School of Education Newsletter, Volume 6, issue 4

Update from the Dean

Dear Friends of the UW Tacoma School of Education,

I hope you and yours have had time for rest and restoration this summer 2024.

In this edition of our e3 summer 2024 mini-newsletter, we spotlight a few recent happenings in the School of Education. We are delighted to welcome Ty Halton, our new Academic Advisor/Recruitment & Retention Specialist. You will get to know Maricel Reynolds, one of our outstanding graduate students who is enrolled in our Educational Administration program. You will learn about dynamic partnership-building efforts in South Africa from Dr. Christopher Knaus, Professor/EdD Faculty Director and Dr. M. Billye Sankofa Waters, Assistant Professor. 

We also welcomed new cohorts to our graduate-level Educational Administration and Teacher Certification Programs this summer 2024 and are honored to partner with the next generation of equity-conscious educators and leaders who will make a positive impact in the field for many years to come.

Finally, with deep sadness, we recently learned that Mr. Keith Moore, a beloved member of our Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD) community, passed away on June 24, 2024. We send light and loving thoughts to Mr. Moore’s family and many loved ones as we celebrate his life and all of the joy that he brought to us and the world.

Special thanks to Brian Anderson and Cody Clark from the UW Office of Advancement, as well as Taylor Merwin, Janne Heckeroth, and Donna Braboy from the UW Tacoma School of Education for supporting the creation of our summer 2024 e3 mini-newsletter.

I look forward to staying in touch. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of summer 2024. 

Respectfully,

Rachel Endo
Dean & Professor, School of Education

Welcome, Ty Halton

The School of Education is delighted to announce that Ty Halton has joined our team on August 12, 2024 as our new Academic Advisor/Recruitment & Retention Specialist. Halton joins our Advising Team under the leadership of Ashley Walker, Advising Lead. 

1. Welcome to UW Tacoma! Tell us a bit about your professional journey and what led you to a career in academic advising.

Prior to joining the team at UW Tacoma, I worked as a Senior Admissions Associate at California Aeronautical University (CAU), where I had the privilege of working with students from all walks of life. Before CAU, I was working with the International Program through the CSU system as an Outgoing Student Advisor. I have always had a passion for helping others and education, and becoming an academic advisor is an excellent way to combine both of those passions.

2. What are you most looking forward to in your new role as an academic advisor in the School of Education?

I am most looking forward to working with students and doing what I can to help them succeed in their objectives. I am also looking forward getting acquainted with the surrounding community so that I can better serve our students.

3. What are your thoughts on the unique challenges and opportunities facing students in the education field today?

There are definitely unique challenges and opportunities for students in the education field today. One of the biggest challenges is adapting to rapidly changing technology and integrating it effectively into the classroom. This requires continuous learning and flexibility. Another challenge is addressing the diverse needs of students, including those with special needs and those from various cultural backgrounds. On the flip side, these challenges also present opportunities. For instance, technology can enhance learning experiences and provide new ways to engage students. Additionally, the focus on diversity and inclusion can help future educators develop more inclusive teaching practices that benefit all students. It's a dynamic field with a lot of potential for growth and positive impact.

4. Is there a particular mentor or role model who has inspired you in your career or personal life?

Over the course of my career (educational and professional), I have had the privilege of learning from and working with many people who have inspired me in a number of ways. Working alongside Tamu Smith-Kohls and Patricia Rudzitis at CAU was the most rewarding experience because these two women not only introduced me to the principles of student recruitment and retention, but also the nurtured my leadership skills, showing genuine interest in my professional development, which is something I hope to perpetuate at UW Tacoma. On the personal side, Dr. Maria-Tania Bandes B. Weingarden instilled in me the value of education (and my love of the Pacific Northwest), and, alongside her wife, has always been amongst my greatest supporters.

5. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy traveling and have spent a lot of time in Ghana and Greece. I am also an avid participant in the performing arts: acting, playwriting, singing - you name it. The community I have found amongst theatre makers is absolutely astounding, and something I look for no matter where I find myself in the world. 

Ashley Walker, Advising Lead of the School of Education remarks: “I am excited to have Ty join our School of Education team and the UW Tacoma community. Ty's professional experiences include working with underserved and underrepresented adult learners, enrollment management, relational connection with the communities they serve, while empathetically applying a holistic and authentic lens that encompasses our School's mission and values.”

