and African American Studies (see page 10), capped off the series for the year on November 21 with a lecture on how students’ contexts — bounded by race and culture — shape the daily activities in which they learn.
Above, from left, Charles Mills spoke at two GSE events in November. Michael Omi and Christine Sleeter kicked off the speaker series in January.
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Center for Urban School Leadership Moves Forward with New Director, Directions Research activities will include experiences designed to build The Center for Urban School Leadership (CUSL) has accelertrust among colleagues, produce outcomes useful to the parated its program and professional development capabilities by ticipants and align with their shared values. naming Daphannie Stephens as its new director. “CUSL programs have always attempted to avoid the ‘sage As the first step in a strategic planning process, Stephens, a on stage,’” says PLI Academic Coordinator Lynda Tredway. “I graduate of the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) Cohort 6, always tell my students, ‘If I talk for more than 10 minutes, stop is leading a series of retreats with five faculty and program dime.’ “ rectors to evaluate the Center’s suite of offerings to ensure that “At the same time that we encourage our leaders’ individual they provide a clear, coherent pathway founded on common curiosity and creativity,” says Stephens, “we work closely with principles and values. them to ensure that their action research is aligned with the “It’s exciting to help the Center take the next critical step districts’ professional development goals as an organization,” says Stephens, who earned and standards for leadership competence.” her undergraduate degree in Social Welfare The Center for Urban Last spring’s BRAVO Project is another from UC Berkeley. “The critical foundation School Leadership Programs example of powerful adult learning in the of all our programs is a theory of self-directed Principal Leadership Institute, according to adult learning that is surprisingly absent from Aspiring Administrators Seminars Tredway. PLI Cohort 8 had the opportunity most professional development experienced by Coaching for Equity to work intensively with local artists on a urban school leaders, which too often emphavisual or performing arts project inspired sizes compliance.” Leadership Studio by the history of racism and school segregaCUSL has been providing professional deLeadership Support tion in California. Tredway says that the velopment to all elementary and middle school Principal Leadership Institute students drew on their own experiences and principals and assistant principals in San FranProfessional Development worked collaboratively to follow and express cisco Unified School District for the past three for Equity their artistic interests. years. As an example of the model of the adult Research into Practice “It takes empathy to be vulnerable; it learning embraced across all Center programs, Institute takes courage to create something new, and 10 different self-selected groups of elementary it takes perseverance to give form to imporand K-8 principals have selected a topic for tant beliefs, ideas and questions,” says Tredway. “These are intensive group study or action research for the current school characteristics found in the best artists and leaders.” year. These topics include issues of English Language Learners in predominantly Latino and Chinese schools, such as grade placement and social integration of newcomers; identification of and strategies for dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome in children; and difficult performance conversations. 6
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Above, from left: Newly appointed CUSL Director Daphannie Stephens; Beatboxer Carlos Aguirre aka Infinite and other leading Bay Area artists worked with Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) Cohort 8 credential candidates in June in The BRAVO! Project and performed at PLI’s November fundraiser with Charles Mills (see page 5) at Berkeley High School.
In Brief The Fourth Annual Dale Tillery Institute for Community College Leadership was held August 4-6 at UC Berkeley’s Faculty Club and focused on the transition from high school to college. Led by Professor Norton Grubb and Foothill College President Emerita Bernadine Chuck Fong, 10 teams of community college faculty and administrators from across the state heard presentations on promising programs from around the country and worked on plans to be implemented at their colleges in the academic year ahead. Presenters included Stanford University Professor Emeritus Michael Kirst; John Garvey, dean of the Teacher Academy and Collaborative Programs, City University of New York; and Melinda Karp and Davis Jenkins fromTeachers College, Columbia University. Participants voted Los Medanos Community College and Santiago Canyon College as developing the best work plans.
UCLA Psychology Professor James Stigler, director of The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Video Study, was one of many highprofile speakers who gave presentations at the School of Education this year. Photo: Steven Cohen
Professor Glynda Hull’s Kidnet project established networks with youth in West Oakland, South Africa and India during its first year in 2007. It began its second year with a $500,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation to study the socio-cultural, developmental and educational implications of engaging youth around the world in Internet-enabled social networking. For the next three years of the project, the Kidnet team will operate its sites and study the decision-making, interpersonal and intercultural negotiation, and knowledge construction that this online community reveals over time. A total of 114 graduating students received diplomas and inspiration at the Graduate School of Education’s commencement exercises May 17 in Zellerbach Hall. Keynote speaker Edd Taylor, who earned his Ph.D. from the School of Education in 2005; master’s/credential program speaker Sarah Wright; and doctoral program speaker Linda Platas struck a thematic chord for educational equity and spoke passionately for educating all children.
Super storyteller Joel ben Izzy dazzled his audience at the 2008 Celebration of Children’s Literature. The popular community event returns on Cal Day, April 18. Photo: Steven Cohen
A What Works Clearinghouse study shows that the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) developed program tops the field in elementary education for English-Language Learners. CREDE was ranked first in reading achievement and second in English language development by the Clearinghouse, which is administered by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education. The Clearinghouse evaluated 73 studies of 32 programs focused on improving English language literacy and/or academic achievement of elementary school students who are English Language Learners. Only 12 programs met the WWC evidence standards. The National Writing Project (NWP) has joined with Reading is Fundamental and the College Board to publish a new book, Our Book By Us!/Nuestro Libro ¡Hecho Por Nosotros! which provides parents and caregivers a resource in English and Spanish that engages young children in reading and writing to support their early literacy development. The new book is available from the NWP website (www.nwp.org), which recently won a gold EXCEL award for “Editorial Content” from the Society of National Association Publications.
Los Medanos College team members with Karl Pister, chair of the California Council on Science and Technology, at the Tillery Institute in August. Photo: Peg Skorpinski
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Spotlight Marcia Linn Perfect Storm
Photo: David Schmitz
Casual observers may have missed the fact that Marcia Linn, — from anthropology to zoology. Her most recent NSF grants GSE’s calm professor, has brewed a quiet storm of inspiring — Cumulative Learning Using Embedded Assessment Results accomplishments of late. (CLEAR), which focuses on using assessment of relevant In a little more than a year, she was elected to the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy of Education; co-authored an attention-grabbing study content to improve K–12 teaching and learning; and Logging showing no difference in math performance between boys and Opportunities in Online Programs for Science (LOOPS), which girls, as well as a book on designing innovative science education uses technology to help teachers support inquiry learning in curriculum; and landed two $3 million National Science Foundamiddle school science classes — build on her groundbreaking tion (NSF) grants to continue her work in the field of technologywork with a wide array of collaborators to improve science enhanced learning, as well as a smaller one to design an Advanced instruction through TELS (the Center for Technology Placement computer science course for UC College Prep. Enhanced Learning in Science). Clearly, Linn doesn’t plan to bask in the limelight. “Our materials prove that students can learn complicated That’s because the modest pioneer who grew up in material, have engaging experiences with science, and Whittier has maintained her focus on improving the not only become competent but be able to use their ideas quality of science and mathematics instruction and learning for all students, including the many she has in the next course and in their lives.” mentored in the Graduate School of Education. “That’s where I see all this work coming together,” says The early stages of Linn’s cyberworld date back to the ’60s, Linn, who started doing instructional design at UC Berkeley’s when as a Stanford undergraduate she took computer science Lawrence Hall of Science in the ’70s before becoming a GSE courses and worked in a research group with noted Philosophy professor a decade later. Professor Pat Suppes, who was examining technology and edu“The most important thing we can do is offer a sound cation using mainframe computers. education in important mathematics and science topics to By 1984, when Apple was introducing its Apple IIe computall learners and give everyone the opportunity to succeed,” ers into classrooms, Linn had already developed a vision of how she says. “This is an area where a lot of people complain that the computer might be used to enhance student learning and their courses are irrelevant to their lives or boring or difficult won an Apple Wheels for the Mind grant to get started. Nearly to follow. And that isn’t necessary. I think our materials prove a quarter-century later, and with ongoing NSF support, thouthat students can learn complicated material, have engaging sands of teachers and students around the world use web-based experiences with science, and not only become competent but inquiry science curricular modules she helped develop here at be able to use their ideas in the next course and in their lives.” UC Berkeley (available for free at wise.berkeley.edu). Linn’s research and work supports the use of technology And Linn’s team continues to investigate ways to make at any age through a variety of learning materials on any topic them better. 8
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Grants
Honors Assistant Professor Cynthia Coburn and Adjunct Professor Elfrieda Hiebert received awards from the International Reading Association. Assistant Professor Randi Engle won a campuswide Hellman Family Faculty Fund Award to support her transfer-of-learning research. She also gave the plenary address at UC Berkeley’s GSI orientation. Professor Norton Grubb studied the vocational education system in German-speaking Switzerland for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Professor Marcia Linn (see page 8) gave the keynote talk on Science, Technology and Policy at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching in March, and testified on girls and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers before Congress in July. Professor Judith Warren Little received the Frank Klassen Award for Leadership and Scholarly Contributions in Teacher Education at the World Assembly of the International Council on Education for Teaching in Braga, Portugal, where she also gave the invited keynote address. Associate Professor Jabari Mahiri, Visiting Assistant Professor Zeus Leonardo and Little were honored for their contributions to the American Educational Research Association (AERA) at their 2008 annual meeting. Professor Sophia Rabe-Hesketh was elected to the International Statistical Institute. Assistant Professor Ingrid Seyer-Ochi received UC Berkeley’s American Cultures Innovation in Teaching Award. Professor Geoffrey Saxe gave a keynote address for the International Conference on Speech, Writing and Context in Queretaro, Mexico. Professor Alan Schoenfeld received the Senior Scholar Award for Research in Mathematics Education by the Special Interest Group for Research in Mathematics Education of AERA.
Associate Professor Prentice Starkey earned the highest rating of educational effectiveness by the Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse for his early childhood mathematics curriculum, “Pre–K Mathematics.” Lecturer Derek Van Rheenen, who directs the Athletics Study Center, was inducted into the UC Berkeley Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Professor Frank C. Worrell gave several invited addresses this year, including those at the German Institute for International Educational Research and the American Psychological Association.
Publications Nina Gabelko, director of the Academic Talent Development Program, co-authored Every Child’s Right: Academic Talent Development by Choice, Not Chance. Professor Norton Grubb’s new book, The Money Myth: School Resources, Outcomes, and Equity, explores new approaches to school resources and both static and dynamic conceptions of equity. Adjunct Professsor Elfrieda Hiebert is editor of the book, Finding the Right Texts: What Works for Beginning and Struggling Readers.
Appointments Hanan Alexander, professor of philosophy of education and head of the International School at the University of Haifa, was appointed Richard and Rhoda Goldman Visiting Professor in Education and Israel Studies at GSE for 2008–09. Professor Emeritus Paul Ammon was named to a national panel of experts on “Increasing the Application of Child and Adolescent Learning and Development Knowledge in Educator Preparation Programs.” Professor Frank C. Worrell was appointed to a joint committee named to revise the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.
Professor Glynda Hull received a nearly $500,000 Spencer Foundation grant entitled, “YouthDesigned Social Networking: Investigating Emergent Literacies, Identities and Relationships at the Intersection of Online and Offline Experience” (see page 7) as well as a Research Bridging Grant from UC Berkeley for her project “Digital Literacy in Developing Societies.” Professor Marcia Linn received two $3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grants to continue her work in the field of technology enhanced learning (see page 8). Professor Judith Warren Little was awarded $50,000 from the Spencer Foundation for her project Mapping the Terrain of Organizational Learning and Professional Practice. Associate Professor Kathleen Metz is the recipient of a nearly $1 million, three-year grant entitled “Developing the Conceptual Underpinning of Evolution in Second and Third Grade.” Assistant Adjunct Professor Erin Murphy-Graham is principal investigator of a new $1.28 million Hewlett Foundation grant evaluating a Honduras Education program. Associate Professor Prentice Starkey was awarded a $3 million, four-year grant from the Institute of Education Sciences on “Closing the SES Gap in Young Children’s Mathematical Knowledge.” Bay Area Writing Project Director, Carol Tateishi, in partnership with faculty and staff of the Bay Area Science Project, the Space Science Lab and Cal State East Bay received a four-year California Postsecondary Education Commission grant for “Advancing Collaboration for Equity in Science,” a project that focuses on the integration of science teaching and writing in two Oakland elementary schools. Professor Mark Wilson and the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center (BEAR) received two grants from NSF: $1.5 million for the Formative Assessment Delivery System (FADS) project; and $192,000 for Diagnostic E-Learning Trajectories Approach (DELTA), a collaboration with math-education researchers at North Carolina State University and Wireless Generation. They also received a $76,000 grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the German counterpart to NSF, for a collaboration with Berlin’s Humboldt University to develop the German “English as a First Foreign Language” test. From left, Jabari Mahiri, Randi Engle, Kathleen Metz, Alan Schoenfeld, Norton Grubb
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New Faces When she first came to UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, Lisa García Bedolla studied what issues were plaguing disenfranchised communities. Today, she’s back on campus wrestling with the same issues as an associate professor in Language and Literacy, Society and Culture. While García Bedolla doesn’t begin teaching until next fall, she won’t be limiting herself to the classroom. She is conducting research in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley on low-propensity voters in racial/ethnic communities. Her hope is that this project will lead to a more representative and inclusive electorate in California. “We don’t live in isolation,” says García Bedolla, who just finished writing her second book, Latino Politics, set to be released in May. “If you want to make any sort of substantive change in the quality of life within your community, you have to engage collectively. If we can figure out what motivates people to get involved, we can get that engagement across a more representative sample of society.” García Bedolla is not surprised that years after she graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Comparative Literature, she is still studying the sources of and solutions to political inequity. “As a woman of color, I’ve always had outsider status,” García Bedolla explains. “I didn’t see myself represented at Cal, in the faculty or the literature I was studying.” Those experiences would prompt her to first earn a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. She then served as an associate professor of Political Science and Chicano/Latino Studies at UC Irvine for six years before coming to the School of Education. For more on García Bedolla, visit http://gse.berkeley.edu/ faculty/lGarcíabedolla/lGarcíabedolla.html.
