- WP, The Magazine of
- William Paterson University
- P.O. Box 913
- Wayne, NJ 07474-0913
- (973) 720-2967
- We welcome letters to the editor.
- Drop us a note via eamil at
- wpmag@wpunj.edu
- William Paterson University
Vanguards of EducationProject a Mirror Image of
Philosophy and Goals
--By Barbara E. Martin
He's been at William Paterson University for more than 30 years and she arrived just a year ago. Nevertheless, so tight has the bond between them grown, he now calls her his mirror image.
A shared belief in the power of education, particularly multicultural education, a strong current of communication, and a willingness to exert tremendous energy in implementing their ideas are at the core of the dynamic relationship between Leslie Agard-Jones, dean of the College of Education, and Maureen Gillette, associate dean of the College.
Their teamwork approach to running the College has resulted in tremendous growth during the past year. They shepherded their College through an intense accreditation process, instituted a new master's degree program in educational leadership, and restructured the College's departments. Their other accomplishments include the implementation of a five-year $8 million Federal grant and a $120,000 grant to establish a teacher recruitment program in Paterson.
[Photo: Ed Duroy (left),
superintendent of the Paterson School District; Lynn Liptak,
principal of School No. 2 in Paterson; leslie Agard-Jones, dean
of the College of Education; and Janis Strasser, assistant professor
of elementary and early childhood education; sign a compact of
agreement as part of the $8 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Education]
All this in addition to the daily events of leading the College, its faculty, and its students to achieve both short- and long-term goals.
They met professionally as panelists discussing multicultural education several years ago. Both had been involved in promoting this concept during their careers. Agard-Jones is a professor of African, African American and Caribbean studies, and was one of the founders of the fledgling department at William Paterson in 1970, after creating the Black Studies Department at St. John's University, his alma mater.
Gillette came to the University after nine years at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, where she was an associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education. "I had a job that I liked at St. Rose and I had no intention of leaving," she reports. When she found out about the search for an associate dean, she researched the University's Web site and was impressed by the diversity of the campus.
"I've been in multicultural education a long time, and I've never seen a University where diversity was so upfront in the mission statement," Gillette states. "I was impressed when I came here, seeing all kinds of people in all kinds of positions. Plus, the students were congenial and you don't find that on every campus. People are friendly, and there's a sense of community. It's a pleasant place to be and that makes it easier to do your job."
For his part, Agard-Jones had certain criteria in mind when he realized he was getting an associate dean. "I decided that I didn't want to have someone who would call me every five minutes when I'm away to ask, 'Should I do this, should I do that?'" he reports. "So during the entire search, the idea was to find someone who could actually be the mirror of the dean. The associate dean has to be someone who has the respect of the faculty, who's going to step in and do what needs to be done when they say it needs to be done, and who has the knowledge and skills to make things happen. I felt Maureen was the best of the best. I'm very comfortable that everything Maureen says, I'm going to agree with."
Despite the intensity of events at the College over the past year, there have been few conflicts. If some should arise, both are confident that talking things through will bring consensus. This belief on their part reflects the trust and communication inherent in their relationship. Furthermore, Agard-Jones believes in keeping Gillette current with the issues confronting the College. Both are consumed with the details of running the College and its programs, and despite an inclination to spare Gillette additional responsibilities, Agard-Jones keeps her in the loop.
"Recently, we've been involved with Title II (a new federally required teachers' exam), and one of the things that initially came to mind was to not involve Maureen in the process, because she's involved in all these other things. But then my thought was, 'If I'm not here and there's a decision to be made and she's out in the cold' Well, I don't want that to happen. So I bring to her, as I do to the College council, 'These are the things that are going on that we have to address,' and we work from there."
Over the past year, this has solidified their presence as a team. "I think it's interesting that people are used to seeing us together," Gillette remarks. "I noticed by the end of the year that people relate to me in a different way. They could relate to me as the second person here, but they don't do that because Les included me in everything. In fact, someone once asked if we ever go any place without each other. That's a huge part of the image that we want to present-here we are working together, we're on the same page, and we're going together in the same direction.
"Every project we do, people can see that both of us are committed and working on it and can call either one of us," Gillette continues. "In the beginning of last year, when I didn't know how much there was to do in this job, we had time almost every day to sit down at the end of the day to go over what happened. That was really helpful, but then as NCATE loomed we lost that time."
Chief among their accomplishments this year is the successful reaccreditation of the College by the National Council for Reaccreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Announced in October, this prestigious recognition by the national organization "reflects the last five years' achievement in meeting increasingly rigorous NCATE guidelines," reports Agard-Jones. "An intensive review of all undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation programs preceded an on-site evaluation by the NCATE board of examiners." Five years of data reflecting progress in four major areas were compiled to demonstrate adherence with NCATE standards. Portfolios of each area of teacher certification were submitted to the national educational organizations responsible for standards development. They were analyzed for compliance to standards through course offerings, syllabi, content, and methods of evaluating student performance.
