WSU President Elson S. Floyd will be teaching a higher education seminar this fall. In a budget year like this one, might he include some stress management techniques as part of his advice to College of Education grad students?
Dr. Floyd, whose three degrees are in education, was on hand earlier this month for “Latinos in Beisbol Day” at Safeco Field, when the Martinez Foundation raised about $13,000 through ticket sales and a silent auction. The Seattle Mariners have agreed to host the fund-raising event to promote minority teacher education again next spring, and the foundation has scheduled an Oct. 3 fund-raising gala. Watch the foundation’s Web site for details.
Meanwhile, the first Martinez graduate fellowship winners in our Master in Teaching Program have plunged into their classes in Pullman. They are Anna Ochoa Rivas, Shannon Gleason, Elida Guevara, Kevin Takasaki and Jenna Visoria. There are also five Martinez fellows each at the University of Washington and Seattle University.
Alumna wins First Citizen prize
Florence Wager (B.Ed. ’54) was honored this month as Clark County’s First Citizen for 2009. The award, presented by the Community Foundation in Vancouver, recognized her advocacy for parks, recreational opportunities and healthy communities. Reports the Vancouver Columbian: At one point during his presentation, foundation president Rick Melching cued 35 members of the audience to stand: Each person was holding a sign bearing the name of a park that resulted from Wager’s activism. Later, Melching highlighted Wager’s role in chairing a task force that will eventually produce 250 miles of local hiking trails and bike paths. Wager also has thrown her support behind the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, the Vancouver Symphony and the YWCA. “In 30 years of public service, I’ve never met anyone like her,” said David Judd. And Wager, 81, has done it all since retiring. For more information and a profile link, see our alumni news.
Share and share (books) alike
The Vancouver campus recently added a teaching endorsement in education for the hearing impaired. Much, as it turns out, to the benefit of students in Pullman. The Brain Education Library at Cleveland Hall received copies of all the books purchased to support the new program, reports head librarian Sarah French. The titles run from the pragmatic (Psychosocial Aspects of Deafness) to the intriguing (What’s That Pig Outdoors?: A Memoir of Deafness).
Reading matter
Draft Literacy Bill Would Boost Funds for Older Students The measure calls for a fivefold increase in funding for grades 4-12 and an emphasis on writing along with reading. (Education Week)