Jacksonville is a great place to live. There’s no doubt. We’ve got beaches, rivers, cultural events, great shopping. You name it, it’s here. But what if you never have the opportunity to leave your neighborhood or if you have never seen a movie or accessed the internet?

Sylvia Johnson, M.Ed. ’92 and current Ed.D. candidate, Principal of West Jacksonville Elementary, and her team of teachers work every day to bring activities that most people consider ordinary to the lives of young students for whom the new experiences are extraordinary. UNF College of Education and Human Services graduates play a critical role.

West Jacksonville Elementary is one of several local schools that serve as Professional Development Schools where pre-service teachers gain hands-on experience in the classroom. About 40% of West Jacksonville teachers are UNF graduates, most of whom first came to West Jacksonville Elementary as part of their teacher training. Mrs. Johnson says, “Teaching at West Jacksonville Elementary-like many urban schools-is much more than teaching reading or math skills. Sure, that is an important part, but there is so much more. For many of these children, the school environment is their family, the constant in their lives.”

The COEHS helps Jacksonville as it earns its place on the map of world-class cities by ensuring that the area teachers have access to the very best in urban education practices. Mrs. Johnson continues, The College of Education plays such an important role in Jacksonville’s development as a city. We need more teachers in our society with the quality and wide breadth of teacher preparation that the College provides if we are really going to move Jacksonville forward. Ambitious undertakings such as this one require support from all stakeholders to get the job done so all the citizens of Jacksonville have the opportunity to have a high quality of life. A good place to start is to support the education of pre-service teachers in the College of Education.”

“For many of these children, the school environment is their family, the constant in their lives.”
-Sylvia Johnson, M. Ed. ’92 and Ed.D. candidate, Principal, West Jacksonville Elementary School

Children with Exceptionalities in the Spotlight

Students with exceptionalities don’t get left behind at UNF. With the caring sponsorship of Drs. Kathryn Krudwig and Kristine Webb, College of Education students and faculty are active in the Student Council
for Exceptional Children (SCEC), a major professional and advocacy group for addressing the needs of individuals with special needs. Last year, students had a strong presence at the state, national and international SCEC conferences, culminating with 11 UNF students attending and presenting at the International CEC conference in Seattle.

During the December holidays last year, College of Education faculty and students participated in the SCEC Angel Tree, a way to help local families who have a family member with a disability. Families make a ‘wish list’ of what would make their holiday season special. These wishes take the shape of angels and are used to decorate a tree in the College of Education. Faculty, staff and students help fulfill these wishes by bringing in toys, games and other requested gifts. By opening their hearts and providing for families with special needs, members of the UNF community stay connected to the local community in a very special and meaningful way.

Drs. Webb and Krudwig also sponsor Family as Faculty, a program that infuses the family perspective as part of classroom instruction. Dr. Webb explained, with a passion that reflects her commitment to the program, how parents and family members of children with disabilities join the UNF faculty in providing new understandings and skills to undergraduate and graduate students regarding effective school/family partnerships. Dr. Krudwig reported, “The Family as Faculty has been very well received. Pre-service and practicing teachers are extremely attentive as parents share their families’ stories and deliver their positive, instructional messages and suggestions.” With 24 parents trained by Drs. Krudwig and Webb, Family as Faculty is looking forward to another year of service.

“Pre-service and practicing teachers are extremely attentive as parents share their families’ stories.”
-Dr. Kathryn Krudwig, Project Coordinator, Special Education

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