School of Education

Jonathan Kozol, Deborah Meier highlight IU School of Education marking 100 years

Symposium, dinner, presentations mark occasion

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Indiana University School of Education is formally marking its 100th anniversary November 16 through November 20 with a series of symposium events, including a dinner keynoted by the founder of the modern small schools movement, Deborah Meier, and a presentation by education writer and activist Jonathan Kozol.  A symposium on historical as well as contemporary educational developments and a formal ceremony marking the 100th anniversary will also mark the occasion.

This fall marks 100 years since the first semester of the IU School of Education in 1908. Since opening its doors with four professors and 189 students that first semester, the school has become one of the premier institutions of research and teacher preparation in the country. Education programs are now offered on all eight campuses of IU.  Around a third of Indiana’s newly-licensed teachers each year hold degrees from the IU School of Education. US News and World Report has ranked the graduate program of the IU School of Education in Bloomington among the top 20 nationally for the last 10 years.

“A centennial celebration provides a chance for reflection about what has been accomplished and future directions,” said Dean of the IU School of Education Gerardo M. Gonzalez. “The School of Education has a long legacy of producing educational leaders who have had impact at the local, national and international levels.  Alumni and friends have been loyal throughout the decades and together with our faculty, students and staff have built a tradition of excellence unsurpassed among colleges and schools of education in the country.”

On Sunday, November 16, starting at 2:00 p.m., a symposium focused on major educational reform movements of the 20th century and current issues will begin in the Willkie Auditorium, located across Rose Avenue from the Wright Education Building in Bloomington. The symposium will feature two panel discussions on Sunday afternoon, then a dinner featuring Meier, a leading voice in education reform. Her ideas have heavily influenced schools across the country, including Bloomington’s Harmony School.  The dinner begins at 6:00 p.m.

“She’s really an icon of democratic education, progressive education and the small school movement,” said Steve Bonchek, Executive Director of the Harmony Education Center. “We’re honored to have her associated with Harmony.” Meier now serves as Harmony’s Senior Advisor for New Initiatives.  She started a New York City alternative elementary school in 1974, later founding two others and a secondary school based on the progressive school model.  Meier’s books include The Power of their Ideas:  Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem, and Will Standards Save Public Education?

Harmony Education Center houses Harmony School and the National School Reform Faculty and operates Rhino’s Youth Media Center in Bloomington. The center promotes the development and practice of democratic education.

The symposium continues on Monday, November 17, starting with a continental breakfast at 8:30, and then four more panel discussions, including a lunch event at noon. The final panel concludes at 3:00.

At 4:00 p.m., a formal commemorative ceremony will take place in the atrium of the Wright Education Building, with IU President Michael McRobbie and other dignitaries speaking.

On Thursday, November 20, education writer and activist Jonathan Kozol will speak at 4:00 p.m. in the Frangiapani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. His speech is titled “Joy and Justice:  The Challenge for Teachers in an Age of Inequality, Resurgent Segregation, and Relentless Testing.” Kozol is known for many provocative books on education, including Savage Inequalities and The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. His most recent book, released last year, is Letters to a Young Teacher. He wrote his first book, Death at an Early Age following his experience of being fired for teaching African-American students in a Boston classroom about a Langston Hughes poem that wasn’t part of the approved curriculum.

All of the events are free and open to the public, although an RSVP to iuednews@indiana.edu is requested by 5:00 p.m. November 10. A full schedule is available on the IU School of Education homepage, www.education.indiana.edu, under the “Events” heading.