In May, President Daniel J. Elsener, Kenith Britt, Ph.D., dean of The Educators College, and Robert Behning, director of external affairs for The Educators College, visited Washington D.C. to share their vision for The Educators College which aims to prepare and develop educators who consistently achieve exemplary learning outcomes for all students served by our graduates and education partners.
During their visit, the three met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, as well as a congressional delegation and a number of businesses, foundations, and philanthropists.
“We wanted to share and reinforce our belief that teacher and principal talent is critical to student success and that the nature of that success is greatly magnified when the students being measured are from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Elsener said.
The entrepreneurial model planned for The Educators College focuses on recruiting and developing new teachers and working with and supporting teachers in the field, a much-needed component to advance the quality of educators. The commitment to work with school districts over long periods with a sustained effort, will support and change the way educators teach. This innovative program will bring the latest knowledge of literacy, numeracy, neuroscience, and special education to teachers.
The group’s presentations were met with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“Our elected officials and leaders in K-12 education are excited about the progress we’ve made and our future plans, which include increasing the number of top-quality teacher candidates, designing an innovative new program, recruiting partner schools, and raising the necessary funds that will allow us to implement our goals,” Britt said.
President Elsener viewed the trip as confirmation that the university is creating a program that will make an impact on the world.
“We left very encouraged that Marian University is on the leading edge of something that will make a dramatic difference in the lives of our children,” Elsener said. ”We are confident that we are working in the right areas, have the right people, and are making all the right moves. We are going to make tremendous contributions to the betterment of the communities in our city, state, region, and throughout our country.”
During this historic period, Marian University will remain in close contact with partners and supporters in Washington D.C. These critical partners will have a major impact throughout the journey as the college moves the needle in education for the country—something that has not happened in nearly two decades.
According to Program for the International Student Assessment, of the 72 countries assessed in 2015, the United States ranked 23rd in reading, 39th in mathematics, and 25th in sciences, remaining flat since 2000.
“We feel more confident than ever that Marian University will be the best producer of teaching and leadership talent in the country,” Elsener concluded.