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Na’ilah Nasir received her B.A. from UC Berkeley. She did her doctoral work at UCLA, where her advisor was Geoff Saxe. She lives in the East Bay with her husband and their four children, and has made these parts her home for the last eight years while teaching at Stanford. Now the award-winning teacher is staying home for good after Cal made an offer she couldn’t refuse: a joint professorship in African American Studies and the Graduate School of Education, funded through the Berkeley Diversity Research Initiative. If working for two departments and a fledgling initiative weren’t enough, the associate professor is also perched between two GSE areas of study: Cognition and Development and Language, Literacy, Society and Culture. “It makes for a lot of meetings,” says Nasir, who will begin teaching one course each in African American Studies and the GSE starting in the spring. It’s safe to say Nasir also has a serious side. With colleagues at the University of Washington, she is embarking on a research project that examines stereotypes and racial identity in mathematics performance for elementary and middle school students, utilizing projective racial stereotype measures. She is also studying the educational trajectories for kids in court schools inside juvenile halls. “We talk a lot about how school systems in general marginalize and disempower some groups of kids,” says Nasir. “This is a whole educational system that’s marginalized, and that doesn’t make it into the mainstream conversation about schooling. And yet [ironically] juvenile justice folks are always saying it [education] is going to save these kids from a life of crime.” Eventually Nasir hopes to find out what works well in court schools and how both traditional and court school systems could be improved. She would also like to partner with faculty at the Earl Warren Institute to help her think through the policy implications. She can hardly wait to have more meetings on campus. For more on Nasir, visit http://gse.berkeley.edu/faculty/ NSNasir/NSNasir.html.
Janelle Scott is returning to her UC Berkeley roots as an assistant professor in the School of Education and the Department of African American Studies, where she and Na’ilah Nasir (see page 10) hold joint positions funded through the fledgling Berkeley Diversity Research Initiative. “A cross-departmental appointment was very appealing to me,” says Scott, who taught at NYU’s School of Education before coming west. “It’s really nice to think about the appointment as not having to necessarily choose between race or education. I’m interested in both, and it makes great sense.” Crossing over to other departments on campus is nothing new for Scott, who like Nasir and Tina Trujillo (this page), another new POME faculty member, received her Ph.D. in education at UCLA. As a political science major at UC Berkeley, Scott took several courses in African American Studies from Professor Charles Henry, who is still influential to Scott’s studies of the racial politics of public education and how they shape opportunities for students and communities. Scott is interested in the long legacy and history in the United States around unequal schools and “what sort of remedies are proposed, and by whom: who benefits and who loses from them.” Her current research examines the relationship between philanthropy and school choice policy in urban communities. She won’t begin teaching until spring 2010 while she researches venture philanthropy through a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. “A lot of the arguments that advocates make in favor of school choice are often nested in arguments around racial equity,” says Scott. “I think it’s really important to engage those arguments and assumptions through empirical work, through socio-political analysis.”
Tina Trujillo didn’t waste much time transitioning from UCLA graduate student to UC Berkeley faculty member. Only three months ago she returned to the Bay Area with her husband and son from Los Angeles, where she earned her Ph.D. in Urban Schooling at UCLA. There, at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), she researched state accountability systems and the improvement of low-performing schools, under the direction of current GSE Associate Professor Rick Mintrop. Trujillo’s dissertation focused on urban district reform and showed how one district’s leaders developed a coherent instructional system that revolved around the API and state standards, and that effectively raised test scores. Trujillo discovered that this system triggered only surface-level changes to materials and teacher routines, however, not deeper pedagogical changes or professional learning. Trujillo has made the north-south traverse before. After teaching elementary school in Compton, she conducted educational evaluation and school reform work in the Bay Area. Her scholarly route veered toward the mountains to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Master’s in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice. But, as has been the case her entire academic and professional life, the straight path revolved around understanding how educational leaders can work toward more equitable systems for traditionally underserved students. Trujillo, who teaches in Policy, Organization, Measurement and Evaluation and prepares educational leaders in the Leadership for Educational Equity Program (LEEP) and Principal Leadership Institute (PLI), reflected on her decision to join the GSE: “I saw a rich opportunity to bridge research and practice by teaching in LEEP and PLI, and I was impressed with the scholarship coming out of the GSE. I’m excited to learn from and contribute to this body of knowledge.” For more on Trujillo, visit http://www-gse.berkeley.edu/ faculty/TTrujillo/TTrujillo.html.
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Photo: Steven Cohen
students
Spotlight Usree Bhattacharya Indian Dream Usree Bhattacharya’s face lights up when she talks about the research she conducts or the students she teaches as a thirdyear doctoral student — even while spending her afternoon working in a study area in Tolman Hall that her peers halfjokingly call “the cave.” That’s because Bhattacharya fulfilled a lifelong dream when she officially enrolled as a student at the Graduate School of Education, a dream that began half-way across the globe in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Growing up the daughter of a professor who often traveled to UC Berkeley, Bhattacharya had heard stories about the “intellectually vibrant” and “politically aware” academic community. Although she always aspired to become a student at the campus one day, enrolling at Cal wasn’t originally part of the plan. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s in English Literature at Delhi University, Bhattacharya started teaching English in Indonesia. She found the experience rewarding, yet frustrating. “There were a lot of problems in the school,” she explained. “The students I taught received very little instruction in English from kindergarten to sixth grade.” And by seventh grade, they were expected to convert entirely to English, reading required texts traditionally reserved for first-language speakers. How fair is that?” A resolve to answer these questions led Bhattacharya to continue her education. She earned a Master’s in Teaching International Languages at Chico State and then enrolled in GSE’s Language, Literacy, Society and Culture program. Her
dissertation focuses on theories of globalization and literary practices within the quadra-lingual context of an orphanage in her hometown of New Delhi. When not conducting research that focuses on the kids in the orphanage, who she calls “the most vibrant, hopeful, optimistic and determined” of any she’s ever met, Bhattacharya wrestles with critical scholarship and engages in thoughtprovoking discussions, both as a student and graduate student instructor. She currently runs a section for a course in the School of Education entitled “Literacy: Individual and Societal Development.” “When taking classes and learning about various teaching strategies, I fulfill the student role,” says Bhattacharya. “When I serve as a graduate student instructor, I fill the role of the teacher. It’s a perfect combination.” Bhattacharya’s passion for education has not gone unnoticed. She was recently awarded a pre-dissertation Qayum Family Foundation Travel Grant, administered by UC Berkeley’s Center for South Asian Studies, that will allow her to continue her research in India. Outside of her GSE assignments, Bhattacharya writes a blog for the Berkeley Language Center, hangs out with her friends at International House and helped the Obama campaign as a selfprofessed “Obama girl.” The way Bhattacharya sees it, “Anyone who has access to these opportunities would want to seize them.” –Joseph Bui
Graduate Student Instructor Awards for 2007–08 Eight School of Education Ph.D. candidates earned outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) awards for 2007–08, while Sereeta Alexander, a fourth-year Human Development and Education student, was honored with this year’s Teaching Effectiveness Award. The other GSE students and their areas are James Andretta, Cognition and Development; Chela Delgado, Language and Literacy, Society and Culture; Nora Kenney, Language and Literacy, Society and Culture; David Malinowski, Language and Literacy, Society and Culture (awarded in the College of Letters & Science); Jessica Parker, Language and Literacy, Society and Culture; Gabriela Segade, Language and Literacy, Society and Culture; and Leah Walker, Policy, Organization, Measurement and Evaluation. 12 connected
Honors
Aditya Adirejda
James Andretta
Maxine McKinney de Royston
Linn Posey
Gabino Arredondo
Mary Vixie Sandy
Aditya Adirejda (SESAME) and Maxine McKinney de Royston (Human Development) have won Mentored Research Fellowships in the University-wide competition for 2009. Both are advisees of Assistant Professor Randi Engle as well as recipients of the Marilyn Raby Fellowship — de Royston in 2007 and 2008 and Adirejda for 2009. Gabino Arredondo, a doctoral student in Language & Literacy, Society and Culture was awarded the University Of California All Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity, Dissertation Fellowship (UC/Accord). The ethnographic study focuses on the construction and socialization of college-going identities among Latina/o and African American students. Dafney Blanca Dabach, a doctoral student in ELLC, is working on a project called “Minority Youth: Adaptations in ‘Sheltered’ and ‘Mainstream’ Classrooms.” She was recently awarded the UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute Dissertation Grant and a UC Accord Dissertation Fellowship. Dabach is also an Arts Education Faculty Fellow at California College of the Arts and has taught photography for more than 14 years. Linn Posey, a doctoral student in LLSC, received two prestigious dissertation fellowships, a Ford Foundation Minority Dissertation Fellowship and a Spencer Fellowship. Posey’s research examines the social and political dimensions of demographic change in a Northern California public elementary school, investigating both how adult members of the school community interpret processes of gentrification occurring in the school and surrounding neighborhood and how educational inequalities linked to race, class and space are supported, contested and negotiated in the changing school context. Mary Vixie Sandy, a doctoral student in the Leadership for Education Equity Program, directs the Center for Cooperative Research and Extension Services for Students (CRESS) at UC Davis. CRESS serves as an applied research and outreach center for the UCD School of Education, providing professional development for teachers, supporting the development of community school partnerships, evaluating education initiatives and sponsoring faculty research in the schools. School of Education graduate student Elizabeth Jaeger was recently appointed to serve a three-year term as a member of the National Council of Teachers of English Support for the Learning and Teaching of English Steering Committee on Social and Political Concerns.
Sereeta Alexander
Students Launch Academic Journal
A
group of Graduate School of Education students have launched plans for a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal, slated to debut online in fall 2009. With the help of GSE faculty, the Berkeley Review of Education (BRE) promises to continue the tradition of scholarship in the School by examining issues of educational diversity and equity within cognitive, developmental, socio-historical, linguistic and cultural contexts. “I anticipate it will solidify our students’ place among the best of their peers at other universities, especially those with student journals,” said Dean David Pearson. “It’s also a chance for them to gain first-hand experience in the editorial side of academic publishing.” Edited by GSE students, the Berkeley Review of Education will publish research and theory from senior and emerging scholars, practitioners and policymakers, with the aim of being representative of the diverse scholarship and interests as well as methodological and theoretical approaches to studying learning, development, education and policy. “We want to contribute to an evolving discussion of how educational access, quality, achievement, diversity, social justice and reform efforts influence the educational enterprise,” says Sera Hernandez, one of the journal’s editors. “One of the most exciting things about this project is how collaborative it has been,” she adds. “From the outset, we have thought and acted as a team, bouncing ideas off each other. That’s something we hope to continue as we move forward with the publication.” The Berkeley Review of Education distributed its first call for papers on October 1. To get involved or to inquire about submitting manuscripts, contact the editors at bre_editor@berkeley.edu or visit the journal’s website at http://repositories.cdlib.org/ucbgse/bre. Above, from left, GSE students Nathaniel Dumas, Irenka Dominguez-Pareto and Shlomy Kattan prepare their first issue. Photo: Steven Cohen.
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Photo: Steven Cohen
PACEsetters at 25 Research Center Celebrates a Quarter Century as Leader in Legislative Policy Analysis By Steven Cohen When Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) was founded in the early 1980s, the state’s schools were in turmoil following the passage of Proposition 13, which indirectly limited public education funding. In 2008, 25 years later, Proposition 13 is still intact, the state’s schools are still in turmoil following the prematurely declared “Year of Education,” while California’s continuing budget crisis directly limits public education funding and per-pupil spending has dropped below levels never dreamed of in the ’80s. Proverbially speaking, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The good news is that PACE has grown substantially in size and stature since then-GSE Professor James Guthrie, who taught in the School of Education for 27 years; Stanford Professor Michael Kirst; and then-chancellor of the California Community Colleges Gerald Hayward founded PACE (originally called Policy Alternatives for California Education). And the other good news is that the independent policy center has remained true to its pioneering mission, principles and strategies. “I guess that it shows that every year should be the ‘Year of Education’ until we keep the promise of excellent education for all of California’s young people,” says PACE Executive Director David Plank, who joined the PACE team two years ago from Michigan State where he founded and directed the Education Policy Center. Plank is not about to declare PACE’s mission accomplished — to define and sustain a long-term strategy for comprehensive
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policy reform and continuous improvement in performance at all levels of California’s education system. But the three principles guiding the model policy center’s strategies remain intact: to target resources to schools and students who need them the most; to empower local schools and districts with more autonomy and flexibility; and to rigorously evaluate what is working and what is not.