Get to know Maricel Reynolds

Maricel Reynolds is currently a graduate student in our Educational Administration program who is looking forward to a future as a school leader who will continue to mentor and serve others. 

1. What motivated you to pursue a career in educational administration?

I had the chance to mentor teachers within my own school, explaining the reasons behind new initiatives and changes from higher up. I enjoyed this role, helping teachers streamline processes and showing them that systems can support rather than complicate their efforts to make students successful. Or I sat with them empathizing with the need to challenge the status quo. After the school year ended, I received feedback asking, "Maricel, why aren't you the principal?" I shared this with my husband, and he echoed the same sentiment. He noted that I seemed to enjoy mentoring as much as I do working with students. So, the straightforward answer is that my motivation comes from my deep commitment to the success of both teachers and students.

2. How do you balance the demands of your studies with your current responsibilities as an educator?

Intentionally. It is a lot of prioritizing and time blocking and choosing what matters most to me. I am lucky to have a wonderful family and support system of people cheering me on and reminding me of my vision and passion for teachers and students.

3. Could you share a highlight from your time as a student?

A highlight from the Educational Administration program is sharing what is called “Where I am From Poems” that give context to who we were before this step in our lives and it bonded us as a cohort. I know that beyond this program, I have a group of people who know me professionally, who understand my present passions, and even share them, but also have a glimpse into my past.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to other teachers considering a career in educational administration, what would it be?

Come ready to be vulnerable, challenged, but also affirmed. The program here at UW Tacoma is rigorous but so worth it.

Global Partnership-Building in South Africa

By Dr. Christopher Knaus & Dr. M. Billye Sankofa Waters

As a follow up to previous collaborations in South Africa, we organized a research and partnership building trip to Southern Africa in April 2024. The trip began with a week in Eswatini, a beautiful country bordering on Mozambique and South Africa. This included a collaborative keynote (“Decolonising Intertwined Minds: Strategic Dreaming Across Anti-Black Societies”) at the Southern Africa-based Teacher Education & Interdisciplinary Research conference by us, along with Dr. Martin P. Smith, Dean of Academic Affairs & Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at Duke University. 

During this time, we further strengthened partnerships with colleagues at the University of Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba campus, including preparations for upcoming research workshops and local site visits. After Eswatini, the team drove from Ezulwini to Tshwane, South Africa, and picked up Dr. Ivan Harrell, II, President of Tacoma Community College, in preparation for a road trip to two rural villages. At this point, the team consisted of seven Southern African scholar-practitioners (led by Professor Veli Gasa and Dr. Bunki Pitsoane), as well as President Harrell and us.

The first stop was Seabe, a small traditional village in Mpumalanga, where we met with representatives from the senior traditional leader, visited Ramoshidi Technical High School, and Gonafela Letlole Academy, a technical, vocational education, and training institute (similar to technical colleges in the US). Both are eager to serve as sites for future research partnerships. 

From there, we drove to Thohoyandou, Venda, located in the remote northern part of South Africa, nestled between Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. We visited colleagues at the University of Venda, met with local youth leaders, and had an intimate learning session with the senior Traditional Leader of the Vuu La Vho Tshitavhe, who shared Indigenous histories and long-standing resistance efforts to apartheid, Western influence, and contemporary colonial efforts by US agencies and universities.

After returning home, Dr. Knaus and President Harrell presented to the Tacoma Community College Board of Trustees, as we lay a foundation for future partnership building and potential student opportunities. We are currently busy planning follow up visits to Seabe, Venda, and northern Namibia to initiate community grounded research projects, strengthen partnerships and related supports, and continue to center Black Indigeneity as pathways to transform educational systems.

EdS Program Graduates Inaugural Cohort in June 2024

The Educational Specialist (EdS) in School Psychology Program has been widely recognized for graduating its inaugural cohort this June 2024 and for its transformative impact in our region. A news story “First Cohort of New UW Tacoma Psychology Program Graduates" by Antoinette Alexander, appeared in South Sound Business on June 19, 2024, in the South Sound Business, a magazine/website published by Premier Media (also publishes South Sound Magazine, 425 Business and 425 Magazine) based on a UW Tacoma feature story.

