Posted September 26, 2003

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Announcements

1)   On Wednesday, September 24, Dean Kleine shared with Education Department faculty members that the NCATE visiting team, during their exit interview with President Carter, VP-AA Pachis, and Dean Kleine, reported that they would be recommending that Eastern Connecticut State University has met all of the NCATE standards for our initial and advanced programs.  Following our response to the report that should be available before the end of October, NCATE's Board of Examiners will be voting on the visiting team's recommendations.  It is anticipated that Eastern CSU will receive NCATE accreditation before the end of the year.  

2) Education Department meeting - Thursday, October 2, 2003, 12:30 - 2, Webb Hall 115 - Education Department faculty meeting

Ongoing discussions -

Discussion of the NCATE visit

Departmental secretary situation

Departmental goal revisions

Departmental leadership for 2004-2005

Standards - revision or maintenance?
    Admission to graduate program - 2.70 - waiver options?
    General education, program requirements, state requirements
    GPA waiver policy for certification programs

Pre-requisite courses - sophomore standing, GPA requirement??

Transfer credit for graduate programs

Curriculum initiatives for 2003-2004

Education Department's comments on GER

Grade appeal process

Unit-counseling services support

Syllabi revisions

Time Certain:

3) Recommended by William Gammel (Institutional Research), Dr. Pachis, and Dean Kleine:

"Taking Steps Toward Graduate School" found on the web at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/outreach/publications/steps.pdf

4) A message from Ruth Ettenberg Freeman, MSW, Director of Family Services,
THE COVE Center for Grieving Children, Coordinating Office, 134 State Street, Meriden, CT 06450, Phone: (203) 634-0500, Fax: (203) 634-6934, Email: TheCove@earthlink.net

Web site: www.covect.org David – Thank you for the “Circle of Life” website. I want to add a resource that I hope you will share with your faculty and students. The Cove Center for Grieving Children serves children and their families who have experienced the death of an immediate family member. Children participate in developmentally appropriate groups with other children who have had similar experiences and parents receive support and education about the unique nature of children’s grief. Our founders, James and Mary Ann Emswiler have written a seminal text for adults who are in relationship with grieving children and it is called “Guiding Your Child through Grief.” Feel free to contact me for more information at TheCove@earthlink.net or visit our website at www.covect.org. My husband, Joe Freeman, is organizing the development of a Cove in the Windham area and anyone who would like to help with this effort can reach him at 860 429-4477. Thanks, Ruth
 
4) A message from Judy Kilburn, IT Staff member:

New color printer in Ed Dept Office - networking information -

The new Education Department HP5500dn color laser printer has been installed in the back of the Education Department office. Because of the capabilities of this new printer, no network print queue has been set up for the printer.

All those that would like to print to this machine will need to print directly to the IP address of the printer. Each individual will need to have the printer setup under their profile. (They will need to be logged on.) This is a very quick install, usually no more than ten minutes.

This means that each person will need to make an appointment with ITS staff though the Helpdesk. They should mention in this request that the printer needs to be installed to send jobs directly to the printer.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Emmanuel Ogungbe.

5) An announcement from Constance Belton Green, Director, Equity and Diversity,

8th Annual Conference on Multicultural Education

Eighth Annual Connecticut NAME Conference on Multicultural Education

Lies My Teacher Told Me
Stories from Multicultural America
October 16, 2003
Hartford Marriott * Farmington, Connecticut

6) Items to discuss  for our Fall 2003 Education Department meetings -

Departmental goal revisions

Departmental leadership for 2004-2005

Standards - revision or maintenance?
    Admission to graduate program - 2.70 - waiver options?
    General education, program requirements, state requirements
    GPA waiver policy for certification programs

Pre-requisite courses - sophomore standing, GPA requirement??

Transfer credit for graduate programs

Curriculum initiatives for 2003-2004

Education Department's comments on GER

Grade appeal process

Unit-counseling services support

Syllabi revisions

Time Certain:

Faculty photo at
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/faculty.html
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The 2002-2006 CSU AAUP-BOT Collective Bargaining
Agreement is on-line at the usual URL:
http://www.easternct.edu/aaup/cba.html

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Graduate News

News from Rachel Timoteo:

I graduated from Eastern with an English degree and a Secondary Education  Certification in December of 2002. I worked as a long term substitute at  E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield from January to June of 2003, and was  offered a permanent position for this year. The faculty and staff here are wonderful to work with!

News from Timothy Bowen:

This is my 4th year at E.O.Smith High School. I am tenured now. Yippie! I am
currently teaching 9th graders in Politics and Geography and 11th graders in
World Civilizations.  I am an active member of the Connecticut Council for
Social Studies and just finished a 2 year term on the Executive Board.  As
you know, I am in the Master's program at ECSU for secondary education and
it is going well. I am so glad that you have the program now.  Eastern has
been and surely will continue to be a great experience. 

If you ever need my assistance in speaking to ECSU students in the education program I will be
more than happy to share my experiences with them.  It is always nice to
hear 1st hand from an alumni what it is like in the profession and the
transition from graduation to finding a job to BEST program and so on. 

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Mitch Sakofs relays a message from Maggie Tarbox that there is a 7th grade language arts position vacant in Bloomfield, CT at Carmen Arace Middle School. 

Theresa Picard and Sudha Swaminathan reports that Vicki Rondeau was hired on Friday as the head pre-school teacher at The Putnam School of Early Learning.

Steve Babyak is teaching in a 3rd grade at Cos Cob School in Greenwich, Ct.