Bridging Two Worlds From its earliest days, PACE directors recognized that the gap between the disparate needs of researchers and legislators was wide. “For policy research to have an impact, academics need to be familiar with the world where policymakers live,” says PACE Director Bruce Fuller, who served as a special assistant to thenCalifornia Governor Edmund “Jerry” Brown and as education adviser to two state Assembly education committees. “I tell my students that getting public officials to be responsive requires putting yourself in their place. Having been there can help a lot as scholars try to figure out what kinds of research policymakers will find useful.” Professor Fuller, who joined PACE a decade ago, preaches what he practices. While trained in sociology, the GSE professor takes a pragmatic approach to education policy analysis. He and other PACE directors have a clear sense of the requisite legislative compromises and machinations that take place. In former lives, Kirst served as president of the State Board of Education; Guthrie was an education specialist for the U.S. Senate and Department of Education, as well as a member of the
PACE was honored with a California Legislature resolution in recognition of their 25 years of service to the state. Above, from left, PACE director Dominic Brewer (USC), executive director David Plank (UC Berkeley), director Susanna Loeb (Stanford), State Senator Tom Torlakson, founding director Gerald Hayward (Sacramento) and director Bruce Fuller (UC Berkeley)
Berkeley School Board; and Hayward worked as the education policy wonk for the State Senate. It’s a critical difference that’s not lost on former State Senator, Assemblyman and Secretary of Education Gary Hart. While Sacramento now swarms with educational think tanks, lobbyists and organizations from every political and ideological stripe, Hart says that in the early ’80s PACE was the first one at the table, ready to bridge the worlds of research and practice for policymakers. “PACE was clearly the pioneer in this effort,” says Hart, who served as the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee from 1983 to 1995. “The idea that they were here to help us rather than the academy was a really welcome breath of fresh air… The collaboration between two premier research institutions, Cal and Stanford, the superb academic credentials and background of the PACE directors; and the clarity and recommendations in their publications was a very powerful combination… If PACE hadn’t dropped into the fray, a lot of the good educational work would not have gotten done or be as far along as it is now.” Hart believes that PACE’s work stood out in four areas during his 20 years in Sacramento: school finance, vocational education, preschool education and childcare, and the ability to “take the long view,” as exemplified by PACE’s premier publication, “Conditions of Education,” first published in 1984. “Conditions” was resurrected for the PACE 25th anniversary symposium of education researchers and policymakers in Sacramento on October 2, that Hart and other prominent state legislators attended. Produced and authored by current PACE directors Fuller, USC’s Dominic Brewer and Stanford’s Susanna Loeb, with additional support from others, “Conditions of Education in California 2008” offers a sobering status report on the lack of educational opportunity in the Golden State. “Lifting Low-Achieving Students and Schools,” a chapter cowritten by Fuller and Policy, Organization, Measurement and Evaluation (POME) doctoral student Lynette Parker, examines five different state and federal tests of student progress that provide inconsistent barometers of student progress and show contradictory results. GSE Professor Norton Grubb authored a chapter called “The Transition from High School to Postsecondary Education,” that spells out several improvements and recommendations that — like the other chapters in the publication on English Language Learners, teachers, school finance and governance — can be addressed, at least in part, without infusions of new money. Luis Huerta, who co-authored papers with Grubb and Fuller as a doctoral student in POME and is now an assistant professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, says that he and several other graduate students who have worked with PACE
honed their policy analysis skills of timely education reform issues that have “impacted both the applied context at the state legislature and the wider research and academic community.” Besides publishing policy briefs, research reports and working papers that address key policy issues, PACE convenes monthly seminars and briefings — most often in the State Capitol — bringing together leading scholars, practitioners and policymakers to discuss current educational issues. In November, Jorge Ruiz-de-Velasco from UC Berkeley’s Earl Warren Institute, Patricia Rucker from the CTA, and Ed Voice Policy Director Bill Lucia joined Fuller in Sacramento to examine the federal role in school reform.
“PACE was clearly the pioneer… If they hadn’t dropped into the fray, a lot of the good educational work would not have gotten done or be as far along as it is now.” With a prescience for the most pressing issues in education, Fuller, Plank, other PACE directors and education policy researchers from across the country also provide expert testimony to legislative committees and other policymakers; team with local school districts and professional associations on projects aimed at supporting policy innovation, data use and rigorous evaluation; and command headline-grabbing coverage in key media outlets on a host of education policy and political stories such as No Child Left Behind, school finance and preschool. Recently PACE teamed with six of California’s largest urban school districts — Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco — to form the Partnership for Urban Education Research in order to increase data availability, enhance internal research capacity and promote collaboration and information sharing across district lines. One of the partnerships’ first bombshells was to address California’s dropout crisis. While researchers in political and academic circles have traditionally struggled over various methodologies, exact numbers and the true dimensions of the dropout problem, nothing could obscure the fact that the total of the somewhat conflicting data meant a turning point in the crisis. A Sacramento Bee headline in its July 17 edition concurred: “New numbers won’t end California school dropout debate.” Plank jokes that research questions invariably receive two answers: “it’s complicated” and “it depends,” while policy questions also have two answers: “yes and no.” “PACE has become really good at figuring out how to move from the nuanced conclusions of academic research to clear guidance for policymakers, which leads to better policies and a better future for California’s students.” Winter 2008
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Professional Program Gradu
Urban Out Malana Willis with some of her students at Learning Without Limits Photo: Peg Skorpinski
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uates Change the Look of Bay Area’s Underserved Schools
fitters By Steven Cohen
One day during her first days teaching at Oakland’s Learning Without Limits School, Malana Willis looked toward the back of her classroom. One of her second graders had abandoned the lesson and taken a large cardboard box from the recycle bin, excavated the cupboard under the sink, unearthed tempura paints and, with a few of his classmates, painted the box. By the time Willis noticed the impromptu art project, the box was covered with dripping blue paint and the classroom floor was starting to resemble the early stages of a Jackson Pollack painting. “I was totally appalled,” says Willis, who had recently received her credential through GSE’s Developmental Teacher Education (DTE) program.
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I first met Willis in late September, about a month into her second year at the school, housed on the grounds of Jefferson School, which was reconstituted in 2007 to make way for two smaller schools there: Learning Without Limits and Global Family School. For Willis, a lot has changed for the better. As a second-year teacher, she focuses more on academics and building community in her classroom. When I asked her how she would compare the two years, Willis said that during year one she spent the majority of her time concentrating on managing negative behavior. Now she was teaching more engaging lessons and focusing on celebrating positive behavior, which have made the classroom experience more enjoyable.
Learning WIthout Limits Elementary 77.9% FRPM
99.6% Non-White
Photo: Steven Cohen
“Clearly they were using materials that I hadn’t even showed them yet. The craziest part was that I was slightly relieved that at least those few kids had found a creative way to stay occupied!” Willis’s crushing welcome to the world of teaching at the new small school, located in east Oakland’s Fruitvale District, brought with it loads of self-doubt. Willis told a colleague that she felt nauseous every morning; nervous she could not handle the challenges of the day ahead. To that point in her life, Willis had experienced success academically and professionally. She had made the Dean’s list as a psychology major at “I had never done so poorly at Williams College. After something that I cared so much graduating from the prestigious liberal arts about and had worked so hard college, she spent five to prepare for.” years teaching abroad, community organizing, working in an autism clinic and nonprofit agencies, each one preparing her for the next job. She ultimately settled on teaching, a career that would tap into her natural creative abilities and strengths as well as her idealistic zeal to make a positive difference in children’s lives — the same calling that attracts so many others to UC Berkeley, the School of Education and urban schools. Willis felt she had found the perfect fit in teaching, and she bubbled with enthusiasm before and after she thrived as a fellowship recipient in the DTE program. As prepared as she thought she could be, Willis was tested by the extreme challenges that she encountered at the new elementary school. Although the students thrived during hands-on activities, she struggled to meet their diverse needs. Juggling curriculum requirements, students’ social, emotional and academic needs, and the demands of helping to launch the first-year school were dizzying. “I had never done so poorly at something that I cared so much about and had worked so hard to prepare for,” she admits about the beginning of her first year.
With the magnetic glow of a 32-years-young woman just two months shy of giving birth to her first child, principal
Kyla Johnson-Trammell
wanders through the aging, art-filled hallways and over the broken blacktop of Oakland’s Sequoia Elementary School, attracting scores of adoring students, many of whom place their hands on her round belly.
58.6% ELL
School Demographics Key ELL = English Language Learners FRPM = Free or reduced price meals Source: 2007-08 School Profiles, California Department of Education, Educational Demographics Office
The third-generation Oakland educator is one of a new breed of principals hailing from the GSE’s Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) who are leading Bay Area urban schools with a nimble, passionate and hands-on approach.
“The difference [between first and second year] isn’t so much night and day as night and twilight,” she commented. “It’s still very hard, very busy and very exhausting.” Clearly Willis has good company at Learning Without Limits where she works in body or spirit with six other Graduate School of Education alumni; recent DTE graduates Morgan Alconcher, Manuel Herrera, Samara Ripps, Olivia Sanders and Daniel Seward all teach at the small school, and their principal Leo Fuchs is a graduate of the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI). Not coincidentally, Susan Audap, a veteran PLI coach, who graduated in PLI’s first cohort in 2001, coached Fuchs through the school’s incubation year in 2006 and its first full one in 2007.
“We’ve got it all,” exclaims Johnson-Trammell of the school situated along Lincoln Avenue in Oakland’s Upper Dimond neighborhood between Highways 580/Macarthur Avenue and Highway 13/Montclair Hills. “We’ve got kids with upper-class parents to transitional homeless kids whose parents are in jail; kids whose parents work in the district; traditional families; single families; GATE families. It makes it wonderful and also a challenge because it’s not like we can have this one set vision or even this one instructional focus. I have kindergartners who are reading Harry Potter and then I have kindergartners who still don’t know what the letter ‘A’ is.”
Exactly how many of GSE’s professional program graduates still work in the Bay Area’s urban schools is a little difficult to ascertain. Follow-up survey data of Multicultural Urban Secondary English (MUSE), Master’s and Credential in Science and Mathematics Education (MACSME), DTE and PLI graduates between 2001 and 2005 show that nearly all have defied the odds by staying in schools at least five years. Nationally, a third of new teachers abandon the profession entirely within three years of entering it, while 46 percent leave within their first five years according to a 2003 study by University of Pennsylvania Education Professor Richard Ingersoll. The attrition rate nearly doubles for high-poverty schools.
Sequoia Elementary 48.9% FRPM
90.6% Non-White
19.4% ELL
But Johnson-Trammell has demonstrated that she’s ready to tackle whatever challenges her Oakland school throws at her. She credits the PLI and other experiences that include teaching at an Oakland elementary school and a stint as an assistant principal in the Mt. Diablo School District.
Besides rising scores on various achievement measures, JohnsonTrammell has helped establish Sequoia as an Arts Anchor Grant School with a focus on integrating visual arts into reading, writing and other curriculum objectives. Through a grant from the Alameda Office of Education, an artist in residence works with “The [PLI] program really prepares you to confront the multitude the children as well as the teachers, who receive professional of challenges in urban schools, to expect the unexpected and to development for art once a month in an effort to bring it into their think on your feet,” says the 2003 PLI graduate, who also coclassrooms. The school also has a successful garden project and teaches a course in the program. other enrichment and intervention programs that Johnson-Trammell says do a good job Under Johnson-Trammell’s tutelage over the past “I have kindergartners who three years, Sequoia Elementary has thrived. are reading Harry Potter and integrating content areas and not just focusing exclusively on “the three Rs.” At last September’s Expect Success Awards, the Oakland School District awarded Sequoia its Blue Ribbon school award for most test score gains for African American students, who represent 40 percent of its 328 students.
then I have kindergartners who still don’t know what the letter ‘A’ is.”
“I think the most gratifying [part of the job] has been being able to think outside of the box,” says Johnson-Trammell, who runs the school without the benefit of an assistant or vice principal, “having to work under the constraints of a public school system and having a little liberty and freedom to really think about what a good quality urban school looks like for the kids and parents who I am of service to.”
Johnson-Trammell has tapped her PLI background to work creatively and conscientiously within budget constraints and build strong relationship with her teachers. “I try to put in place structures to maximize the time they have to teach and plan and give them support,” says Johnson-Trammell, “because it is a hard enough job in itself.” Johnson-Trammell has managed to make the most out of a tough job herself.
