School of Education News
Find the latest news from the pro School of Education.
pro’s School of Education has partnered with St. Louis Catholic Academy, beginning a first-of-its-kind affiliation for SLU’s School of Education. The SLU School of Education will provide resources to St. Louis Catholic Academy’s middle school, starting with the current school year.
On Sept. 25, 2024, members of the pro School of Education gathered to celebrate the recipients of this year’s Faculty and Staff pro Awards.
In 1925, the School of Education proudly opened its doors and has since educated thousands of teachers and school leaders rooted in excellence, integrity, and respect for every person. Grounded in our Catholic Jesuit tradition, today the school continues to vigorously pursue its mission of outreach to support the community broadly, with a focus on those historically underserved.
SLU announced a historic donation to the University’s School of Education from physician and alumna Virginia (Ginny) Herrmann, M.D., which The will establish the Herrmann Center for Innovative Catholic Education.
In the summer of 2024, three School of Education faculty members traveled to Belize to continue the work of helping to improve the current educational policies surrounding special education, as well as to support the teachers who work there full time.
On July 10, 2024, pro’s School of Education celebrated the fifth year of the STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU program in SLU’s Il Monastero. The STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU program is one of three Master of Arts in Teaching pathways offered in the School of Education.
pro's School of Education recently concluded its second year hosting Access Academies' mandatory three-week summer school program, which commenced at SLU after Memorial Day. The program, designed to prepare middle school students for success in high school and beyond, is rooted in Access Academies’ pillars of enrichment, counseling and scholarships.
Molly Craig, a recent graduate from the pro School of Education, was recognized as one of the 2024 Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow by the Missouri Milken Educators. The award, a collaboration between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and previous Milken Educator award winners, celebrates individuals who have demonstrated high potential to achieve greatness in education and gives them the tools to continue that greatness as they become first-year teachers.
pro’s Billiken Teacher Corps, in an effort to meet the demand for Catholic school educators throughout St. Louis, will add a new pathway for the 2024-25 school year for participants to earn their Master of Arts in Teaching with Certification. The program, the Billiken Teacher Corps: MAT Magis, will join the Billiken Teacher Corps: Cura Community as an option to earn an MAT while also dedicating themselves to education and deepening their faith.
pro (SLU) is proud to announce a strategic partnership involving SLU’s School of Education, the School of Science and Engineering, and the Institute for STEM Collaboration, Outreach, Research and Education (iSCORE). This collaboration aims to enhance educational research and establish innovative teaching and learning practices in STEM fields.
Christa Jackson, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Studies at pro, has recently published two book series.
J. Cameron Anglum, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education Policy and Equity at pro’s School of Education, and Jason Jabbari, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Community Partnerships at the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, received funding from the Center on Reinventing Public Education to study how Covid-19 has affected high school students and recent graduates.
Members of pro’s School of Education, partner school districts, and the education community joined together for two days in March for a kickoff event of the Rising Teachers Program. The event offered an opportunity to introduce Karen Collins-Adams, Ed.D., Project Director. Collins-Adams is a former administrator in the Hazelwood School District.
Members of pro’s School of Education are honored this spring with prestigious pro awards.
The Consortium for Human Flourishing, in collaboration with the Flourishing Network hosted by the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, and the Brookings Institution, will host the fourth annual Education for Flourishing conference.
For the second time in as many years, Sonia Kulkarni was the last one standing.
pro's School of Education received a $5.96 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address teacher shortages in underserved communities. Through an inventive pilot program, SLU will enroll up to 80 professionals with associate's degrees who are already working in school settings in a two-year program, where they will receive a full teaching degree upon completion.
Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D., a professor of higher education and associate dean at pro’s School of Education, has been named an inaugural advisory board member for a new consultation on the future of church-related universities.
In mid-September, SLU welcomed superintendents from 19 dioceses and archdioceses to gather and discuss challenges facing Catholic education. Professionals from across the South and Midwest, including Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, traveled to St. Louis to lend their expertise and voice to the conversation to advance a vision for the future of Catholic education.
What is your passion? For many, this question is a mystery - the answer is found through lifelong experience and personal drive. For Gracie LaBlance, she has known the answer to this question since she was in the first grade.
