Teachers college promotes Bennett to dean
ESU Media Relations
Monday, December 8, 2008
ESU Media Relations Maintaining and improving Emporia State University’s nationally-recognized teacher preparation program is the goal of its new leader. J. Phillip Bennett has been selected as dean of The Teachers College.
Bennett, associate dean of The Teachers College since 2001, takes over for Tes Mehring, who became ESU’s provost and vice-president for academic affairs in May. A screening committee led by Kathy Ermler, chair of ESU’s department of health, physical education and recreation, conducted a national search to fill the position. Ken Weaver served as interim dean while the search for Mehring’s replacement was underway.
“My overall broad goal is to maintain the standard that Mehring has set over the last many years,” said Bennett. “The Teachers College has been recognized nationally on more than one occasion, and my first goal is to maintain that reputation and quality.”
“Dr. Bennett brings a wealth of experience to this role,” noted Michael R. Lane, ESU president, adding that Bennett twice filled the role of interim dean during the fall semesters of 2004 and 2006.
Before coming to ESU, Bennett was dean of the School of Education at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., served as coordinator of teacher education for the Kansas State Department of Education, directed teacher education and served as a faculty member at MidAmerica Nazarene University, and has taught mathematics at the college and high school levels.
Bennett has been completing a sabbatical leave this fall, working at the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education headquarters in Washington, D.C. NCATE is the professional accrediting organization for schools, colleges and departments of education in the United States.
The Teachers College at Emporia State University has garnered considerable accolades for its work in education. The college was named one of four ‘model’ teacher preparation programs in the nation in the report, “Educating School Teachers,” written by Arthur Levine, president emeritus of Columbia University Teachers College. The Teachers College was identified in Edutopia magazine as one of ten schools of education that are blazing the trail to better teaching practices.
Currently, one in every six classroom teachers in Kansas holds a degree or licensure endorsement from ESU.