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DTE graduate Daniel Seward commands respect in his first year of teaching. Photo: Steven Cohen
“The research is clear that it’s hard to recruit teachers into working in schools as a profession, not just a stepping stone,” the most underserved schools, and it’s extremely hard to keep says Audap, who has seen their efforts on the front lines. “They them in those schools,” says GSE Assistant Professor Ingrid have a can-do attitude: they show inventiveness, persistence Seyer-Ochi, who researches the career trajectories of teachers. and resilience. They’re grounded in the real world. They share Informal evidence suggests that approximately 90 percent a focus on equity and they believe that everyone deserves social of GSE’s professional program graduates work in urban setcapital.” tings or first ring of suburbs, such as Hayward, Richmond and Audap’s high praise synched with my first impressions of El Cerrito. These communities have the highest concentrations Willis and the other two-dozen GSE alumni interviewed and of students who most need education for economic mobility. observed for this article. At the same time, none of them told They are also the places where schools are more often underme their lives are easy. To the contrary, they said that working mined by the way they are organized, funded and run. in their particular urban school setting was the hardest thing With 313 graduates — half of whom are people of color — that they have ever done. the Principal Leadership Institute These credentialed educators boasts a 98.5 percent retention rate “They’re grounded in the real world. They and administrators also confided among the 231 who now serve in ur- share a focus on equity and they believe that they are better equipped for ban schools as principals, assistant that everyone deserves social capital.” the short and long run because of principals and district-level leaders. the training and education they Longtime PLI and Oakland Unified coach Audap, who has received at the School of Education. It seems somewhat paraspent 38 years as an educator, including five as principal of doxical that they were saying that they couldn’t possibly have Cobb Elementary in San Francisco’s Western Addition, believes prepared for what they were now doing, but they valued the that, individually and collectively, GSE credentialed graduates preparation they received through their respective professional share certain core qualities and values which set them apart, programs (see five profiles). and have given the underserved Bay Area schools where they “I probably criticized GSE more than I should have,” admits work a needed boost. Jessica Quindel, a Berkeley High mathematics teacher, “but “Whether they are teachers or administrators, they see over the course of my two years in MACSME, I had time to think 20 connected
about the kind of curriculum I wanted to teach, the kinds of relationships I wanted with students and families and other teachers, and to refine my views on assessment, group work and other big picture items.” First propelled into teaching when she took the undergraduate class in Urban Education from former GSE Professor Pedro Noguera, Quindel feels that she has sustained her drive for social justice and teaching — she is already among the top 50 percent in Berkeley High seniority after just four years — by working with the Interactive Mathematics Program curriculum and its extended network, including her mentor teacher at Berkeley High who provided curricular and instructional support. The graduate course in urban education — taught by Seyer-Ochi to all second-year DTE and MACSME students in the spring, and by Associate Professor Jabari Mahiri to all first-year MUSE students in the fall — has also been a springboard for professional program students who use the class to deepen their understanding of equity, opportunity, race and class disparities in the context of education. “Ingrid [Seyer-Ochi] really pushed us beyond conventional thoughts,” says Learning Without Limits second-grade teacher Samara Ripps. “She made us focus on the inequities.” For a community-mapping project in the class, the pre-service students observed the physical environment around a school neighborhood, as well as the flow of students, families and community members. Some students observed families arriving at school and picking up their kids at the end of the day, while others witnessed parents drop off and pick up their children at their classrooms and how they interacted with the teacher. “It opened our eyes to a new perspective on parent participation in schools,” says Herrera. “Even without the traditional forms of parent involvement like the PTA, they found a variety of authentic ways to strengthen the family/school connection.” Seyer-Ochi says that she gets requests from her former urban education students like Herrera and Ripps to continue to discuss issues around race, equity and inequality that they now encounter every day at their schools. The assistant professor will soon be piloting an ongoing support network to widen that conversation and community beyond the informal networks that already exist, such as monthly get-togethers of professional program cohorts. “If we have really dynamic people coming out of our programs who really want to stay in teaching,” says Seyer-Ochi, “then we need to do what we can to help them stay in it for the long haul through sustained communities that support newer teachers.” Despite a rough first year, Lara Trale, a MUSE graduate and second-year teacher at Oakland High School is optimistic about staying there, in part because she chose to participate in GSE’s Project IMPACT (see page 37) last year as well as MUSE, working on inquiry with other teachers at her school site. “It helped me form academic bonds here at school and broke down a lot of my concerns about being a new teacher,” says Trale. “It’s important for me to know
Berkeley High 28.2% FRPM
66.7% Non-White
6.2% ELL
Above, Jessica Quindel has made curriculum choices that have sparked her students' interest in math. Photo: Steven Cohen
Seyer-Ochi is piloting a support network for professional program graduates. Photo: Bijan Yashar
Winter 2008
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maintained smaller class sizes of 20 students for seventh and eight grade math classes. The middle school mathematics departments have built in common assessments that reward understanding mathematics over parroting what they've memorized. And scores on the mathematics portion of the California Standards Test are on the rise.
Willard Middle 57.4% FRPM 77.3% Non-White
Photo: Steven Cohen
With a number line projected on the screen in front of his Willard Middle School class in Berkeley, teacher displays the keen awareness of a seasoned
Jake Disston
conductor at a podium. He urges the diverse group of 20 students to squish together in order to talk about where to place the variables or expressions on the number line. After a 12-year-old girl shows the rest of the seventh graders where she believes the expression should go, Disston asks the others for their opinions. In another seventh grade pre-algebra class, one could imagine a teacher imploring his charges to do a related textbook exercise. But even on this routine review Disston encourages explanations from his students. “There’s a huge divide between students who are able to crank through problems and those who don’t,” says the 1997 Master’s and Credential in Science and Mathematics Education (MACSME) graduate. “How do you ask a question of kids to reason through something rather than just to recall from
8.9% ELL
memory whether they have it or they don’t? How do we improve the situation for kids who aren’t learning?” Engaging those hard-to-reach students in this urban setting has motivated Disston at Willard for 11 mostly gratifying years. One of a handful of National Board Certified Teachers in the Berkeley school district, Disston continues to draw support from an extensive professional learning community that includes the Diversity in Mathematics Education (DiME) project and the MACSME program, as well as school and district colleagues. Before returning to the classroom full time in September, Disston spent three years spreading his wealth of teaching knowledge district-wide, coaching mathematics teachers throughout Berkeley and coordinating professional development workshops through the DIME partnership. The cross-site collaboration has paid dividends in Berkeley’s mathematics classrooms. Despite tight school budgets, the district has
that other teachers at my school are working on their own time, in real and immediate ways to make the school a better place by improving their own instruction.” Unlike Berkeley High’s Quindell, Trale says that she knew from a very young age that she wanted to teach. She chose MUSE because “I admired the program’s rigor, and could tell that they offered serious support structures to help their students meet consistently high expectations.” Classroom management issues overwhelmed Trale, like many other rookie teachers, during a frustrating first year in which she had five English classes, and her English 2 sections began the year with an average fifth- or sixth-grade reading level. “As the year progressed, I came to see that a lot of my disci22 connected
While Disston believes that no pre-service program can totally prepare a student for the challenges of teaching full time in a public school, he is quick to credit MACSME for getting him off on the right foot. “The breadth of experience [in MACSME] is really helpful toward developing your intuition, strategies and an attitude to just keep going,” says Disston. “It’s a very different experience from being thrown into a classroom without much guidance or mentorship.” In the meantime, Disston has discovered a new expression for his mathematical tastes. “I used to think that you only reached mathematics at the highest levels, and this [school math] was all sort of a warm-up,” says the one-time Reed College math major. “I’ve learned, or maybe I’ve unlearned, to love the subject of middle school math, of algebra, pre-algebra and that transition of thinking about mathematics. “And I’m still finding out what I can do slightly differently each day so that every kid will get into it a little more.”
—SC
plinary problems were rooted in the students’ reading difficulties,” Trale says. “I know it seems like basic psychology, but it took me a while to recognize that students often yelled and wandered around and threw things because they needed an escape from work they thought they couldn’t do.” Trale is more optimistic now and believes that she made the right choice by sticking it out. “With the support of my cohort, my student teaching supervisors, my professors and my wonderful colleagues at Oakland High and Project IMPACT, success feels possible.” Like Seyer-Ochi, MUSE founding director and GSE professor Sarah Freedman says that preparing and keeping former students, like Trale, working successfully in high-poverty,
low-performing urban schools, such as Oakland High, is an essential undertaking. Through a longitudinal, qualitative study, Freedman and Deborah Appleman, a professor of education at Carleton College, examined how teacher education could support teacher retention. Their findings, published in a recent article in Teacher Education Quarterly entitled “ ‘What Else Would I be Doing?’: Teacher Identity and Teacher Retention in Urban Schools,” concluded: “… we must continue to create the most robust programs we can, offer our best theoretical and practical pedagogical knowledge, and help them [beginning teachers] to become more knowledgeable about the challenges they and their students face… These young educators remain optimistic that they can still make some difference for their students, enough of a difference to keep trying.”
Oakland High 70% FRPM
98.6% Non-White
19.9% ELL
“I know it seems like basic psychology, but it took me a while to recognize that students often yelled and wandered around and threw things because they needed an escape from work they thought they couldn’t do.” Teacher turnover is not a big issue at Sequoia Elementary School, which last year was honored by Oakland School District for posting the greatest test score gains among African American students. “Retaining teachers creates a real cohesive community,” says Principal Kyla Johnson-Trammell, a PLI graduate who is co-teaching in the program (see profile page 18). “Kids who are bounced around from school to school and have instability in their home lives just need extra academic support. It adds that extra layer of advantage because the teachers not only know their craft and know their curriculum and get to know their families and communities, but they also do a lot of articulation with the teacher [in the grades] below and above them.”
Above, Lara Trale with fellow MUSE alumna and Oakland High English teacher Aya Allen at an IMPACT meeting at the school Photo: Steven Cohen
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Johnson-Trammell says that Sequoia has been able to offer individualized instruction within its limited resources. One of the major differences between urban schools that succeed and those that do not, she says, is the ability to quickly identify students who are failing and strengthen those places where there are gaps at the moment they get noticed. The young principal introduced me to Tahya Abuzaid, a Sequoia fifth grader whose home language is Arabic. As an English Language Learner, Abuzaid receives extra individual support from his regular teacher and works diligently. Johnson-Trammell says that with such a high English Language Development population at the diverse school, Abuzaid doesn’t feel singled out, and, as a result, has made great strides socially and academically. Kevin Jeung, a 2007 DTE graduate and fourth-grade teacher at Sequoia, says that a teacher’s life is often extremely difficult, but “it’s the moments when students' eyes go bright, and the light bulb goes on in their heads and the trust relationships that are built over the course of the year that make it all worth it.” Jeung’s take on the power of building personal relationships resonates with his former DTE classmates and teaching
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colleagues at Learning Without Limits. As time allows, Learning Without Limits teachers visit with each of their students’ families at their homes. They say that they also take time after school to go on weekend outings with some of their students, such as to track meets, drum sessions and church events. Teachers can offer alternative solutions that society doesn’t or can’t, according to Na’ilah Nasir, an associate professor who joined the GSE and the African Amercian Studies Department this fall (see page 10). While instructional content is still king, Nasir says that teachers often can’t focus on learning because so many of their students of color are wrestling with identity issues. “The racial stereotypes and polarization of ethnic groups on campuses don’t come from the classrooms but it is very much played out there,” says Nasir, who has researched culture and race in diverse urban high school mathematics classes. “Teachers don’t really know how to handle it or they just ignore it. I don’t think that is the optimal solution. I think teachers can disrupt that by helping students construct themselves differently.” Another troubling trend, according to assistant professor Janelle Scott, who, like Nasir, joined the GSE and the African
“I believe in reminding students that they have agency and power to change things instead of just passively accepting them.”
Mission High 57.6% FRPM
93.2% Non-White
46.8% ELL
Photo: Steven Cohen
Erica Ramirez grew up in South Central Los Angeles. She did not become a teacher because she had good role models in school. “Unfortunately, I saw what bad teaching looked like,” she says. “I thought the kids deserved better.”
After graduating from UCLA, she applied to UC Berkeley’s Multicultural Urban Secondary English (MUSE) master’s and credential program. A number of her friends went the emergency credential route to being a teacher, but Ramirez says that she “didn’t want to go into the classroom unprepared, like some of the Good Samaritan teachers I’d had who had excellent intentions but little to offer in the way of curriculum and challenges.” Below, teacher Kevin Jeung says that his fourth graders are measuring up, thanks, in part to the Sequoia's model garden program. Photo: Steven Cohen
Ramirez uses the lessons she garnered in the MUSE program to teach her classes of English Language Learners (ELL) at Mission High. All of her students have been in the U.S. for three years or less, and some arrived only a couple of months ago. She works with them both on reading and language development. They spend half of the class in the language lab, practicing pronunciation. On the day I visit, her students are about to start reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir of the Holocaust, Night. Ramirez starts off with a chart on the interactive SmartBoard she is demonstrating, a combination of a laptop with a projector and a responsive dry-erase board. The chart has three columns, KNOW, WANT TO KNOW, and LEARNED, a strategy she brought from her credential program. The students offer suggestions for the first two columns, including questions about whether events like the Holocaust continue to happen. “In my classes at Berkeley,” says Ramirez, “I learned that students might have low-levels of literacy, but high levels of thinking. It’s important not to lower expectations in the curriculum.” Ramirez frames the discussion by asking the students to write a short response to the statement, “History repeats itself, just with different people.” The students offer examples of when history does repeat, but Ramirez suggests a counter-example about her mother wanting to give her a quinceañera party when she turned 15. Ramirez told her that she wanted to save the money for college. When Ramirez graduated from UCLA, she asked her mother to throw a big, belated quinceañera party. The students, who are a little older than 15, respond enthusiastically, asking many questions about whether Ramirez’s family gave the standard presents to the guests and whether there was dancing. “The reason I told the quinceañera story,” she tells me after class, “is because I believe in reminding students that they have agency and power to change things instead of just passively accepting them.” Ramirez jokes that her students — who are with her 90 minutes a day, five days a week — “must really love me or hate me by the end of the semester.” Judging from the crowd of students that flood her room during lunch hours, it looks like love is winning.
