Glassboro, NJ — Monika Shealey, dean of the College of Education at Rowan University, has been honored for her work as a researcher and advocate for the advancement of teacher diversity by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
Shealey received the Teacher Diversity Research Award at the AACTE’s Diversified Teaching Workforce Institute Reception on March 1 in Tampa.
Given in recognition of outstanding research and advocacy for the advancement of teacher diversity, the Teacher Diversity Research Award supports the goal of the AACTE’s Diversified Teaching Workforce Topical Action Group to advance the current understanding of how to diversify the teacher workforce in order to enhance educational opportunities for all students.
The award honors Shealey’s efforts as a research leader who works to address structural barriers limiting access to the teaching profession. Her research talk at the reception highlighted several innovative initiatives developed during her time as dean of the College of Education.
They include:
Shealey received the Teacher Diversity Research Award at the AACTE’s Diversified Teaching Workforce Institute Reception on March 1 in Tampa.
Given in recognition of outstanding research and advocacy for the advancement of teacher diversity, the Teacher Diversity Research Award supports the goal of the AACTE’s Diversified Teaching Workforce Topical Action Group to advance the current understanding of how to diversify the teacher workforce in order to enhance educational opportunities for all students.
The award honors Shealey’s efforts as a research leader who works to address structural barriers limiting access to the teaching profession. Her research talk at the reception highlighted several innovative initiatives developed during her time as dean of the College of Education.
They include:
- Project IMPACT (Increasing Male Practitioners and Classroom Teachers): Designed by Shealey as a response to the persistent gaps faced by young men from diverse backgrounds in the P-12 and higher education settings, Project IMPACT began last fall with a cohort of 14 students who are committed to become future public school teachers. Each student is partnered with a mentor from the Men of Color Network. In addition, the students, who live in the same housing community, also receive academic and financial support.
- Establishment of CASE (Center for Access, Success, and Equity) in the College of Education: Created to address persistent issues related to inequitable outcomes for students in P-20 Institutions, CASE was established by Shealey to focus on research, professional services, and policy engagement in order to address issues of access, success, and equity in P-20 institutions.
- Development of the Ph.D. in Education program: This new program focuses on access, success, and equity in education, as well as grant-funded research and service projects. Seventy percent of students in the inaugural cohort are students of color and also Holmes Scholar recipients.
“This award means the world to me because, in acknowledging me for research and leadership in the area of diversity in teacher education, the organization is acknowledging everyone in the College of Education,” said Shealey, who joined Rowan in 2013.
“I’m extremely proud of the fact that as a college we have decided to live out our mission, vision, and values by implementing policies, practices, and programs that undergird our commitments.”
According to its web site, AACTE is the leading voice on educator preparation. The organization represents more than 800 postsecondary institutions with educator preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are ready to teach all learners.
