In our continuing “Opportunity in Crisis” series, Washington Post opinions writer Jonathan Capehart speaks with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about what policies can help students, teachers and families as schools reopen again this fall. In 2012, Miguel won the 2012 National Distinguished Principal Award for the State of Connecticut and the Outstanding Administrator Award from UConn’s Neag School of Education. Secretary Cardona then transitioned to lead the work of Performance and Evaluation in the district. He then assumed the role of Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, overseeing teaching, learning, and leadership alignment.
The Lutz Children’s Museum Board of Directors is proud to announce the selection of Dr. Patricia Buxton as its next Executive Director. Buxton holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Hartford and a Sixth-Year Diploma in professional education at the University of Connecticut. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Bridgeport and a member of Vernon Public School’s Board of Education.
Throughout my teacher preparation program at UConn’s Neag School of Education, I always knew that my first year of teaching would be challenging. However, I never could have imagined the challenges that the year 2020-2021 has brought. This year has brought students in masks with shields over their desks, hybrid learning, block schedules, fully online students, and the struggle to keep students engaged despite the uncertainty of their outside world. All of the teaching and classroom management strategies that I learned in my teacher preparation program now seemed distant as all teachers learned how to adapt and teach in this new learning model.
Estrella’s letter to parents stated Christie Robinson was supposed to join the school as the interim acting curriculum and instruction site director on Thursday, but will now work with Rangel during the transition period. “Ms. Robinson will be the administrator in charge after July 30, unless we have identified an interim acting administrator to support the school until new leadership is identified,” Estrella said in the letter.
Walden University’s Board of Directors is appointing Paula R. Singer, CEO of Walden, as interim president, effective August 1, 2021. Dr. Ward Ulmer informed the board that he is stepping down as president to refocus and dedicate his leadership skills and experience in service to others through a role that aligns with his faith mission and furthers the work he has done with the Walden community in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in new ways.
Adam Behling, a seventh-grade math teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School, has been selected as this year’s teacher of the year for Enfield schools. Behling found out about the honor when School Superintendent Christopher Drezek, administrators and staff carrying balloons and the award visited his classroom during a lesson on June 10.
Christina (Nikki) Kupec speaks up for what she believes in, and she genuinely has the best interest of every student in her heart. She is willing to push back when she feels a student’s needs are being compromised or in times when injustices or equity issues come up. She is passionate about equity work and strives to improve intervention to reflect this work at Martin. Nikki Kupec embodies all four core pillars and is, therefore, an excellent example of a Teacher of the Year!
It was coming home,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP said of heading to Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field to give this year’s commencement address. Students could not have agreed more. At a string of outdoor ceremonies May 8–12, students and families gathered together for the first time in many long pandemic months.
The federal government has sent a wave of funding to local schools across the country looking to bolster student performance and make up for lessons lost to remote learning, and the result is that teachers and tutors are in high demand and short supply, particularly in math and fields that were already difficult hires.
“The visits to UConn are really important to the students taking UConn classes for credit in high school,” says Brendan Wilkosz ’03 (ED), ’04 M.Ed., who has been at Berlin HS since 2004, and teaches a chemistry class that grants UConn credit through the ECE program. “There can be a disconnect for the students if they are physically separated from UConn. This year, that was not possible, but it was important for me to do something, so we worked on a virtual day. There was a real willingness at UConn to get that done to have students experience the challenges and complexities of the work, but also see that the research is cutting edge.”
