Fifth Week, Summer Session 1 - June 21, 2004, Education Department Newsletter, Eastern Connecticut State University

My favorite quotation for today is from Henry David Thoreau: "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

From the current homepage of Dr. James Schmotter, the newly appointed Western CSU President at
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~jschmott/main.html

First, I would like to thank you for your help in forwarding my previous email to your students and to your education alumni. We were pleased with the number of students and alumni who contacted us to inquire about NY Urban Teachers following that email.

While I know I recently contacted you, and for many of you the school year has concluded, I did want to ask for your help once again as our final application deadline approaches on June 28^th.

As you already know, through our Subject Conversion program,* teachers may be eligible to add a second certificate in a shortage subject such as math, science, Spanish, bilingual education or special education.

In addition to adding a new certificate, Urban Teachers may be eligible for the Teachers of Tomorrow program which offers a grant of up to $3,400 per year for up to four years to pay back the cost of coursework needed for certification.

Your students and alumni may also be interested to learn of NYC’s initiative to open almost 50 small schools this fall. These new schools will enroll fewer than 500 students and will partner with community and non-profit organizations, often introducing a theme or specialty for its program.

I would appreciate it if you could please forward this email to a class listserv and to any soon-to-be or recent graduates or alumni who you think would like to teach in New York City and add another certification. Please note that our final application deadline is June 28^th.

I very much appreciate your continued assistance as we work to bring excellent, certified teachers to New York City’s public schools.

Eastern Connecticut State University announces openings for two, 19-hour-per-week University Assistant positions in the Education Department, paying a negotiable hourly rate.

The University Assistant for CARE serves as administrative assistant to the faculty committee on CARE, and in that capacity helps to provide input into, organizes, and implements policies and practices set by the faculty committee, as well as keeps minutes and records of committee proceedings, and other related duties.

The University Assistant for CARE may also serve as a designated Admissions Adviser to Education programs, and in that capacity maintain office hours for potential teacher candidates and their parents, plan and present group advisement sessions for transfer and new students at Advisement Center orientations, in prerequisite courses, at two Admissions Office Sunday events, and in other settings. The Admissions Adviser also participates in discussions and sessions with Eastern’s Office of Admissions, Advisement Center, and with similar offices at community colleges in the region.

Preferred qualifications include: experience in school teaching and/or administration; in-depth knowledge – or being a quick study to acquire in-depth knowledge – of Connecticut licensure requirements and Eastern teacher education programs; excellent organizational and general administrative skills; facility with Microsoft Access or a knack for and willingness promptly to acquire such skills; respect and appreciation for faculty governance and committee processes; flexibility, as the position may be further shaped and refined in the context of the team we have; and excellent human relations skills in working with students, families, and colleagues.

Collaborates with: Faculty and staff at Eastern and in school districts where we place our students

The University Assistant for Candidate Field Placement in Schools serves as administrative assistant to the Director of Educational Experiences, and as a support staff member to the faculty, in several aspects of the placement, tracking, and troubleshooting of Eastern students engaged in pre-service field experiences in the schools and communities. Each semester presents a somewhat different picture of how students acquire field assignments (up to and including Student Teaching), and the relative amount of planning, site identification, communication, and oversight provided by Education faculty, liberal-arts faculty, the Director of Educational Experiences, and the Field Placements UA. Therefore, this UA position requires a combination of outstanding organizational and human-relations skills, along with both the initiative and the adaptability to step forward when needed, yet accommodate to and support faculty initiatives when they take the lead. Other preferred qualifications include: a facility with Microsoft Office Suite of Applications or a knack for and willingness promptly to acquire such skills; meaningful volunteer or employment experiences in elementary/secondary school settings; experience placing interns in practicum sites and helping to track and troubleshoot their progress; respect and appreciation for faculty and collaborative governance; respect and polish in working with on-campus and off-campus clients, ranging from Eastern students to across-campus faculty to administrators and teachers in the public schools; and flexibility, as the position may be further shaped and refined in the context of the team we have.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should submit the following materials: [1] Letter of application indicating which position is being applied for, and addressing the specific skills and experiences needed for that position; [2] A current resumé; [3] The names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references. Please send materials so that they arrive not later than Monday, June 21 at 4 p.m. to:

Questions about the positions may be directed to Dr. Stoloff : tel. no. (860) 465 - 5501
fax. no. (860) 465 - 5099 email: stoloffd@easternct.edu

Guess what I've been doing for the past 6 months?? I've been a full-time-long-term-sub in the New London Elementary schools as a music teacher. Yes, I was the best music teacher the children and principals had ever had, and I loved it. I am speaking in the past tense because I just stopped because they had to hire a real, certified-in-music music teacher, and because Pfizer where my husband works, has offered him a very good post in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sasha and I will be in the St. John English school, a private school in the Condado area. She is entering 9th grade and therefore, we will be there for at least 4 years. We are very excited and the place is beautiful and the people very warm and friendly. San Juan has many Lebanese people as well as many Ladino Jews. Deena, 23 just graduated with a masters in Physical therapy from UHa. She is going to Louisiana for her clinical before she joins us in PR in order to prepare for her Liscencing exam. The only 'child left behind' is Alexi, who will be 20 this summer and he is at Eastern as a sophomore. Tell me about you and the twins and the rest. Miss you, Diana

