2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

School of Education

“Teaching is our passion.......Learning is our profession.”


Dean: Timothy Wall, Director, Teacher Education

 

Assistant Directors: Nissa Ingraham, David Kiene, Sandy Seipel

Director, Horace Mann School & Leet Center: Kevin Pitts 

Faculty: Robyn Akins, Kristina Alexander, Jill Baker, Jeff Blackford, Travis Dimmitt, Tina Ellsworth, Shantel Farnan, Dan Gordon, Beth Gregory, Nissa Ingraham, Alicia Kershaw, David Kiene, Tamara Lynn, Rebecca Moore, Gregory Rich, Kaleatha Roberts, Cynthia Schairer-Kessler, Sandra Seipel, Ashley Strickland, Linda Gray Smith, Sara Taylor, Tim Wall 

Faculty, Horace Mann School: Lori Atkins, Sherry Bay, Erica Buck, Jessica Cook, Amy Haddock, Brandy Haughey, Andrea Mason, Gina McNeese, Heather Montenguise, Mary Shields, Sarah Winters

Early Childhood Center Personnel: Tiffany Kribbs, Lauren McCormick, Julie Michaelsen, Racheal Wood, Erika Yocom

 

The School of Education includes the Professional Education Unit; the Horace Mann Laboratory School; and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families.

The School contributes to all facets of education within the University by providing courses which assist students in fulfillment of the Northwest Core courses; offerings leading to the completion of B.S.Ed. degrees; and elective coursework.  The Professional Education Unit offers undergraduate programs in elementary education, early childhood education, middle school education, secondary education, and special education.

The professional preparation programs in the School of Education and the Professional Education Unit are accredited by the Missouri State Board of Education and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Information regarding program advisement, requirements, and certification may be obtained from the following people:

 

Program 

Coordinator 

 

Early Childhood Education 

 Sandra Seipel

Elementary Education

Nissa Ingraham & Kaleatha Roberts

Middle School

Linda Gray Smith

Secondary Education

Linda Gray Smith

Special Education

Shantel Farnan

Post-baccalaureate  

 Dan Gordon

Alternative Certification

Dan Gordon

Pre-Admission Education Advisor 

Sondra Langley

 

Vision Statement

The vision of the School of Education is to provide highly competent professionals who are lifelong learners, reflective thinkers and ethical leaders exemplifying the ideas of literacy, scholarship, and social justice in a diverse and ever-changing world.

Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Education is to create learning communities in which students and professionals develop partnerships with families, communities, schools, businesses, and other public agencies to assist students in acquiring knowledge, skills, and values critical to a democratic society. 

The goals of the School are to:

  • Provide students a strong knowledge base in general education.
  • Provide opportunities for specialization through majors and minors.
  • Provide opportunities to develop values and ethics within the academic discipline.
  • Provide opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate in research.
  • Provide services to the community and surrounding region.
  • Provide opportunities for continuing and graduate education.

Vision Statement for the Professional Education Unit

The Northwest Missouri State University Professional Education Unit prepares highly effective, ethical, professional educators who possess the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in order to embrace the responsibility for the learning of all children in a diverse and dynamic society.

Mission Statement for the Professional Education Unit

The Northwest Missouri State University Professional Education Unit will be a catalyst for education excellence by preparing PreK-12 professional educators who apply best practices to positively impact learning.

Our Pledge:

Based upon our vision and mission, the Northwest Missouri State University Professional Education Unit serves education candidates as our primary focus in order to develop professionals who:

  • Possess the requisite level of knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions;
  • Model integrity and professionalism;
  • Promote social justice, the inherent worth of each individual, and the ideals of a democratic society;
  • Facilitate an educational environment that embraces diversity;
  • Collaborate and build partnerships with educational professionals, students, parents, communities, and other social agencies; and
  • Use technology in a meaningful, purposeful, and authentic manner.

Continuous Improvement and Program Quality

The Professional Educational Unit (PEU) organizational structure is designed to maximize input from and empowerment of the entire education community. Cross-functional teams of college faculty, alumni, current PK-12 educators, and students function to ensure continuous study and improvement of programs and processes around issues of importance to the college, such as technology integration, a curriculum representative of our nation’s diversity and consistent evaluation of assessment data on program performance.

One source of input for program improvement is gathered from Comment Cards available online at the Northwest website for use in bringing issues of importance to the attention of the appropriate administrator. Students may use these cards to share comments, suggestions or complaints regarding an office, department, program or activity in the University community. All Comment Cards relating to teacher preparation are compiled for reporting of issues and opportunities for program or process improvements to the Council on Teacher Education.

Teacher Education Resources

Professional Education Joseph Haughey, Assistant Director Teacher Education
Educational Field Experiences Gregory Rich, Director
Educational Field Experiences Cathy Barr, Assistant Coordinator for Clinical Field Experience
Horace Mann School Kevin Pitts, Principal/Director
Teacher Certification Zach Ragan, Certification Officer
Teacher Education Student Services (TESS) Amy Wilson, Coordinator
Alternative Certification Zach Ragan, Coordinator
Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families   Kevin Pitts, Director
Professional Education Unit Assessment
Michael McBride, Associate Director, Accreditation & Assessment
Regional Professional Development Center Jennee Barnes-Gregory, Director

Requirements  

Changes to programs during this catalog cycle may be made related to changes in certification requirements and/or program changes approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.