—Zack Rogow
Winter 2008
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American Studies Department this fall (see page 10), is that a certain set of schools argue that students of color from low-income families just need more discipline, structure and back to basics. As a result, Scott says that “schools develop a very tiered system of what other kids are getting and then what Black kids, who have not gotten quality educations, need.” The use of scripted state- or district-mandated language arts curriculum such as Open Court Reading have many lessexperienced teachers living in fear of the so-called “curriculum police” — those authorities who are ready to punish them for veering away from their teaching manuals. That’s a case where the kids are punished, according to Jeremy Hilinski, a former literacy coach with the Pittsburg Unified School District and the new vice principal of Green
Green Oaks Academy Elementary 92.9% FRPM 100% Non-White
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83.9% ELL
Oaks Academy, an East Palo Alto elementary school with 87 percent Latino students. “If students are not interested, they’d rather be sent to the office,” says the 2007 PLI graduate. “That’s what happens when you’re dealing with children of color and those from low socioeconomic communities and children and families who have been disenfranchised from education because it’s boring and irrelevant to their lives.
“The best classroom management plan or device is an engaging lesson plan.” “We get stuck because a lot of teachers don’t see it that way. They see the students as being defiant.” Hilinski sees a “blatant” difference between “old-school” approaches and the “new-school” ones that GSE professional program graduates practice. Longtime educators like Audap and Bessie Stewart Ross, a retired principal from the San MateoFoster City schools who coaches Hilinski for the PLI, also share that view. “You can really tell the people who have a progressive train of thought when it comes to professional leadership,” says Hilinski, “because they’re instructional education leaders as opposed to being really good organizational managers. [But] in essence, the best classroom management plan or device is an engaging lesson plan.” When it comes to school management, Audap recalls some sage advice she received from PLI Director Norton Grubb about
When receives her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership in May 2009, the Joint Doctoral Program (JDP) graduate will already have logged 35 years as an educational leader.
Patricia Newsome
“The tensions were high in the community and emotions were heated and vocal,” she says. “The superintendent and other district leaders never blamed the courts or rejected the reasons for the need to implement the plan,” says Newsome. “They worked hard and long hours doing what was right for students throughout the district.”
“In the world of educational leadership, one of the many things administrators learn quickly is that your world is full of politics,” says Newsome. “It’s even truer for urban administrators, especially superintendents, where politics is an every day occurrence.”
She left Fresno to become an associate superintendent in Southern California, and then settled in Sacramento in 1996, where she served as deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the California State Department of Education under Delaine Eastin, and held other high profile district-level positions.
She remembers one of her earliest political encounters as an administrator in Fresno Unified School District when a court-approved voluntary integration plan was implemented in 1978.
When the Grant Joint Union High School District superintendent retired in 2007, the school board selected Newsome as its interim superintendent to lead the district through a difficult unification process; once again she
how school budgets need to reflect an administrator’s values and beliefs. “It sounds obvious,” says Audap, “but a lot of people don’t do it that way. They let the program define their values.” An independent study of PLI released in March concluded that the model program met its objective of preparing administrators to serve as leaders in urban school settings as well as address the issues of race and class. The evaluation also highlighted the fact that PLI graduates “are most confident of their ability to develop schools that are safe, secure and respectful for all students and adult personnel.” A safe and secure school environment may be the elephant in the proverbial room of urban schooling. Without one, GSE graduates, who value community, networks, teaching for understanding and with culturally relevant materials, among other things, can’t be as successful. “You can theorize about education all you want,” Nasir states succinctly. “Can you create a successful educational space?” Just a mile and a half from Learning Without Limits, Maxwell Park Elementary School commands a stately presence at the top of a hill among evergreens and other types of trees that line Fleming and Monticello streets in east Oakland. Until this year, however, its exterior masked an interior with a poorly lit cafeteria, bathrooms that may or may not have soap, paper towels or toilet paper and other telltale signs of decay. Before its incubation year in 2007, fights broke out almost daily between kids from Maxwell Park and a neighboring school, Sherman Elementary, which closed because of dwindling enrollment in 2007. Only about a fourth of Maxwell Park’s teachers remained when Principal Mary-Louise Newling took the helm of the newly reconstituted school last
Maxwell Park Elementary 73.0% FRPM
99.4% Non-White
19.5% ELL
Assistant Principal Earl Walls and Principal Mary-Louise Newling are helping to raise hope at Maxwell Park. Photo: Steven Cohen
faced many challenges. Once the unification process was completed, Newsome chose to help other educators by returning to education consulting.
including schools and the department of education to make the right decisions about educational programs that will support high student achievement.”
Among her many accomplishments at the helm in the Grant district was helping lift schools out of program improvement status; transitioning district staff through a contentious unification process with three other districts; and helping to employ data-based systems to support instructional and curriculum decisions, which lead to remarkable growth on student achievement scores.
Communicating and educating leaders to deal with the complex politics of education is, in part, what brought her to JDP.
As a consultant, Newsome has served as an external evaluator for California’s Immediate Intervention for Underperforming Schools Initiative, and provided mentoring and coaching for site-level school administrators. “There is not one administrator I know that does not want to be accountable for student achievement,” says Newsome, “but we must have good information and accurate data from all sources
“The ability to come together in a strong learning environment with peers on a regular and voluntary basis is one of the most powerful experiences education leaders can undertake,” she says. “It not only gave me good information to make improvements in my district, but it gave me the a stronger foundation to work with stakeholders and to challenge policymakers in their efforts to improve education.”
—SC (Note: The Leadership for Educational Equity Program replaced the Joint Doctoral Program in Leadership for Educational Equity in 2007.) Winter 2008
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César Chávez Elementary 80.5% FRPM 98.6% Non-White
“Music is a sneaky way to teach because the students don’t even realize they’re learning.”
74.4% ELL
Zareen Poonen Levien
was moving on a fast-track in the high tech industry when she found herself volunteering in an elementary school classroom. “I had just been promoted to manager at Yahoo! when I started realizing that I wasn’t fulfilled by the goal of increasing profits for the company,” she says. So she took advantage of their program to volunteer in a public school and began working with kids one hour a week, soon finding it much more exciting than her day job. “I found it very fulfilling to work in a school,” she says. “It was magical to see the process of learning.” Making that magic is now her full-time occupation. After leaving Yahoo! Levien taught high school on an emergency credential for one year, and then decided to apply to UC Berkeley’s Developmental Teacher Education (DTE) program. Several aspects of the master’s and credential path appealed to her, including the opportunity to work with several different supervising teachers and to learn about being a teacher researcher. Levien chose elementary school teaching because she felt she could effect more change by instructing younger kids. “So much of the world is new to them,” she says. “They’ve never heard of multiplication or been on the BART train. I love being the person who teaches them about those things.” Levien incorporates a number of lesson plans in her class that she first witnessed as a student teacher in her DTE placements. Her third graders learn geography through a “game show,” where two teams compete to name areas of interest on the map of California. They also learn “how to play the game.” She starts by having the students talk about the best way to react when a team member doesn’t get the right answer. But that doesn’t happen very often: Her students are sharp and well-prepared, identifying almost every region, city and river on the map she points to. Levien also sings songs with her third-graders, bringing to her school the curriculum she learned in the Guitars in the Classroom course that DTE offers. “I can’t help but include music in what I do,” says Levien, who sings in a band called Los Boleros. “Music is a sneaky way to teach because the students don’t even realize they’re learning. They get so excited by it. It’s also a great release when they come in from recess.” The children sing a song about division: “Welcome to the Islands Where We Divide by Four.” They are so engaged that some of them click their tongues to the beat between verses. They also learn geography by singing a song to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus.” Many of the students in Levien’s class are facing problems that are tough for people of any age to cope with. One boy I spoke with has a brother who has already been in jail and is now hospitalized in a drug treatment program. Despite the challenges the students deal with, Levien creates a calm and warm atmosphere in her room. “I work a lot on community building,” she says. “We talk about how to cool off if you’re angry, how to problem-solve when two students get into a conflict.”
—Zack Rogow 28 connected
Below, families and staff recite the school vision statement at a Learning Without Limits family night. Photo: Peg Skorpinski
year. But with support from Audap; Earl Walls, a 2004 PLI graduate who serves as the school’s assistant principal; new teachers, including 2008 DTE graduates Patrick Hamilton and Alice Paal; and a new safety officer, Newling believes that Maxwell Park has a fresh look and feel just two months into the new school year. “There’s a brightness and hope that wasn’t here before,” says Newling, who hails from Trinidad. “Everyone has chosen to be here. There’s much more interaction between students and staff. Everyone is more engaged. There’s a whole different expectation.” Walls says that ultimately success comes back to serving students and parents. “Some students feel that there’s not much available to them beyond the borders of their individual communities,” says Walls, who has held several administrative positions with Oakland schools. “Part of what I picked up from PLI is that we have to break down those barriers and open their eyes, that there’s a whole world out there and they can make an impact in it.”
“There’s a brightness and hope that wasn’t here before… There’s a whole different expectation.”
When I returned to Learning Without Limits in late October, there was fresh evidence that the tone of that small school was on the rise, too. Warm relationships and a caring community of support permeated the classrooms and grounds. Willis playfully hugged her young students goodbye. Herrera spoke in English or Spanish with the parents and guardians there to pick up their children, and exchanged high fives with his students as they exited the classroom. Other Learning Without Limits teachers conversed easily with Principal Fuchs in a nearby courtyard. An hour later, students, families and staff mingled comfortably together over a pizza dinner at a family reading night in the old Jefferson School auditorium. Then they stood together, and with the accompanying gestures, recited the new school’s vision statement: We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us as we grow into leaders who are passionate and care about making our world better. We are equipped with skills and knowledge, filled with curiosity, and we know that even when we face challenges we will achieve. During a lull in the program, I asked Willis if she was in it for the long haul. Without hesitation, she told me that she could not imagine doing anything else.
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alumni
Spotlight Jennifer Russell Pittsburgh Steals Her Sitting in her office at the University of Pittsburgh, Associate Professor Jennifer Russell reminisces about where she would have been on a Friday afternoon just a couple of years ago. In a lot of ways, life would not be that different. She would still be conducting research, interacting with colleagues and unwinding after a long week of rigorous yet rewarding classes… only as a Berkeley Graduate School of Education student instead. To Russell, the parallel isn’t surprising. She credits those GSE days with preparing her for a position that she calls a “perfect match for my skills and interests” and one she “absolutely loves.” Russell had previously taught for eight years as a classroom instructor and teacher leader. Frustrated by the slow pace of reform within schools, she
wanted to study how to create more effective school organizations, and how to use policy to create conditions that would help teachers become more effective. This led her to the Graduate School of Education; and she graduated with a Ph.D. in Policy, Organization, Measurement and Evaluation (POME) in May 2007. Within POME, she found the faculty and peers to be accessible, engaging and influential. Now more than 2,000 miles away, Russell admits to moments of nostalgia when thinking about her time at GSE, particularly within her research group led by her faculty-advisor Judith Warren Little. Russell says that the weekly research group gave her an opportunity to receive critical review from peers, but also develop a community. After classes ended, the advising continued in informal settings, such as over drinks at nearby Triple Rock Brewery. Diverse research experiences at Berkeley, such as working with Assistant Professor Cynthia Coburn and at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), fueled Russell’s love for research. “When I first entered the program at Berkeley, I was not as passionate about research as I am now,” Russell explains. “Having opportunities for different research experiences as a student helped me clarify my future goals. I realized I wanted to be in a position that provided significant support for maintaining a research agenda.” Following in Little’s footsteps has led Russell to connect shifts in policy with the real work that happens in schools. One of her multiple research strands is a continuation of her dissertation work, examining how shifts in societal expectations, as well as policy, contributed to kindergarten’s shift from a developmental, play-based year to serious, academic instruction. Another strand focuses on the extent to which standards-based accountability policies influence the work of teachers and district leaders. Going full circle, Russell is now teaching future policy researchers and supporting students in mentored research experiences. She strives to create the type of rigorous, engaging and communal experience that she experienced in the GSE. —Joseph Bui
AERA Annual Meeting New York Reception GSE Assistant Professor Cynthia Coburn, left, and Rutgers University Associate Professor of Education Beth Rubin (Ph.D. ’01) reunite in New York.
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BEAR Affair: Quantitative Methods and Evaluation students, graduates and affiliates surround BEAR Director Mark Wilson in New York.
…class notes If you would like to submit a Class Note please fill out the form at gse.berkeley.edu/ admin/communications/classnotes.html. Class Notes for future issues must reach us by October1, 2009.
