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Back in the 19th century, the state of North Carolina turned to the University in Chapel Hill when it needed training for teachers.

Back in the 19th century, the state of North Carolina turned to the University in Chapel Hill when it needed training for teachers.

Today, the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a national leader in teacher training, preparing educational leaders, researching how children learn and discovering and sharing best classroom practices. The school’s graduate programs were ranked in the top 15 percent of all graduate schools of education in the country by U.S. News & World Report in April.

“We are proud of the long history of the School of Education and the impact it has had on education,” said Bill McDiarmid, dean of the school. “Just as it was more than a century ago, our mission is to support students, educators, schools and families through innovative instructional programs, research and partnerships. We are looking forward to celebrating that work.”

The school will celebrate its 125-year record of service to North Carolina and education on Saturday (Sept. 25). The public is invited, but advance registration is required for some events. For more information, contact Laurie Norman at laurie_norman@unc.edu or (919) 843-6979. Parking is free in most campus lots on weekends. For details, visit http://soe.unc.edu/125years/event_details.php.

A constitutional mandate after the Civil War required the state to educate all children ages 6-18. In 1885, legislators provided funding to establish a department at UNC to train teachers, establishing the school as one of four professional schools created at Carolina during the 19th century.

Since its founding, the school has been called on to help the state adapt to changing economies and societal pressures.

“In the first part of the 20th century, we were transitioning from an agrarian society to an industrial society, and the schools were the place children were prepared with the attitudes and habits for that kind of world,” McDiarmid said.

Likewise, needs of the post-World War II era required the school to expand to serve the growing school populations of the baby boom generation. The school expanded enrollment in its undergraduate and graduate programs to help answer the demand for teachers, assistant principals, principals and school system superintendents. During the 1960s, nearly half of the graduate degrees conferred by Carolina were awarded through the school.

In April, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school 30th among public and private schools of education across the country. The magazine has ranked five of the school’s program areas in the top 20 nationwide in recent years: curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, elementary education, school counseling and special education.

“We are fortunate to be home to some of the top scholars in the nation,” McDiarmid said. “These scholars draw on cutting-edge research in their role as teachers committed to the preparation and support of educators, counselors and researchers. Their work also plays important roles in helping inform educational leaders, families and policymakers.”

The school’s anniversary events are set to begin Saturday morning (Sept. 25) with an alumni awards celebration at 10:30 a.m., in which the following six school alumni will be honored for their service in education.

  • Robert Bradley of Mesa, Ariz., a professor of education at the University of Arkansas and a leading researcher on early childhood development and the effects of child care. He helped develop the Home Observations for the Measurement of the Environment assessment tool, which predicts children’s later development.
  • Ed Dunlap Jr. of Raleigh, executive director of the N.C. School Boards Association. Dunlap has been credited with building partnerships among local educational leaders and state political leaders that have addressed school needs across North Carolina.
  • Wilma Peebles-Wilkins of Raleigh, a 40-year social work practitioner, administrator, educator and leader in the public and private sectors. For 12 years, she was dean of the Boston University School of Social Work, where she worked to make the school a leader in social work research and scholarship.
  • Sharon Rose Powell of Princeton, N.J., founding president of the Princeton Center for Leadership Training. In 30 years as an educator and leadership training consultant, Powell has been an innovator in the development of peer leadership models and is a well-known expert on the developmental concerns of adolescents.
  • Cynthia Thompson Rudolph of Huntersville, who teaches biology at Hopewell High School in Huntersville. Earlier this year, Rudolph was the only North Carolina teacher to win a Milken National Educator Award, which recognized her classroom innovations and efforts to help other teachers.
  • Betty Lou Whitford of Opelika, Ala., the new dean of the College of Education at Auburn University. Whitford has been a leader in school reform and creating collaborations between universities and schools. She previously was dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Southern Maine.

The school’s alumni association also will present its annual Peabody Award to Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. As presiding judge in the Leandro vs. North Carolina court case, Manning had far-reaching impact on public school education in North Carolina, with rulings that have compelled policymakers to develop new funding for schools serving low-income communities.

Four panel discussions in Peabody Hall will explore the theme “Stories That Changed the Face of Public Education.” Two discussions held concurrently at 2 p.m. will be “Discussing Desegregation in North Carolina” and “Creating Dynamic Leaders in Education.” A second pair of discussions at 3:15 p.m. will be “Leading the Way for Children with Special Needs” and “Developing Our Nation’s Top Educational Researchers.”

School reform leader Phil Schlechty will deliver a keynote address at 4:30 p.m. in the Carolina Inn. A former faculty member and associate dean in the UNC school, Schlechty heads the Schlechty Center, a private, nonprofit school reform organization in Louisville, Ky.

UNC School of Education contact: Michael Hobbs, michael_hobbs@unc.edu or (919) 962-8687.
News Services contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589

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