We all search for relevance.

To a baseball player, it often begins in a dream. My dream was brought to life in any game against my big brother in Wiffle ball. The bases were always loaded, there were always two outs and the big game was forever on the line. It was about more than just being the hero. It was about reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

“There really is the possibility, however slight, that this case could upend the funding structure for public education,” said Preston Green, a professor of educational leadership and law at the University of Connecticut.

Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you.

This month, the Neag School of Education announces new appointments to its leadership, welcomes three new faculty members, and also announces staff updates in the Dean’s Office.

Jason Irizarry, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, has been named the Neag School associate dean for academic affairs. He takes over this month for Joseph Madaus, who is resuming his faculty role to focus on recent research grants, including one focused on supporting academically talented students on the autism spectrum.

Professor Todd Campbell has been named head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, effective Jan. 1. He steps in following Suzanne Wilson’s return to faculty to focus on her role as the Neag Endowed Professor of Teacher Education.

BYU Radio (Devin Kearns interviewed at 1:07:56)

Effective talent-development programs train teachers to work as talent scouts, spotting children who may not have the motivation or support they need to excel academically in traditional classrooms, said Del Siegle, the director of the National Center for Research on Gifted Education at the University of Connecticut.

Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, is co-principal investigator on a new $500,000 federal research grant funded by the National Science Foundation.

A coaching culture is wasted unless leaders design and implement positive conditions for coaching. We focus on ways school leaders can establish the four conditions that help coaches transform leading, teaching, and schooling.