1940s
Caroline Self, teaching credential ’42, studied Chinese brush painting for 30 years and taught art in the San Diego City Schools and at the San Diego Museum of Art Children’s Program. With her daughter, she is the author of Chinese Brush Painting: A Hands-on Introduction to Traditional Art, a detailed, step-by-step textbook for teaching children the art and background. She has a new contract to write a similar and longer book for adults on the same subject. Betty Riley Perr y, M.A. ’48, is a retired teacher and counselor of 37 years. Since 1985 she has served in the Older Women’s League as an advocate for senior and women’s issues at the Capitol in Sacramento. “It is fascinating trying to work for fairness and justice,” says Perry, 85. “This takes all of my earlier skills and then some.”
1950s
Justin (Rick) Bardellini, 1927–2007, Ph.D. ’50, a mathematics teacher, district administrator and superintendent, died on December 20, 2007 at age 80. A resident of Moraga, Bardellini was a classroom mathematics teacher, school district administrator in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and the Livermore Unified School District, and superintendent of the Fairfield Schools. Bardellini is survived by his five children and nine grandchildren.
1960s
Ronald Loos, M.A. Administrative Services Credential ’63, is a retired educator. He previously served as vice principal of Mt. Diablo High School; district office administrator, San Ramon Valley Unified School District; principal, Stone Valley Middle School; and principal, at San Ramon’s Neil Armstrong School. Loos is currently the president of the Diablo Vista Retired Teachers Association.
Karen O’Connell, teaching credential ’64, serves as the State and Federal Grants Coordinator for the Mt. Healthy City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jacki Ruby, teaching credential ’65, is a retired East Bay elementary and middle school teacher. She was a member of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers executive board for two decades, and served as its president for six years. She was also on the executive board of the California Federation of Teachers; president of the Early Childhood/K–12 Counsel, representing 55,000 teachers; and acted as the legislative director for the California Alliance for Retired Americans until this year. Ruby was elected to the Alameda County Board of Education in ’02, where she serves as president, and is also a member of the Alameda Child Care Planning Commission. Richard Rystrom, Ed.D. ’68, is serving a two-year term as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kamyanets-Podilsky, Ukraine.
1970s
Joseph Adwere-Boamah, Ph.D. Higher Education ’70, is an assistant professor at California’s Alliant International University Graduate School of Education. He retired as Assistant Superintendent of Planning, Research and Policy Development for the Oakland Unified School District in 2000. He recently presented a paper on the social consequences of testing in West African countries at the Sixth Conference of the International Test Commission in Liverpool. Frieda Winnick, B.A. and credential ’70, is a teacher in Marin, where she is the secretary for the Marin Coalition and the program chairperson for the Marin chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus. During the summer, she managed a drama camp. Joan Kramer, elementary credential ’71, is in charge of 50 school libraries as a Coordinating Field Librarian for Los Angeles Unified School District’s Local District Six. John Thelin, Ph.D. History of Education ’73, is a University of Kentucky professor. The National Education Association selected his article “Expectations and Reality in American Higher Education” as the higher education and democracy article of the year.
Regan McMahon, M.S. ’76, dabbled in substitute teaching before entering the field of journalism, eventually becoming an editor at the San Francisco Chronicle in ‘84, where she currently serves as the Deputy Books director, a book critic, features writer and commentator. In ’07, McMahon published her first book, Revolution in the Bleachers: How Parents Can Take Back Family Life in a World Gone Crazy Over Youth Sports. Catherine Parrish, secondary teaching credential ’76, became a high school teacher and developed a curriculum with her students called “Ending World Hunger,” along with a network of clubs called “Youth Ending Hunger” that spread throughout California. After seven years of teaching, she joined a global NGO focused on reducing the infant mortality rate. She now serves as an international consultant. Janine Collins, teaching credential ’77, is a sales manager for Pearson’s digital curriculum division. In her free time, she volunteers for Democrats for America, Habitat for Humanity and the Episcopal Church. Charles Vella, Ph.D. Counseling Psychology ’77, has worked at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center for more than 30 years, where he is currently director of the Neuropsychological Services Department of Psychiatry. Vella had previously served at Kaiser as the chief psychologist and behavioral health manager. Timothy White, Ph.D. ’77, is the new chancellor of UC Riverside. He was previously president of the University of Idaho, and worked as a faculty member in physiology, kinesiology and human biodynamics at the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and Oregon State University, where he also served as provost and interim president. John Lee, Ed.D. Higher Education ’79, is the president and founder of JBL Associates, a consulting firm. Since 1985 the firm has grown to 13 employees who are responsible for a wide range of projects, most in postsecondary education. Currently, they are leading a project called Community College Can for the U.S. Department of Education.
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Sher yl Morgan, Ph.D. Higher Education ’79, has launched a new interview series at TimelyTalks.com. Upcoming interviews will address sibling and friend relations, family dynamics at holiday time and other topics. She lives in Point Reyes Station.
1980s
Richard Silberg, multiple subjects credential ’80, M.A. Language and Literacy ’90, has spent 28 years teaching arts in Berkeley schools. He was awarded a fellowship which provides funding for secondary art teachers to engage in a study related to their discipline. Silberg is currently working on an original theatre piece with his students. Henr y Mitchell, Ph.D. Educational Psychology ’82, is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and served as an assistant pastor at University Christian Church in Berkeley before starting a Seniors Ecumenical Ministry at Shell Ridge Community Church in Walnut Creek. Sharon Gocke, Ph.D. Educational Administration ’83, has been awarded several research fellowships, including the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. She teaches philosophy and humanities at Napa Valley College and is also a practicing attorney. Karen Dyer, M.A., credential Educational Administration ’85, is Group Director, Education and Nonprofit Sector, for the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also serves as president of the National Staff Development Council. Valerie Stone, credential BAWP ’85, is a teacher who doubles as mom to three sons who went to Stanford. Rodney Maack, M.A. credential ’87, has been teaching high school German and English since 1994 in Portland, Oregon. Sharon Sacks, credential/Social Studies ’87, is a studio teacher in Los Angeles, providing instruction for students within the entertainment industry. James Chapman, teaching credential ’88, retired after teaching for more than 15 years and aspires to perform as a singer and guitar player.
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John Martin, Ph.D. Counseling Psychology ’89, is a family and individual therapist in Redwood City, where he works to improve the quality of life for those living on the peninsula, one family at a time. Nancy Skinner, M.A. ’89, is the new assemblywoman for the East Bay's 14th Assembly District. Skinner, an East Bay Regional Park District Board member and former Berkeley City Council member, bested a competitive field in the Democratic Primary on June 3 and ran unopposed in the general election in November.
1990s
Debbie Schotanus, M.A. DTE ’93, spends countless hours volunteering at the schools her three children attend in Calgary, Canada. Laurie Olsen, Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies ’95, recently retired as executive director of California Tomorrow after 16 years. Michael Cohen, Ph.D. Human Development and Education ’98, is a neuropsychologist with his own practice in Norwalk, CT where he resides with his wife and their three daughters. Theo Dawson, M.A. Human Development ’98, Ph.D. Human Development ’98, is president of Developmental Testing Service, a company that is currently developing alternative approaches to conventional large-scale testing. She retired from teaching in 2006 but has continued to publish research articles and work with several doctoral students. Terr y Ratcliff, Ed.D. Higher Education ’98, is Dean of Continuing Studies at Whitworth University, overseeing degree programs for working adults and developing the university’s off-site and online programs. Mira-Lisa Katz, Ph.D. ELLC ’99, is an associate professor in the English department at Sonoma State University. Since ’03, Katz has also been a member of the CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum Task Force, helping to create a writing course now taught in one third of public high schools in the state of California.
Jerome Gourdine, PLI ’01, was honored as one of America’s “most collaborative” public school principals, receiving a $5,000 grant from MetLife. The Frick Middle School principal plans to use the grant for a program that guarantees his students admission to the Cal State system.
2000s
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, M.A. MUSE ’00, is executive director of the Telling Room, a nonprofit writing center that helps youth age 8–18 develop their writing talents. Ming-Lun Ho, M.A. MACSME ’00, taught high school math and computer science for three and a half years before joining the mathematics faculty at Chabot College. He was recently elected president of the Academic Senate at Chabot College. Jeff Rhode, M.A. ELLC ’00, is executive director of development for UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering, following six years in a similar role at the Haas School of Business. He and his wife have two young children. Greta Vollmer, Ph.D. ELLC ’00, is an associate professor of Applied Linguistics in the English Department at Sonoma State University. She was selected as a faculty expert for the Fulbright Senior Specialists project in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she offered professional development in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to secondary and tertiary teachers from throughout the country. Michael Meyer, ARLLP ’01, chronicled his experiences as a volunteer English teacher in China in a recently published book entitled The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed. He is on a book tour which has included appearances on a number of television programs including “The Today Show,” “CBS This Morning,” and “CNN.”
Beth Rubin, Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies ’01, is an associate professor at Rutgers University and recently authored Civic Education For Diverse Citizens in Global Times: Rethinking Theory and Practice. Allyson Werner, M.A. credential DTE ’01, is an admissions counselor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She also serves as a mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Pamela Paek, Ph.D. QME ’02, is a research associate at the Charles Dana Center at the University of Texas, Austin where she focuses on researching and evaluating projects while also building relationships and partnerships with researchers and practitioners to improve teaching and learning in secondary mathematics. Namita Jacob, Ph.D. JDPSE ’02, is a consultant in India and serves as the regional educational specialist in nearby nations, helping to design and develop programs and create training curriculums. Lance McCready, Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies ’02, is an assistant professor of urban education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. He received a Ford Foundation post-doctoral fellowship for the ’06-’07 academic year. He currently serves as chair for the Queer Studies SIG of AERA. Susan Graubard Archuletta, M.A. PLI ’03, is an educator and musician who recently released her debut CD and album The New Age: All Around on Raymond Dumont Records. Felicity Bensch, M.A. PLI ’03, is an instructional specialist at Richmond’s DeJean Middle School and El Cerrito’s Portola Middle School. She formerly served as assistant principal at Richmond’s Kennedy High School for four years.
Maisha Fischer, Ph.D. ELLC ’03, an assistant professor of Language, Literacy and Culture at Emory University is the author of the just-published Black Literate Lives: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, an innovative approach to understanding the complex and multi-dimensional perspectives of Black literate lives in the United States. Julia Menard-Warwich, Ph.D. ’04, is a Berkeley Graduate Fellowship recipient. She writes about her experience in “Life and Language,” a “Grad Spotlight” feature on the UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division website.
Christopher Wu, Ph.D. EMST ’05, is the Director of Research and Strategy at the Public Consulting Group, Inc., where he has worked since 2005 – the same year Wu finished writing his dissertation: “Thinking Through New Vocationalism: Examining Career Academy Students’ Problem Solving and School Performance.” He currently lives with his wife and step-daughter in Albany, California. Lydia Liu, Ph.D. Quantitative Methods and Evaluation ’06, is an associate research scientist at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey and is working with GSE Professor Marcia Linn. Indigo Esmonde, Ph.D. Cognition and Development ’06, is assistant professor in Mathmatics Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
Fred Brill, Ed.D. POME ’05, became superintendent of the Lafayette School District on September 1. A former special education and high school English teacher, Brill spent 12 years in the Lafayette School District; three as the assistant principal at Stanley Middle School and nine as Stanley’s principal. In 2005, Brill served as a network executive in the Oakland Unified School District while finishing his doctorate. Kysa Nygreen, Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies ’05, is an associate professor in the Education Department at UC Santa Cruz, where she conducts research on civic identity formation and civic engagement practices among marginalized youth.
Karen Pezzetti, MUSE ’05, an 11th and 12th grade English teacher at the Youth Empowerment School (YES), was honored as one of two Oakland Unified School District Teachers of the Year along with 14 other Alameda County teachers at an October 16 celebration at CSU East Bay. Pezzetti has been instrumental in helping her students apply to four-year colleges in record numbers. She co-founded and facilitates an innovative leadership class, and she has invented a system for tracking her students’ progress through her courses’ learning objectives that is greatly accelerating their learning. She, along with the rest of the YES staff, is also working hard to help close the racial opportunity gap by bringing critical race theory into the classroom and practicing culturally relevant pedagogy.
Jacob Long, M.A. Athletes and Academic Achievement ’07, is an assistant coach for the UC Santa Cruz men’s soccer team and has coached many of the top youth programs in Santa Cruz and Monterey County. Sarah Bruschi, M.A. MASCME ’07, is a researcher in the Research and Assessment Department of the Oakland Unified School District. Cliff Hong, M.A. PLI ’08, was named one of 20 emerging young leaders by Phi Delta Kappan for his leadership as a teacher at Edna Brewer School in Oakland Unified. Maris Thompson, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. ’08, is an assistant professor at CSU Chico’s College of Education in the area of Literacy and Culture.
