CLARION, Pa. — To allow greater focus on teacher education and to better serve future teachers, Clarion University has launched its School of Education.

Housed in the newly restructured College of Arts, Education and Sciences, the designation focuses on the Departments of Education and Special Education as a dedicated school. The programs formerly were housed in the College of Education and Human Services, which consisted of multiple disciplines.

“We’re building synergy and energy with this restructuring effort,” said Dr. Todd Pfannestiel, who became dean of the college, July 1. “A dedicated director of the School of Education will be working 24/7 in the interest of our education majors.”

The school, which carries 15 accreditations, including the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and Pennsylvania Department of Education, is being led on an interim basis by Ray Puller, while a national search for a director is conducted.

Pfannestiel (pictured left) anticipates that students will reap the benefits of the reorganization. Additionally, prospective students in education will benefit from the development of new credentials and degrees resulting from internal discussions as well as meetings with school superintendents in western Pennsylvania. There will be a greater emphasis on dual-certification after hearing from these superintendents that graduates are more employable if they are certified in more than one teaching area. Clarion has had success in dual certification by adding special education certification to another teacher certification, and plans to expand these programs.

Placing the school within the College of Arts, Education and Sciences will provide a much closer relationship for those students pursuing content areas in, for example, the secondary education fields.

“A biology teacher takes more courses in arts and sciences than in education,” said Dr. Bruce Smith (M.Ed. ’84), education professor and chair of the education department. “It allows us to focus on specific goals within teacher certification.”

The restructuring is evidence of Clarion’s continuing self-assessment and its commitment to educating tomorrow’s teachers.

“The benefit to the university, among several others, lies in our new ability to show external accreditors, legislators and, most importantly, our prospective students and their families, the dedication we have always given to education and special education as cornerstones within our university portfolio,” Pfannestiel said. “It is comforting to know that we now have an administrative staff in place (with the new school structure) that is completely dedicated to our education programs.”

Further evidence of that dedication is in a three-day “road scholars” tour in May, during which President Karen Whitney, Provost Ron Nowaczyk, Puller and education faculty members met with faculty and administrators of school districts in Allegheny, Butler and Clarion counties.

“For three days we had a dialogue that was so rich in terms of clearly understanding what K-12 school districts need,” Whitney said. “I want our teachers to be exceptional teachers that make a difference in the lives of children.”

Clarion’s education majors are involved in the field as first semester freshmen. They’re not teaching, but they are spending time in classrooms. They have multiple field experiences that are intentionally diverse, with exposure to rural schools, larger schools and parochial schools. Recent experiences have included field work at Cook Forest, McKeever Environmental Education Center and Clarion-Limestone School District’s Amphibian Research Center.

“Those intentional field experiences in diverse settings prepare future educators for a changing profession,” Whitney said. “Send your students to us, and we’ll send them back as highly qualified professionals.”

Clarion University is the high-achieving, nationally recognized, comprehensive university that delivers a personal and challenging academic experience.

President Karen Whitney (front, third from right) and Provost Ron Nowaczyk (back, second from right) join members of Clarion’s education faculty during the three-day “road scholars” tour. Ray Puller, interim director of the School of Education, is at front, left.