I am actually doing great! Immediately after finishing all coursework in
January, I landed a long-term substitute position at Litchfield High School,
teaching 7th and 8th grade Spanish. On April 1st, they hired me as a first
year teacher under a DSAP Certification. I will be at Litchfield until the
end of the year at which point I have the option of staying next year or
looking for another position. I have been applying to area schools for
positions in Early Childhood Education, where my actual certification lies.
In addition, I will be beginning Grad. School at CCSU this summer. I will
be taking up a M.A. in Modern Languages, studying in Spain, and applying for
a cross-endorsement in Elementary Spanish. I will definitely keep you
posted! Thanks again.

Sarah Orefice

Hello, more great news!! I was asked to be a Student Marshall at graduation
representing Sigma Delta Pi, the National Spanish Honors Society. I also
got engaged over the weekend and will be planning a wedding for June 2005!!!

posted on May 3, 2004

She writes that "in addition to using a website as a communications vehicle, I also use powerpoint in my classroom (to give notes). It is very effective because the kids really like it, so they pay attention. Also, I can put up a slide and walk around to ensure the kids are on task. I know that a lot of schools do not have the technology, we do not have smartboards or projectors, so I use a TV."

Hi Leah,

Just thought I would write and say hi! I am still at Dwight School teaching
Kindergarten Special Ed in Hartford. I absolutely love it this year! My

Best portfolio is coming along pretty good, it's a lot of work! Thank you for
preparing me for my career - I could not have done it without your support. I
would also like to thank Shirley, Diane, and Anne, if you could pass this
along to them!!

I also thought I would let you know that I got married last Feb. to Rob
before he left for Iraq - he will be coming home this Saturday after 13
months; we are having the official wedding this July so it will be exciting.
I am starting my masters this fall either at Mitchell College, they started
a new masters program. I am also looking into Eastern and Central. I would
like to either complete my masters in Special Ed or Reading and Literacy!

Well... Thanks you so much for all you did for me at Eastern. I will see

you next time you visit my school!!

Benjamin Carter Gwinnell was born on Friday, November 28, 2003 at 2:57 p.m. 8lbs3.5oz, 20.5 inches.

Call for Graduate News -

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.

Research and Creativity Activities
chronicling the ongoing progress of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University

departmental searches pending approval -
full-time tenure track faculty members to start in Fall 2005
in Learning and Teaching and
Reading/Language Arts

Before the school year ends I wanted to remind people that once again I will be conducting an intensive 3-day summer institute - Developing a Multicultural Curriculum - Multicultural Education and Its Application to Student Achievement. It will be held at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut August 17-18-19, 2004. This is the 10th year I have been offering this course. The fee is only $45 for all three days. This includes a comprehensive course manual, all training materials, 2.0 CEUs (20 hours of professional development), continental breakfast, and admission to the museum. Lunch is on your own. Hotel accommodations are not included but available close by. The museum is located 1 hour from Hartford, 2 ½ hours away from Cape Cod, 2 hours from Boston and 3 hours from New York City. Please pass the word on.

The application is located at:

Http://www.state.ct.us/sde/. Click on Agency Calendar. If you cannot download the brochure call or email me.

There is a block of rooms available at the Two Trees Inn down the road. The last day to book a room at Two Trees at the reduced rate is August 5th. Here's the block number for the August CT. Dept. of Education Diversity workshop: #TI7895 at Two Trees. Rooms are $79.00 plus tax. The TOLL FREE number for reservations is 1-800-369-9663 (1-800-FOXWOOD)

Here is some information about the museum - http://www.pequotmuseum.org/

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, a new state-of-the-art, tribally owned-and-operated complex, brings to life the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and serves as a major resource on the history of the Tribe, the histories and cultures of other tribes, and the region's natural history.

Utilizing the latest in exhibit design and technology and based on years of discussion with Tribal members and scholarly research, the institution, with a total project cost of $193.4 million, presents multi-sensory dioramas and exhibits of eastern woodland and Mashantucket Pequot life. Films and videos, interactive programs, archival materials, ethnographic and archaeological collections, and commissioned works of art and traditional crafts by Native artisans are featured in the exhibits.

The 308,000-square-foot complex, whose research facility serves as a major resource for scholars and the general public on American and Canadian Native histories and cultures, is one of the most innovative and comprehensive centers of its kind in the United States.

William A. Howe, Ed.D.
Education Consultant for Multicultural Education & Gender Equity
Connecticut State Department of Education - Office of Educational Equity
165 Capitol Ave. Rm 364, Hartford, CT 06106 <>Telephone: 860-713-6542 * Fax: 860-713-7021
email: william.howe@po.state.ct.us

9th Annual Connecticut Conference on Multicultural Education
Mon. Oct.18, 2004 Hartford, CT - Details at: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/calendar/index.htm
14th Annual NAME Conference - Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City,
Oct. 27-Oct. 31, 2004 - Details: http://www.nameorg.org

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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.