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Photo: Peg Skorpinski
friends
Spotlight PLI Cohort 8 students with benefactors Kenneth and Patricia Behring
PLI Cohort 8 Supports Endowed Scholarship Fund; Chancellor Birgeneau Provides Match Principal Leadership Institute Cohort 8 has achieved its goal of 100 percent participation in its endowed scholarship effort, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau will match all their gifts on a dollar-for-dollar basis. While many Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) grads give to the scholarship fund, Cohort 8 is the first class with all members contributing. “A 100 percent student participation in fundraising is a great calling card as we speak with potential funders,” says PLI Academic Coordinator Lynda Tredway. “We hope to reach at least 75 percent PLI alumni participation in our fundraising effort this academic year.” Tredway, PLI Faculty Director Norton Grubb and his wife, Rikki, and Dean David Pearson also support the PLI Scholarship Fund. PLI founding donor Kenneth E. Behring has pledged to provide scholarship support to all PLI students for 10 years. As he nears the end of his pledge, in 2010, he has wisely challenged PLI to seek new support from individuals, corporations and foundations. Endowment support will ensure that scholarships are available to PLI students far into the future.
Said Cohort 8 member Dave Samson, “My wife and I did not hesitate in making an ongoing contribution to the PLI Scholarship fund. There is no possible way without the Behring scholarship that I could have pursued my dream of leading in our educational system while simultaneously being a father, husband and teacher.” A total of 49 percent of PLI students, all of whom commit to working for at least four years in urban public schools, are persons of color. Many are the first in their families to attend college; graduate school can be a stretch without a financial incentive. “Without the scholarship, our pool of future principals would be much less diverse,” says Tredway. “School leaders must reflect the demographics of the students in their schools.” The Chancellor’s match is part of a new program to match gifts to endowed need-based scholarships from current and former faculty and staff, current students, and the spouses of current and former faculty and staff. For more information about the PLI Endowed Scholarship Fund or the Chancellor’s matching program, please call the GSE Development Office at (510) 643-9784.
Joyce Ng’s Canine Crusade When GSE Advisory Board member Joyce Ng dogsits for vacationing neighbors in her Pacific Palisades neighborhood, she requests donations to the Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) instead of payment. To date, ATDP has received hundreds of dollars — and some great publicity — as a result of Ng’s ingenuity. 34 connected
“As a mom and a citizen I’m concerned about public education in our state,” says Ng, who owns Springboard Marketing, and received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and MBA from Columbia University. “I’m impressed by the work ATDP and GSE do to ensure that kids achieve their potential, regardless of their socioeconomic background.”
Mary Jane Brinton and Ned Flanders surrounded by student scholarship recipients Photo: Peg Skorpinski
Alumni and friends of the Graduate School of Education set a record this year in contributions to scholarships for aspiring educators. More than 68 scholarships were awarded at the fifth annual Scholarship Tea held at the Hotel Durant on April 30. Dean David Pearson welcomed donors who were as thrilled to meet the students as the students were to be able to thank their donors in person. For the fifth consecutive year, GSE scholarships were matched dollar for dollar (up to $50,000) by a very special anonymous donor. The School of Education community is grateful for every gift to the scholarship fund, which provides much-needed support to students pursuing careers in education, often in underserved urban schools. Amy Bullis, a scholarship recipient working toward a Master’s and Credential in Science and Math Education, while balancing work and student teaching, was among the many grateful for the support to GSE scholarships and fellowships. “Instead of paying student loans, I will be able to pay forward by being the best teacher I can be,” said Bullis. Investment in future teachers and education leaders has a tremendous impact, for our students and for the thousands of children, families and communities they will serve. To make a scholarship gift, use the enclosed envelope, make a secure online gift at givetocal.berkeley.edu/makeagift/graduate or call the GSE Development Office at (510) 643-9784.
Ng and her family — who began contributing to ATDP in memory of her brother Thomas, who died in 2003 and received a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.A. in Materials Science from UC Berkeley — as well as their friends have made it possible for four cohorts of elementary school students
from low-performing urban schools to participate in after-school book clubs, receiving their own copies of the books they read, according to ATDP Director Nina Gabelko. “When I suggested to one of these students that he write his name in a book in ink, he replied, ‘I’m going to keep this
Spring Scholarship Tea Brews Gratitude
book for ever and ever,” says Gabelko. “Joyce’s dedication and creativity energize everyone she works with.” And the GSE thanks Ng and her canine pals for their dogged support.
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friends CAL Prep Relocates
carolyn sparks’
Touch of Class
In memory of her mother and in honor of her 45th class reunion, GSE Advisory Board member Carolyn Sparks has pledged $25,000 to endow the Malvina Walford Morledge scholarship at the School of Education. Morledge contributed art to many campus publications and returned to Cal (where she graduated) for her teacher credentials, according to Sparks. She taught at the high school and junior college levels until she married and moved to Las Vegas. “After her death, I established an annual scholarship in her name,” says Sparks, “and I saw my class reunion as a perfect opportunity to reestablish that scholarship. Continuing to support the best and the brightest is a longtime goal of mine, especially since I’ve served on the System of Higher Education in Nevada. Getting reacquainted with classmates has been a bonus.” GSE Dean David Pearson, also a member of the Class of ’63, made a generous reunion gift to several endowed fellowships. “I’m excited about our class theme of support for undergraduate education,” says Pearson. “If we can encourage Berkeley undergraduates to enter teaching, many will return for graduate study. I’m not surprised that preparing undergraduates for public service, including careers in K–12 education, is so close to my classmates’ hearts.” Alumna Alison Ogden of Healdsburg is also a generous donor to GSE in honor of her 45th Class Reunion. “It’s simply time for me to pay back the university,” she said. Many thanks to the members of the Class of ’63.
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California Preparatory Academy (CAL Prep), the charter school co-designed by UC Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools, has moved its upper grades to the former St. Joseph the Worker parochial school building in Berkeley. “After three years in operation, we outgrew the old site,” says Dean David Pearson. “As a Gatesfunded early college secondary school, we’ve always had the goal of finding a facility close enough to campus to encourage CAL Prep’s engagement with campus and the campus’s engagement with CAL Prep.” CAL Prep’s oldest students – the 10th graders – now have the opportunity to take classes at Berkeley City College (BCC) and to access learning resources on the UC Berkeley campus. Both BCC and the Cal campus are within walking distance of the St. Joseph’s site. CAL Prep’s grade 6 remains at the original site at the former Golden Gate Elementary in Oakland along with an elementary Aspire charter school, Berkeley-Maynard Academy. CAL Prep’s long-term goal is to reunite the lower and upper grades in a single state-of-the-art facility, a real challenge in communities where real estate costs are high. “We want all our students close to campus, working closely with Berkeley and BCC faculty, but St. Joseph’s holds only about 200 students,” says Pearson. “We need to start preparing the younger students for college as early as possible. Ninth grade is sometimes too late for students who fell behind in the earliest grades.” Aspire and UC Berkeley are seeking donors to help with the building project and with other programs to enrich the academic experiences of our students, who aspire to be the first generation in their families to attend college. For more information please call the GSE Development Office at (510) 643-9784.
Major Grants Fund GSE’s Work in Urban Professional Development GSE’s Project IMPACT and Center for Urban School Leadership (CUSL) have received major grants to support professional development for teachers and administrators. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation (ADVF) of Jacksonville, Florida, provided $150,000 for IMPACT’s singular model, which convenes small groups of teachers — especially novices — at school sites for professional support. Launched in 2003 by GSE faculty with support from Mr. and Mrs. William Brinton and the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, IMPACT supports GSE credential graduates and other teachers serving in the Bay Area’s low-income, low-performing schools. Research shows that strong teachers are the single most important factor determining student success, but one third of new teachers leave within the first three years of teaching, with half gone by the fifth. IMPACT seeks to reverse the trend; to date 200 teachers have been served by the program. IMPACT participants explore their own questions about teaching assisted by an external facilitator (usually a UC Berkeley doctoral student), as well as a stipend to recognize their investment of time and energy. Over the school year, participants convene quarterly for intensive professional development and an opportunity to share what they are learning. Participants report that IMPACT has inspired them to improve their teaching and hold fast to the ideal of making a difference. IMPACT also benefits GSE by maintaining ties to teachers in the field and by grooming doctoral students to become effective teacher educators. “Any group that receives a grant from the secondary education program has overcome long odds,” said William Keator, AVDF vice president for programs. “We were impressed with
[IMPACT's co-directors] Marnie Curry, Elisa Salasin, and all the IMPACT teachers during our site visit. We were also attracted to the potential for expansion to other schools.” The Walter and Elise Haas Fund has provided $100,000, with the possibility of an additional $125,000 in subsequent years, to build the capacity of CUSL (see page 6). The funding supports the hire of Center Director Daphannie Stephens and supports the development of two of the Center’s pilot programs, the Leadership Studio and the Research-into-Practice Institute. These programs help district-level administrators cultivate, support and evaluate school-based leadership, and provide them with data to guide decision-making. Stephens will work on continuity planning with faculty director Norton Grubb and coordinator Lynda Tredway to strengthen new programs, and create a plan for evaluating Center activities. With the eight-year-old Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) as its flagship, the Center provides a complement of professional development programs to Bay Area districts, from those for aspiring principals to those for veteran administrators seeking fresh perspectives and access to the latest research. To date, the Center’s PLI has placed more than 300 principals, assistant principals and district-level leaders in schools. The Center’s Coaching Initiative annually coaches 125-150 new principals and assistant principals in urban districts. “The leadership development work of Norton and Lynda, premised on service to local districts, is nationally respected, and the Fund is pleased to provide support,” said Anu Greenlee Cairo, program officer for education at the Walter & Elise Haas Fund. “Hundreds of administrators in San Francisco now have access to CUSL’s professional development resources.” Photo: Steve Cohen
Project IMPACT teachers confer at Oakland High.
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d o n o r s j u l y 1 , 2 0 0 7, t h r o u g h j u n e 3 0 , 2 0 0 8 The Graduate School of Education gratefully acknowledges the following individuals, corporations and foundations that generously supported our efforts to advance education and to provide opportunity for all
annua l fund donor s $5,000-$9,999
le a der ship donor s
Professor Bruce C. Fuller Karla and Edward Knapp
$1,000,000 or more
$2,500-$4,999
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation National Science Foundation
Miranda Heller
$500,000-$999,999 Concord Consortium
$250,000-$499,999 The Ford Foundation The James Irvine Foundation Estate of Grace E. Kern
$100,000-$249,999 Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Behring Mary Jane and William Brinton Arthur Vining Davis Foundation Walter and Elise Haas Fund Estate of Helen Murphy Neumann Strategic Education Research
$50,000-$99,999 Anonymous K and F Baxter Foundation (via Aspire Public Schools) Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
$25,000-$49,999 Anonymous Walter S. Johnson Foundation Estate of George Wallace Kyte Mathematica Policy Research Carolyn M. Sparks The Spencer Foundation
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$1,000-$2,499 Karen J. Blank Professor Emerita K. Patricia Cross OSKI Terry Sweitzer Emmett Margaret E. Kidd Carol J. Liu Susan A. Powell Pamela Adler Routh Gary Steven Valdez
$500-$999 Douglas E. and Judith C. Adams Ceinwen L. Carney GSE Alumni Association Manjula and Haragauri N. Gupta, Ph.D. Penguin Group USA Inc. Carol D. Soc Allan and Phyllis Marie Tappe Patricia and Jeffrey Williams Linda C. Wing Ellen Wragge and Sara L. Wragge
$250-$499 Dr. Srijati Ananda and Stanley Rabinowitz Daniel J. Archuleta Debrah and Paul Baker Dr. Donald B. Chambers Richard C. and Kathleen T. Davis Clifford and Grete Egan Ples and Lora Griffin Thomas and Susie Griffin Professor W. Norton and Erica B. Grubb John and Marcia Harter
Mary and John B. Lee Barbara Myers Means Susan Nabeta-Brodsky Austin and Marjorie Prindle Nancy and Glenn Rankin, Ph.D. Dr. James E. Richmond Jane P. Riede-Meyerhoff Shell Oil Company Foundation Inc. Ada Y. Wada Dennis and Jayne Millar Wood
$100-$249 Albert M. Adams, Ed.D. Verna J. Arnest Aurora C. Barrozo, Ph.D. Carol J. Beaumont Janet and Kenneth Beebe Claire F. Beltrami Catherine and Sanford Berman Dr. Ralph M. Berrier Allen E. Black Anna L. Blackman Steven A. Brown Dr. Gerald J. and Barbara M. Brunetti Lynn J. Cadwallader William and Lois Cannady Joan Cashel and Daniel Pyne Clark C. and Cheryl Y. Chen Alice Chen Rico and Rudolph J. Rico Beverly and James Chin Nancy T. Chirinos Jin Young Choo and Ira W. Lit Julie T. Clarfield Barbara M. Colicino Dr. Isobel Contento Dr. Shirley Convirs Stephanie F. Cowan, Ph.D. Venora F. Deubler Gerald L. Dunbar William F. Euphrat and Nancy A. Weston Barry and Toby Fernald Dr. Susan K. and David H. Folkman Professor Barbara R. Foorman Rex and Carol Fortune Margaret L. Gebhard
Judith and Thomas Gielow Mrs. Rosalie M. Gifford Dr. Allan P. Gold Dr. and Mrs. William D. Grafft Loren and Claudia Grossi Linda C. Henderson Dr. Kenneth J. Holbert Jean and Robert Huston Harriett G. Jenkins Richard and Myrna Jones Shirley and Harold A. Jonsson, Ph.D. Jocelyn and Michael Kelleher Ann Kuchins Jana and Freeman Lane Blake A. Lasky Anne and David Manchester Teresa and Phillip McLean Frederick D. Mitchem, Jr. Frederick E. Murray Stanley and Diane Nakahara Carol and David Olson Ruth Shigeko Omatsu Hyun-Sook Park and Stanley Young Dr. Douglas and Linda Penfield Barbara and Peter Peracca George and Charlotte Pinheiro Mary Ann Purvis David E. Reagan, Ed.D. Julie Witt Reis Dr. Susan and Steven Richardson Dr. Nancy E. Rogers-Zegarra and Elias Zegarra Dr. Nancy and Kenneth Rollston Amy and Daniel Schiff Carol and William Schofield Keith and Anne R. Schroder Madelaine Shellaby and Richard Shapiro Dr. Robert and Merlene Sherwood Richard J. Silberg Sharon B. Smith Ellen Fisher Smith John P. Smith, III
Dean Pearson with advisory board chair Miranda Heller
Linda and Douglas Sugano Drs. Roslyn and Donald Sutherland Michael L. Swindell and Christine M. Silva Dr. Junko T. Tanaka Itsuko Terada Dr. Robert L. Terrell Dr. and Mrs. William J. Tibbey Gary and Mary Tietz Regi and Stephen Topol Ying Tsui Dr. Jennifer and Joseph Villeneuve Kevin M. Waesco Paula and Richard Walker Melinda S. Wallace William Li-Tien Wang Penelope and David Warren Christine and Howard Watkins Major Willie and Gudrun West Kathleen V. Whalin Professor Barbara Y. White Professor Emeritus Alan B. Wilson Craig and Kim Wilson Professor Mark R. Wilson and Janet S. Williams Cynthia G. Winship Thomas and Mariol Wogaman Leslie Woolley and Michael Rogers Dr. Larry J. Wornian and Mary M. Lanier
$1-$99 Penelope P. Adams Weston M. Alt Okai M. Aryee and Lorraine K. Marchman Roselyn Bell Baskin Diane G. and Arlo W. Biere Andrea U. Bircher, Ph.D. Marlene A. Botto Jeffrey P. Braden, Ph.D. Marlene J. Braverman and Ernest J. Fazio Sarah L. Bremer
From left, professor David Stern, advisory board member Mike Wood and Aspire Schools President Don Shalvey
Helen H. Cagampang Susan T. Callen Kimberly Capriola-Juza and Kevin M. Juza Ann M. Carbone Barbara and Geoffrey Case Bernadette Sun Chi Mai Xuan Chung, M.A. David and Beth Linder Crabtree Janine L. Crowe Carolyn J. Daoust Floyd W. Davis Anita and James Davy Gail C. Dawson Anne L. DiPardo Edith W. Don Charles and Susan Dorn Susan A. Duckworth Christiane Engemann and Thomas Cooper Professor James and Anita Fleming Judith and John Franco Barbara and John Galbraith Lidia A. Garcia Peter H. Gelpke Lesley Getz Elizabeth Goldsmith-Conley and Thomas M. Conley James P. Gordon Mary M. Graney James H. Green Catherine H. Gross Rafael H. Gutierrez, Jr. Tanako Hagiwara Carla B. Harden Laurie R. Harrison Dr. Tadeusz and Jadwiga Haska Drs. Otto and Grete Heinz Mark A. Holman Robert M. Houghteling and Elizabeth R. Fishel Austin G. Hurst Dr. Kathleen Hurty and Reverend David Hurty Eileen S. Ingenthron Jack L. Jackson, Jr.