In the summer of 2023, faculty, staff, and doctoral students from pro’s School of Education traveled to Belize to continue collaborating with partner Catholic Jesuit schools, St. John’s Junior College and St. Martin de Porres.
pro (SLU) is proud to announce a significant enhancement to its commitment to education and community development through the addition of Frontier Schools in Kansas City to its public charter school portfolio.
Jennifer Buehler, Ph.D., associate professor of educational studies in the pro School of Education, is passionate about young adult (YA) literature, which honors the questions and concerns of adolescence.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to welcome five new faculty members who joined the University this semester.
pro’s Interdisciplinary Center for Autism Services hosted children with neurodevelopmental delays in June. Campers participated in a variety of fun activities, with the weeklong camp kicking off with a scavenger hunt for penguins scattered around SLU’s campus.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office hosted their week-long 2023 National Summer Teacher Institute on pro’s campus in July. Teachers from throughout the United States attended the event to gain insight into how they can inspire and support the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.
pro's School of Education is pleased to partner this summer with Confluence Preparatory Academy (CPA). Confluence Preparatory Academy, a St. Louis high school that is a member of a collaborative network of unique schools in an urban setting, is dedicated to providing educational experiences to its students. In their mission to raise up students with creativity, critical thinking skills, and empathy, CPA wants to develop lifelong learners who invest in their community and future.
The pro School of Education is pleased to name H. Eric Clark, Ed.D., the recipient of this year’s Alumni Merit Award.
The PRiME Center is excited to announce its new executive team. “I couldn’t be more excited to introduce Collin Hitt, Ph.D., as the new Executive Director and Ashley Burle as the new Chief of Operations of the PRiME Center,” said Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the pro School of Education.
pro’s School of Education is excited to introduce a redesigned Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program. Beginning in Fall 2023, the program will be online and thus accessible to educators across Missouri and beyond state lines.
After more than two hours of intense competition, matching brainpower with perseverance and the occasional heartbreak, the 2023 regional Scripps Spelling Bee at pro came down to one final contestant, with one final word: "drumlin."
As part of its commitment to promote youth education in the St. Louis community, pro’s School of Education is proud to announce it is an official 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee regional partner to give local students and schools the opportunity to participate in America’s longest-running educational competition.
John James, Ed.D., professor of educational leadership, and Maureen Wangard, Ph.D., director of graduate admissions in the School of Education, attended the World Union of Catholic Teachers (WUCT) conference in Rome in mid-November, which included an audience with Pope Francis.
The pro School of Education (SOE) continued its work on student well-being and flourishing this year. A key component of this effort is the work of SLU School of Education Assistant Professor Amrita Chaturvedi, Ph.D., who leads the Consortium for Human Flourishing at SLU.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to announce that Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D., will be inducted to the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) College Student Educators International Diamond Honoree Class of 2023. Schaller is committed to student learning and development. The prestigious recognition celebrates her substantive and meaningful contributions to her students and the field of student affairs.
pro School of Education’s Assistant Professor J. Cameron Anglum, Ph.D., in collaboration with Kansas State University’s Assistant Professor Tuan Nguyen, Ph.D., recently secured a more than $490,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Anglum, the co-principal investigator, and Nguyen, the principal investigator, are studying employment patterns of public school teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
With much fanfare, pro’s School of Education (SOE) recently celebrated the redesign of its undergraduate curriculum.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to welcome new faculty members this fall who bring their expertise to three programs: graduate educational studies, undergraduate teacher education, and educational leadership.
The August SLU/YouGov Poll interviewed 900 likely Missouri voters about political and education issues facing Missouri. Voters are divided on federal student loan forgiveness but support raising teachers’ salaries, pre-kindergarten funding, free meals for students regardless of income and allowing students to enroll in public schools outside their districts.
pro’s School of Education recently received a $1.3M grant for three additional years of external funding from the Walton Family Foundation to support its PRiME (Policy Research in Missouri Education) Center through 2025. The additional funding will allow continued growth and outreach activities of the center.
pro’s School of Education welcomed Christa Jackson, Ph.D. to the teacher education faculty in August 2021. Now, she is making great strides in providing underrepresented students access and opportunities in the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through the Institute for STEM Collaboration, Outreach, Research, and Education (iSCORE).
pro’s School of Education is pleased to announce that Alexandra Boyd, Ph.D., joined the school as the Executive Director of Public Charter School Partnerships in July.