Catherine Tannahill reports that Elizabeth Chartier has accepted a position teaching Integrated Kindergarten at the Early Learning Center in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Leah Barbuto reports that Jen Toft just got a job teaching 4th grade in Lebanon. 

Sudha Swaminathan and Theresa Picard report:

Sherena Campbell writes - This month I was offered a 1st grade teacher position at Second Hill Lane in Stratford, CT. I start new teachers orientation the last week in August.

Relayed by Sudha Swaminathan:

"From Angela Puccia:
 
Hi Sudha,
I just wanted to let you know that I had just accepted a first grade teaching position at the Coventry Grammar School. I am going to sign the contract this morning. There were a total of 171 applicants for the one position! I also wanted to tell you about the wonderful things that Mr. Grasso had to say about ECSU. He said that he really enjoyed the student teachers from Eastern and feels that we are all taught very well. So, thank you so much for all of your help. "

Jenn Pohlman  graduated from Eastern in the spring of 2002 from the last middle level group. She is currently working at Ellington Middle School in Ellington CT as an 8th grade LA teacher. 

She writes, "I just wanted to let you know that there is a part time position opening for LA at our school.  We also have another Eastern grad currently working here: Alison Padegemis.

I am definitely partial, but I think this would be a great position for someone who wants to get a little more experience before getting their own classroom.  Also you would be working with a great LA teacher, who will be in the building in a part time administration job.

If you can let recent grads or anyone else you feel may be interested know about this position, I would appreciate that.  They should contact the middle school at 896-2339 or the central office at 896-2300.

Thank you
Jenn Pohlman"

Sudha Swaminathan reports that  Jason Ladegard (Mr. Ladegard) is now a Second Grade Teacher at Lebanon Elementary School.  Classroom sizes are excellent, 15-17 children per room. 

Mike Gadoury reports that he is substitute teaching and working as a UA in the Curriculum Center in the Library at night.

Mitch Sakofs reports that Sarah Ververis will be teaching second grade at Ashford School starting the end of August.

Hari Koirala reports that Sarah Jones and Laura Quarticelli have been "hired to teach 5th grades at Windham Middle School. It is interesting to know that they will be teaming as well."

Leah Barbuto and Mitch Sakofs shared this news from Dana Ballou -

"Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that I got a job! I'll be working at Eli Terry Elementary in South Windsor and will be teaching preschool special ed. I had my final interview today and they offered me the job! I am very very excited and can't wait to start!"

Dan Rothermel reports that Christina Cody, from our penultimate class of middle school teacher candidates, will be teaching 8th grade Reading / Language Arts at Saint Marys Middle School in Saint Marys, Camden County school system, Georgia.

Dan and Mitch Sakofs also report that Heather Scorca, who just completed her student teaching in core III secondary, has a position at Bolton Middle School.

Mitch Sakofs and Dan Rothermel report that Christine Kendall (secondary English) will be teaching 8th grade language arts at Carmen Arace Middle School in Bloomfield, CT.

Mitch Sakofs reports that Caragh O'Brien was offered a position in Sec English in Tolland.

Mitch Sakofs reports that Kathy Rosen has been asked to teach summer school at Mohegan Elementary School.

Dan Rothermel, Jeanelle Bland, and Mitch Sakofs report that Vicenza Benoit that she has just been hired in South Carolina as a 4th gr classroom teacher in the Varennes Elementary School, Anderson District 5 Schools, Anderson, South Carolina, Dr. Mary Paul, Principal.

Dan Rothermel reports that "one of our core III secondary student, Maggie Tarbox, has just accepted a position to teach 7th grade language arts at Bloomfield's Carmen Arace Middle School.

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Call for Graduating Senior Information
A request from Institutional Research -
Please share news about the plans of graduating seniors.
If they are going on to graduate school, please provide the graduate's name, undergraduate major,
graduate university, location (city, state), field of study and degree program sought, and any information
on scholarships and/or fellowships.
If they have been accepted for employment positions, please provide the graduate's name,
undergraduate major, company, location (city, state), position, salary.
Please email the information to David, who will compile it for the department. Thanks.
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Other Events
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ECSU - ThinkQuest for Tomorrow's Teachers Projects

Faculty members and students from Eastern Connecticut State University participated in a US Department of Education grant to Prepare Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology with ThinkQuest
[ http://www.preservice.org/] and 13 other universities throughout the US. This project's homepage may be found at http://www.preservice.org/ecsu/ .
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Long Term Announcements
Alumni news may be found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/alumninews.html.
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Planning

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Past surveys of our graduates are available on the WWW -
an analysis of the survey of teacher education program graduates 1996-98
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/survey9698.htm
results of the survey of teacher education program graduates - 1996-1998 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/surveyresults9698.htm, and
results of the survey of teacher education program graduates - 1998-2000 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradsurvey2001.htm
survey of interests in graduate programs -1999,
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey1999.htm
survey of interests in graduate programs - 2001
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey2001.htm
Planning forms for field experiences and student teaching for Spring 2003 are now posted at
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stinfo.doc
and
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stpreferencefall2003.doc
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Research and Creativity Activities
chronicling the ongoing progress of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University

also found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/rca.html

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searches pending approval -
we had requested temporary full-time one-year appointments in Learning and Teaching,
Reading/Language Arts, and for a Director of Educational Experience

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Recently acquired media - in the Chair's Office or on the Web

America's Children:  Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2003.  Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.

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Please contact David Stoloff at (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu if you have any questions or comments on this newsletter. Please invite others to receive this newsletter and be added
to the Education Department e-mailing list by contacting David Stoloff.