Month: September 2021



Statue marking the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.

Website Developed By Neag School Will Assist High School Teachers

September 24, 2021

Connecticut is the first state in the nation to mandate that all of its high schools offer an elective class on Black and Latinx history. These classes must be taught by the fall of 2022, but many high schools have added them to the curriculum this year. Alan Marcus, a professor of curriculum and instruction in UConn’s Neag School of Education, has led a team that developed a website to assist high school teachers with the instruction of this course.


Mercy High School Welcomes New Teachers in Middletown

September 23, 2021

Justin Michaud, math, was born and raised in Waterbury and attended Catholic schools for grammar and high school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and psychology and master’s degree in education at the University of Connecticut. He’s described as “passionate, outgoing and dependable,” and enjoys tennis. He has experience at in the food industry, most recently at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury for the past seven years.



Preserving American Democracy – Adequate and Equitable School Funding

September 20, 2021

Panelists on this episode argue that inadequate and inequitable funding of our public schools pose a dire threat to American democracy. That’s because students in under-resourced schools, those who tend to be poor and people of color, are less able to participate in the democratic process. The full panel includes: Derek Black, Professor of Law, University of South Carolina School of Law; Preston Green, Professor of Educational Leadership and Law, University of Connecticut; Joshua Starr, Chief Executive Officer, PDK International; and Sanaa Kahloon, student, Harvard University.



Neag School Scholarship Celebration graphic

Annual Scholarship Celebration Spotlights Students and Donors

September 20, 2021

This past week, UConn’s Neag School of Education held its annual Scholarship Celebration to commemorate the students who have benefitted, financially and personally, from the generosity of numerous donors. Students highlighted their personal experiences and gave thanks to the individuals who helped them turn their educational dreams into reality. The virtual ceremony was hosted by Jason G. Irizarry, the Neag School of Education dean, who began the celebration by shedding light on how impactful these scholarships are to students and the entire Neag School community.


How Reparations Can Be Paid Through School Finance Reform

September 18, 2021

White public schools have always gotten more money than Black public schools. These funding disparities go back to the so-called “separate but equal” era – which was enshrined into the nation’s laws by the Supreme Court’s 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The disparities have persisted even after Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision that ordered the desegregation of America’s public schools.


Charter Schools’ Scary Future

September 17, 2021

Today the charter school movement is perhaps more vulnerable than it has ever been. Unlikely allies in the best of times, its coalition of supporters — which has included progressives, free-market Republicans, and civil rights advocates, and which has been handsomely funded by deep-pocketed donors and Silicon Valley moguls — is unraveling.


Mike Fenn holds a beaker up in the science classroom.

Become a Teacher in One Year: Apply by Dec. 1

September 16, 2021

Become a teacher in one year through the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. Check out upcoming information sessions, held in person as well as virtually. Apply by Dec. 1.