Dr. Laura Feuerborn, Faculty Director of the EdS program, is also honored to share that the inaugural cohort has a 100% job-placement rate. The School of Education offers a heartfelt congratulations to the cohort (and now Class of 2024)—we are incredibly proud of your collective and individual accomplishments.

Faculty, Staff, Student & Alumni Accomplishments

We are proud to spotlight the accomplishments of some of our amazing alumni/current students, faculty, and staff. These are not exhaustive.

Julia Aguirre, Professor & Faculty Director of Teacher Certification Programs

CONFERENCES

• Aguirre, J. M. (07/2024). Culturally responsive mathematics teaching and learning in elementary mathematics. Collaborative workshop. Co-presenter. International Congress in Mathematics Education15. Sydney, Australia.
• Aguirre, J. M. (07/2024). Cultivating civic empathy and equity with culturally responsive mathematical modeling. Keynote Presentation. Psychology of Mathematics Education. Teacher Day. Auckland, New Zealand.

Rachel Endo, Professor & Dean

AWARD

• Dr. Endo is the recipient of a 2024 Women Worth Watchingaward through Profiles in Diversity Journal. Award “recognize[s] the dynamic women who are using their talents and influence to enhance [the] workplace and change our world’” and those considered to be “outstanding women leaders across the world.”

PRESENTATIONS

• Endo, R. (06/2024). Invited Keynote. The value of Ethnic Studies to engage and uplift communities and schools in trying times. Highline School District’s Culturally Responsive Teaching & Ethnic Studies Institute. Des Moines, WA.
• Endo, R. (06/2024). Invited faculty member for the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education’s New Deans and Leadership Academy in Cleveland, OH in June 2024. The academy is an annual 3-day immersive experiences offering new department chairs, associate deans, and deans in educator preparation programs across the nation with information about developing and enhancing their leadership skills, address current issues, and return to their home institutions to more effectively and impactfully deliver across functions and responsibilities. Invited academy faculty are current or former deans of education with proven track records of highly effective leadership.

PUBLICATION

• Endo, R. (07/2024). Review of The literature of Japanese American incarceration (by Frank Abe & Lloyd Cheung). Nichi Bei News.

Kurt Hatch, Professor of Practice & Director of Educational Administration Program

AWARD

• Dr. Hatch is the recipient of the first Boundary Spanner Award through the UW School Mental Health Assessment Research and Technical Assistance (SMART) Center. The award recognizes the "individual who best exemplifies the critical and challenging quest to convene and engage educational leaders, teachers, researchers, practitioners, students, families, and others in the work of implementation science, leadership and school mental health.”

PRESENTATION

• Hatch, K. (07/2024). Empowering excellence: Co-designing systems through instructional leadership [Keynote presentation]. 2024 OSPI/WASA Integrated MTSS Conference, Washington State University, Pullman, WA.

GRANT

• Locke, J., Lyon, A., & Kurt, H. (2024). Testing the efficacy of the Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize Evidence (HELM) implementation strategy (Grant No. R305A240030). National Center for Education Research (NCER), UW. Available: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=5981

Christopher B. Knaus, Professor & EdD Program Director

MEDIA CITATION

• Knaus, C. B. (07/2024). Quoted in “Advancing social justice through scholarly work.” Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 20-21. Learn more: https://www.diverseeducation.com/leadership-policy/article/15679126/advancing-social-justice-through-scholarly-work

PUBLICATION

• Gumbo, M. T., Gaotlhobogwe, M., Pedzisai, C., Mybert, Z., Jojo, M., & Knaus, C. B. (Editors) (2024). Global perspectives on decolonizing postgraduate education. IGI Global. Learn more: https://www.igi-global.com/book/global-perspectives-decolonizing-postgraduate-education/327290

Taylor Merwin, IT Administrative Assistant I

DEGREE

• We extend our congratulations to Taylor on graduating this past spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. This accomplishment reflects their dedication and hard work, and we look forward to their continued contributions.

José Rios, Associate Professor

PUBLICATION

• Kim, C., Borda, E., Geary, E., Sorensen, J., Dechaine, J. M., Rios, J., & McNamara, J. (2024). What if universities started collaborating more and competing less? An approach for statewide shared responsibility for STEM teacher education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 56(3), 15–22. https://doi-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.1080/00091383.2024.2349437

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