Welcome to Our Community
This is a critical time in the history of education. The schooling system within the U.S. is widely understood to be the determining factor in our nation's future. We are determined to make sure it and we are up to the task. Whether you participate as student, alumnus, friend, professional colleague, or potential partner, I hope you will join us in that important work!
I encourage you to explore our website and to mine it for ideas and resources. Our partnership pages describe some of the many important initiatives we are engaged in with partnering organizations and schools. Our program descriptions provide a window into the classes and degree options we offer. Our faculty pages show the important research and partnership work being done by our faculty in schools and with national professional organizations. We have several Centers within the College, including, but not limited to the Center for Early Childhood Leadership, the Reading Recovery Center, the Autism Center, and the Center for Practitioner Research that focus on specific areas of research and advocacy in education. If you visit their web pages you will find descriptions of the fascinating work they do as well as links to important, related resources.
NCE faculty are grounded in the practical aspects of work in schools and also value and model the development and use of research to inform practice. Research and practice, together, form the basis for creating better and more equitable learning environments for all students - those in PK-12 schools and those in higher education. An important part of our approach is building the capacity of our students to "research" their own work and to link their own experiences and learning to a broader professional community of educators and researchers.
We also have a dedicated and committed staff, ready to help you navigate the path into a new profession (from helping you register for classes to finding and settling into your field work to preparing for graduation!), to help you connect to us as a partnering institution, or to help you utilize our resources as an alumnus.
I am proud to be part of this historic and innovative teaching and learning community! The National College of Education was founded 125 years ago by Elizabeth Harrison, a pioneer in the kindergarten movement. She brought passionate commitment and advocacy to the task of improving education for children and also for the adults who chose education as their vocation. We are proud to carry on her legacy, continuing our commitment to access, innovation, and excellence as we serve these same purposes. It is through this work that we—and you—can seek to strengthen our society and to advocate for social justice by creating excellent and more equitable educational opportunities for children and adults.