[Photo:
The principals of the three Paterson high schools, (from left)
Richard Roberto, Kennedy High School; Sharon Smith, Rosa Parks
High School; and Robert Howell, Eastside High School; are all
William Paterson alumni]
The process culminated in April 2000 with a four-day visit to the College by NCATE's board of examiners, who visited programs, facilities, and services, interviewed facul-ty and students, read data-driven reports, and gathered input from surrounding communities substantiating the accomplishment of William Paterson students.
"We're grateful to all of our partners in the reaccreditation process for this successful effort," says Agard-Jones. "We should, however, bear in mind our need for continuous improvement and begin the 2005 reacreditation process right now."
Another focus, which underscores their commitment to education, is their support of and collaboration with school districts the state has identified as high-need districts. These include Paterson, Passaic, and Garfield, who are part of a federally funded grant project (see sidebar, page 19). But the City of Paterson and its needs remain a priority with the College of Education.
"One goal we have is to enhance our presence in Paterson as a group of people here in the College of Education who care about education in the Paterson community," Gillette states. "We want to respond to needs of the districts, so that when Paterson, or Passaic or Garfield, or any of the districts that are designated high-need districts by the state need something, we can assist them in any way we can."
"And consistently, not simply being there with what we have, but as Maureen says, responding to their needs," Agard-Jones adds. "In the past there were initiatives created at William Paterson and thrown into Paterson. What we're doing is different. We're saying to them, 'What is it that you need?'" As an example, he cites their work at School No. 25 in Paterson. Two years ago, they approached the superintendent of the Paterson schools and asked where they needed help. When told there were three schools that were especially needy, they focused on No. 25.
"We spoke to the principal. A group of our faculty went down and listened to their faculty," the dean remembers. "We have continued the relationship. And this is not funded by a grant, it's just something that I think the College has to do to help that particular school, in terms of raising the level of achievement of the students, helping the principal, and helping the faculty."
The impact of that endeavor is ongoing and deeply appreciated by the principal of School No. 25, Sandra Mickens. "Dr. Agard-Jones' endless support to our school has resulted in more collaborations coming into our building. Currently, we have tutors from the University working with our eighth graders. Last year, our GEPA scores increased dramatically, and we feel that the collaboration with the University helped to make the difference. He has been a tremendous support to elementary education in general and a great friend to Public School No. 25."
In another initiative which will further strengthen the connection to Paterson, the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation awarded $120,000 to the College of Education for a program designed to strengthen the recruitment and retention of teachers for the Paterson public schools. Titled Paterson Teachers for Tomorrow, it focuses on the estab- lishment and linking of Future Teachers of America (FTA) clubs at the three Paterson high schools: Eastside High School, Kennedy High School, and Rosa Parks High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Students who participate in the FTA clubs and meet William Paterson University admission criteria will be eligible to compete for full-tuition scholarships to the University for degrees leading to teacher certification. Upon graduation from William Paterson, the students are required to teach in Paterson for a minimum of three years.
"The Taub Foundation is excited about this opportunity to help students from Paterson become teachers and return to the city," says Fred Lafer, president of the foundation. "We are encouraged by the spirit, enthusiasm, and leadership shown by William Paterson University in advancing this project and we are happy to support it."
Gillette, who serves as coordinator of the project, believes the program will work to develop teachers with the knowledge, skills, and commitment to succeed in Paterson. "Teaching in an urban district poses special challenges, and especially requires teachers who understand the issues and needs of the community and who are committed to its students and their families," she explains.
Students in the Paterson FTA clubs will be linked with the University's College of Education through a number of campus groups, including the Elementary Education Club, the Council for Exceptional Children (special education club), and Kappa Delta Pi education honor society. A College of Education faculty member will serve as a liaison and mentor to each FTA club.
"The College of Education is strongly committed to fostering excellent teachers for Paterson, a school district with which the University shares a long history reaching back to 1855, when William Paterson was founded as the city's normal school to train teachers," says Gillette. "We are especially excited to work with our alumni on this project."
In fact, alumni pepper the school districts surrounding William Paterson. Many who are now colleagues sat in classrooms where Agard-Jones taught over the years. The principals of the three Paterson high schools Robert Howell, Eastside High School, Richard Roberto, Kennedy High School, and Sharon Smith, Rosa Parks High School were all born in Paterson and are graduates of William Paterson.
Agard-Jones and Gillette continue to be the vanguard in education, inspiring faculty and students. Their innovative programs not only benefit those who are being prepared to teach, but will also have a lasting impact on future generations of students of all ages." WP