In April 2022, pro’s School of Education hosted members of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) Education Deans Conference.
On June 6, 2022, pro’s School of Education unveiled the name of their newest alternative pathway in the teacher-certification program: The STL Teaching Fellows @ SLU.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to announce three job opportunities.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to offer the Chris Collins, S.J., Future Urban Teachers Scholarship. The endowed scholarship will provide tuition support to students in the School of Education who commit to teach in an urban school, with first consideration given to students whose passion is to teach in urban, Catholic schools.
Ronny O'Dwyer, S.J., assistant professor in the School of Education, will take a leave of absence from pro to become the interim president of De Smet Jesuit High School.
Earlier this semester, pro welcomed Jonathan Turk, Ph.D., a new assistant professor of higher education administration in the School of Education. Turk, who is teaching a graduate level research methodology class this fall, is excited to work with students while pursuing research revolving around community college education and the elimination of equity gaps in higher education.
St. Louis, Mo. – The Policy Research in Missouri Education (PRiME) Center at pro issued its first Missouri Statewide Student Growth report today (Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021), highlighting the top schools for student growth across Missouri.
pro’s School of Education is excited to announce the rollout of its newly redesigned undergraduate teacher education curriculum, which will be implemented in fall 2022. SLU’s Bachelor of Arts in Education program is grounded in Jesuit and Catholic values and includes such hallmarks as a focus on equity guided by inquiry for the purpose of advocacy.
The Grow Your Own Teacher (GYOT) program is a new initiative designed to build a diverse and talented local teacher pipeline by investing in local students who want to be educators in our community. The program encourages these students by connecting them to an education at pro’s School of Education (SOE).
In late August, the School of Education celebrated the opening of the fall 2021 semester with faculty and staff gathering at the White House Jesuit Retreat Center.
The educational leadership program at pro is fortunate to have several attorneys with knowledge about legal issues in education who serve as instructors for their school law courses.
In the United States, low-income and minority students are completing college at low rates compared to higher-income and majority peers — a detriment to reducing economic inequality. Double-dose algebra could be a solution, according to a new study.
pro’s School of Education was pleased to honor the graduating class of 2021 at an in-person precommencement ceremony on May 18.
During the May 2021 School of Education pre-commencement ceremony, six students were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the School.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to announce that Kelly Ivy is joining the Master of Arts in Teaching program as a visiting faculty member this fall.
pro’s School of Education will welcome Christa Jackson, Ph.D., to the teacher education faculty in August 2021.
Caruso will join the educational leadership program as an associate professor.
Jonathan M. Turk, Ph.D. will join pro’s School of Education as an assistant professor in the higher education administration program in August 2021.
As educators wrestle with urgent questions surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on their students’ educational progress and well-being, state and local leaders will join SLU experts to look ahead to next year’s challenges.
In 2014, a group of professors from the School of Education at pro was contacted by Archbishop Carlson of Saint Louis to discuss the possibilities of supporting Belize’s educational system, which was highly underrepresented in early childhood education and special education.
pro’s School of Education is pleased to announce that Karen I. Hall, Ed.D. will join the educational leadership program as an assistant professor this fall.
Catholic educators in St. Louis are familiar with the outstanding education provided by Loyola Academy. Recently, Jesuits of the Central and Southern Province spotlighted the efforts of pro’s School of Education alumnus, Eric Clark, Ed.D., President of Loyola Academy in St. Louis.
pro students interested in graduate school are encouraged to apply for one of 10 full-tuition scholarships funded through a new partnership between SLU and St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). Students must apply by March 1 to be considered.
Families seeking an evaluation to determine whether their child has a medical diagnosis of autism now have another option in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area: The Interdisciplinary Center for Autism Services in the School of Education at pro.
Jaime Welborn, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational leadership in the School of Education, brings expertise to the topic of cultural proficiency through her research and practice.
The School of Education's doctoral educational leadership program had record enrollment numbers in the fall of 2020.