Bud and Catherine Jacobs Ralph and Patricia Jennings Kenneth and Patricia Johnson Dr. Rita H. Jones Robert A. Kahn Joy P. Kaiser Brenda G. Kangas Karl K. Kasca Gary and Ilene Katz Elizabeth Keithley Adrienne K. Kennedy Jeffery and Judith Price Kennedy Kim F. Kita Richard and Barbara La Rue Dr. Kenneth and Janet Larson Robert and Donna Lawson Linda and Stephen Lazzareschi John A. Lee Earl L. and Dorothy T. Maddox Virginia D. Maffeo Joseph C. Malloy Linda Jane Mariani Cathy and Tom McGowan William and Susan McCarthy Professor Emeritus William A. McCormack Elizabeth A. Meyer Dr. and Mrs. William W. Monahan, Jr. Dr. Sheryl Morgan Dr. Judit N. Moschkovich January A. Nice Marilyn and Dennis Nix Kevin M. O’Connor Dr. Pearl and Professor Samuel Oliner Linda and Adrian Ownby L. Leann Parker Dr. Jesse and Maxine Perry Patricia and Willie Player Kim and Richard Plumridge S. Peter Poullada and Nancy A. Sheppard Fannie and Johnny Preston William and Midge Renton Morris and Margie Richman Nancy C. Roark June and Eugene Roberts
Laurie and Preston Roberts Freda M. Robinson Joyce Rosenbaum and Murray Harreschou Carolyn and Douglas Rotman Dr. Susan and David Rounds Katherine and Timothy Salter Arthur G. Sanguinetti Carol D. Saulovich Erica Scattergood Drs. Jack and Diane Schuster Lynn and Lawrence Selna Letitia C. Shelby Meredith and Jon Shoenberger Joanne and John Shultz Paul A. Silberstein and Karen B. Glasser C. Clifford and Kathy Solari Anna M. Sontag Qingyun Shi and Roger Soohoo Cynthia A. Speed Richard and Jane Spencer Mills Jamal and Klaudia Splane Mimi and Erich Steadman Tia C. Streeter Patricia and Michael Sullivan Sola Takahashi Bonnie Tang Dr. Jo Ellyn Taylor Jane and Alan Teitelbaum Laura E. Telep Carol J. Thomas Alvin H. Thompson, Ed.D. Elizabeth and Jeffrey Thomsen Denise and Johnny Tom Suzanne and Edward Vasgerdsian Lori L. Vella, M.A. Elizabeth and Craig Wahl Erik L. Walukiewicz Allyson L. Werner Mallorie and Harold Wilkerson Frances and Billy Willms Dr. Keith R. Wilson Mary-Alice and Brayton Wilson Pamela and Douglas Wong Christopher Y. Wu Gordon Y. Yamamoto
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schol a r ship fund donor s $5,000-$9,999 Mara W. Breech Foundation Dean P. David and Mary Alyce Pearson Julie Stevenson and Tom Meyer Victor and Arlene Willits
$2,500-$4,999 Robert J. Breuer
$1,000-$2,499 Anonymous David and Barbara Dansky Homer and Rosette Dawson Anne and Will Gates Professor Jack A. Graves Frank and Lenore Bertagna Heffernan E. Gary Hoachlander, Ph.D. Jeffrey R. Lambert Mark J. Liebling, M.D. and Cheryl R. Liebling, Ph.D. Kerri and Mark Lubin Joyce E. Ng Phi Delta Kappa, UC Berkeley Chapter Regan Pritzker and Chris Olin Robert and Esther Rice Margaret G. Saulsberry Helen E. Schlichtmann Marilyn and William Selby MaryEllen and Keith Vogt Raynor and Michael Voorhies Lynn and Peter Wendell
$500-$999 ChevronTexaco Corporation Cathleen A. Kennedy Drs. Hermine and Sumner Marshall Nancy C. McLaren-Salsig
$250-$499 Dr. Daniel W. Kee Marc and Suzanne Stein Mary L. Soltis Patricia H. Wheeler, Ph.D.
$100-$249 Joseph and Norma Adwere-Boamah Verna J. Arnest Dr. Louis F. Batmale William D. Bethell Alison G. and Steven P. Burke
40 connected
Michael and Patricia Busk Claudia Cate and Branden Bickel Robert Kai Cheong Cheng Donald and Doris Cloud Crail-Johnson Foundation Norma Jo Ann and Gerald Cox Suzanne Mills Crawford Dr. Sid and Marilyn Davidson Toby and Barry Fernald Tom Finn Professor Jesus Garcia Dr. Michele Garside Dr. Allan P. Gold Christopher P. Hadley Yukiyo R. Hayashi Matthew E. Hermann Jean and Robert Huston Frances Kim Llewellyn S. Kirby Diane and John Kopchik Dorothy and Melvin Lemberger Ronald E. Leonard Dr. Donald F. Lundstrom Dr. Arnethia W. Okelo Marie Luise Otto Kathleen and John Peterson Juanita J. Peterson Dr. Richard C. Ponzio Carol J. Rowley Hugh and Aletha Silcox Frankie and Ronald Temple Heather L. Thompson Anthony and Siv Larson Wheeler Patricia H. Wheeler, Ph.D. Rebecca Jane Zwick
$1-$99 Betty M. Chiu Edward Chu Kristin B. Cortes Leo R. Croce Edith W. Don Karen Malmstrom Eckhart Linda L. Fletcher Nina L. Floro Margo A. Fontes Amanda J. Godley Dr. David R. and Carole L. Harris Boris H. Gregory Sheila M. Gurnee Donald L. Haworth Dr. Rita H. Jones Anne E. Just Jane D. Kaasa Drs. Steven and Maya Klein Jack T. Kohn Michael and Jane Leonard
Ronald and Beverly Loos Maureen A. Maloney Alexis T. Martin Dasil and Kathleen Mathews William and Susan McCarthy Stephen A. McMahon Microsoft Corporation Mary E. Molesworth Dr. Victoria C. and Walter K. J. Mui Susan North Therese M. Pipe Elizabeth S. Ravenscroft Amy E. Ryken Jennie F. Savoldelli Elizabeth C. Shafer Marilou and John Shankel Jonathan W. Shores and Dr. Jane Osborn Dr. Norman and Cherene Unrau Dr. Judith A. Van Hoorn Suzanne M. Yee
t he h a r ry b. st ehr memor i a l f ellowship Leonore Bzik Carne S. Clarke Kristi and Larry Cohen James W. Cole Judge and Mrs. John S. Cooper, Ret. Diane Dimeff and Tom Bugnitz Wendy James Gulley Blanka Kvervka Rose and Dale Lock William and Susan McCarthy Michael and Linda O’Connor Linda and William Pardue John Edward Senuta Ann Stehr Wilson and Larry Wilson, Chapter Un Peo Sisterhood Sally Swarts Mr. and Mrs. Walter Yeung Daniel J. Zimmerlin
ac a demic ta le n t de v elopme n t progr a m Mei K. and Yi-Tso J.Chen Gary A. Griffin Stephen Ming Lee and Diana C. Fong Joyce E. Ng Frankie and Ronald Temple
pr incipa l le a der ship inst i t u t e schol a r ship fund Larissa K. Adam Arnold J. Adreani Karling Aguilera-Fort Susan M. Audap Stephen A. Brady George C. Bullis Maureen Byrne Rayburn Carter Diane Colborn Kristen Deandreis Glenn F. Dennis Sara Cristina Dieli Natalie R. Eberhard Thomas R. Fairchild Sarah K. Gahl Carin D. Geathers Professor W. Norton and Erica B. Grubb Laura M. Hackel Christine M. Halstead Patricia A. Harmon Kyla R. Johnson Dongshil J. Kim J. Carlisle Kim Linda M. Kingston Marilyn Zoller Koral Hanna Lee Ma Moraima Machado Jonathan J. Mayer Nicole M. McAuliffe Margaret R. Minicozzi Ho H. Nguyen Robert Shawn Patrick Jeanette Perno Fenty Psaun-Glov LLC Linda A. Rarden Michael Ratkewicz Michael P. Ray Richard W. Reinhard Ellen Reller Marie Ringwald Marisa Santoyo Paulette Saunders Nancy S. Schlenke Michael D. Srago Jonathan J. Stewart John and Kristin Tavernetti Lynda L. Tredway Susan Valdez Couch Michael P. Walker Earl L. Walls Becky and Solomon Wheat Norman H. Williams Richard B. Zapien
university of california, berkeley
Graduate School of
Education
Education for the real world
Investing in the future
Too many of our most vulnerable youth are poorly served by today’s urban schools, creating an urgent need for the unparalleled intellectual resources that UC Berkeley provides. “Access to quality education is the civil rights issue of our era,” says education journalist John Merrow in the documentary “First to Worst.” Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education prepares the best, brightest and most committed educators to lead critical change in some of our nation’s most challenging learning environments. Working with award-winning faculty to hone their skills in urban schools and to examine the policy and cultural issues that shape education today, our graduates are well prepared to help today’s highly diverse learners succeed, changing the world for our young people and our communities.
Private support has an enormous impact on the Graduate School of Education’s ability to develop a pipeline of educational leadership throughout California and the nation. We are grateful to the many alumni and friends whose gifts help us fund graduate student fellowships, faculty chairs, research on education and programs that bridge theory and practice. Your support enables scholars and practitioners to explore and enhance learning for all ages and backgrounds, thereby making the world a better place.
To make a gift online and for information on GSE: gse.berkeley.edu/admin/extrel For more information, please
“Thank you to all who support GSE
contact:
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stead of paying back student loans, I will be able to pay forward by being
the best teacher I can be”
–Amy Bullis, MACSME '09
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university of california, berkeley
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