A lack of diversity among classroom teachers in elementary and secondary schools has long been a national issue. In the state of Connecticut alone, less than 8 percent of teachers are of color, while students of color represent 40 percent of the population.

Neag School Jeffrey Villar ’96 MA, ’99 Ph.D. introduced the featured speaker at the convocation, George Sugai, who Villar referred to as “the guru of climate and culture” in educational settings.

NFA faculty, along with students from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, guided the dual-session program meant to give sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders a summer boost in STEM education and aspiring teachers a real-world classroom experience.

“If you go strictly by the official account, heatstroke was the cause of death for University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair. McNair died earlier this year following a grueling practice in which training staff failed to properly diagnose and treat his condition. But there’s another culprit – or at least a contributing factor – that should not be overlooked,” says Joseph Cooper, an associate professor of educational leadership in the Neag School of Education.

In this episode of GatherGeeks, David Adler, C.E.O. of BizBash, and Beth Kormanik, editor in chief of BizBash, hear from Neag School alumna Amanda Slavin, the CEO and founder of experiential marketing agency CatalystCreativ. Slavin dives into the seven levels of event engagement and how brands can utilize them.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anna Cutaia announced the appointment of Dr. Amy Fedigan to the post of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the Milford Public School district.

Over 75 students entering grades 6, 7, and 8 participated in a free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) enrichment program at NFA this summer. Guided by NFA faculty in collaboration with aspiring teachers from UConn’s Neag School of Education, the young students from Norwich and surrounding towns received a summer boost in their STEM education with hands-on learning to explore creative approaches to scientific questions, applying mathematics to modern day problems, and solving complex STEM problems, while having fun working in teams with new friends.

The Siberian Husky that serves as the mascot for the University of Connecticut is taking on another role: assistant ring bearer for two university alumni.

Public Advocates, a nonprofit law and advocacy organization, is pushing for greater oversight, clearer accounting measures and more parental involvement in charter school financial affairs in a recently released report indicating most California charter schools are either failing to fully disclose how special assistance funds are spent or are not reporting the spending altogether.

Project SPARK at Brookside and Kendall elementary schools, part of a federal grant for gifted education run by researchers from the University of Connecticut, seeks to train teachers to better identify children with advanced potential for learning.