Since 2015, the Billiken Teacher Corps (BTC) at pro has placed new teachers in some of St. Louis’ hardest to staff Catholic schools. Beginning in 2021, the program will send teachers to St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Springfield, Illinois.
In fall 2020, SLU's School of Education is serving more than 40 students who are working full-time in local schools while pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with alternative certification.
Learn why students chose pro's Ph.D. in Education Policy and Equity program.
Since the beginning of August, pro’s School of Education has had the opportunity to work with Confluence Preparatory Academy (CPA) to build a program to tutor incoming first-year high school students in math.
Every year, the pro School of Education is pleased to recognize outstanding graduate and undergraduate students through numerous student awards.
Molly A. Schaller, Ph.D., has recently been appointed to the position of Associate Dean of the School of Education.
A new pro/YouGov Poll finds Missouri voters with school-age children were more likely to state they had been impacted by the pandemic, with 58% of voters with children stating they have implemented some sort of home learning.
Whether by assisting middle school math teachers, teaching students to use technology in a new way, helping design a virtual tutoring program, or sharing their career aspirations, SLU students are impacting schools and organizations locally and across the state.
A new pro/YouGov Poll finds 51% of likely Missouri voters disapprove of how President Donald Trump has handled the COVID-19 pandemic
The School of Education at pro has recently partnered with Access Academies to help provide summer tutors for their Summer Bridge Program, which aims to support current 8th grade graduates from local schools.
On July 13, pro will release the first in a series of survey results focused on issues Missourians will face at the ballot box and in their daily lives.
By integrating Access’ successful graduate support programs into the SLU School of Education, the partnership aims to better serve Academy students across St. Louis.
pro’s School of Education is excited to announce the creation of a new degree option—the Master of Arts in Education Principles and Practices.
The School of Education is pleased to name Alice F. Roach, Ed.D. the recipient of this year’s Alumni Merit Award.
Gary Ritter, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Education, was interviewed in March on St. Louis on the Air on NPR, a radio show dedicated to bringing listeners the stories of St. Louis and exploring the challenges confronting the region.
The Kashi School Project, an initiative of the Kashi Initiative for Global Citizenship and Education, was created in Summer 2019 to deliver high-quality educational services to underprivileged children living on the outskirts of Varanasi, India.
In early March, three faculty members from the School of Education had the opportunity to travel to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, to experience the culture, visit the schools there, and propose ideas for supporting the community.
In November, five pro School of Education students attended the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Nashville, TN, along with SLU early childhood and early childhood special education faculty.
Donna Jahnke, Ph.D., retired superintendent of Ladue School District, has returned to the classroom—this time teaching students at pro's School of Education.
Retha Meier, Ph.D. has been teaching at pro for over 25 years and her research is more relevant than ever.
pro welcomed Kelvin Adams, Ph.D., as the inaugural speaker of School of Education Lecture Series.
pro’s School of Education is excited to announce the creation of a new degree option—the Master of Arts in Education Principles and Practices.
In November, five pro School of Education students attended the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Nashville, TN, along with SLU early childhood and early childhood special education faculty.
The pro School of Education has partnered with St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) to establish a University-District partnership focused on the analysis of educational data to support educators and school leaders.
Cameron Anglum, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the educational studies department in pro’s School of Education, has a rather unique and circuitous path which led him to his current position.
Scott Spurgeon, Ed.D. (Ed '03) currently serves as Superintendent of Riverview Gardens School District in St. Louis and was named 2020 Superintendent of the Year at the 2019 MSBA/MASA Annual Conference.
The School of Education is pleased to welcome Howard Fuller, Ph.D., to pro on October 17.
pro's Billiken Teacher Corps is celebrating five years of serving local Catholic schools.
The School of Education and the Office of the Vice President for Research are pleased to announce the fall 2019 pro Education Speaker Series.
This summer, the pro School of Education partnered with St. Louis Public Schools to create an ACT prep program with the aim of creating a path to college for local high school students.
The Ability Institute now includes an international site for the Ability Ally exhibit and workshops in Belize.
As pro wrapped another academic year, students beat their finals stress by sampling tasty ice cream treats, spending time with equine and canine therapists and by taking their shots at dunking deans.