Endicott's Dr. Sara Quay Joins Deans for Impact as Member
Deans for Impact’s member group expanded to 22 on Tuesday with the addition of eight new educators, including Endicott College Dean of Education Dr. Sara Quay.
As a member dean, Quay joins a group of educators on a mission to improve the country’s teacher-preparation system.
“It’s a professional honor and an opportunity to work with people doing my job in different contexts,” Quay said. “The chance to exchange ideas with others, that’s a huge resource for me and my students here at Endicott. It is a breath of fresh air that Deans for Impact is trying to do things differently.”
In a press release distributed Tuesday, Deans for Impact said positive change in how the United States prepares teachers is already occurring “thanks to leaders like Quay who are spearheading innovative improvement efforts within their own programs and across the field.”
“Our members are a selective group of proven leaders who want to create a vision for system-wide change,” Benjamin Riley, founder and executive director of Deans for Impact, said in the press release. “Deans for Impact is proud to foster this movement every step of the way by creating and empowering networks of leaders from diverse contexts who want to work together to ensure every student is taught by a well-prepared teacher.”
Quay’s relationship with the national nonprofit organization has been ongoing for over a year now, as she was a member of the 2017 Impact Academy fellowship cohort. Through the Impact Academy, Quay and her fellow cohort members gained new networking opportunities and addressed the challenges deans face head-on through a year-long coaching cycle.
Deans for Impact is already seeing positive results through its Building Blocks program, which is designed for learning what is and isn’t working in education and applying that to a profile of elements that should be in place within programs.
The Building Blocks model has already found its way to Endicott through the education program’s Vacation Academy with Bates Elementary School in Salem, Mass. Through this partnership, teacher candidates received targeted feedback each day, allowing them to immediately reteach with their added knowledge. The opportunity for teacher candidates to see instruction modeled, practice teaching, and receive feedback is crucial to their growth as educators and Endicott is committed to providing candidates with these experiences.
“It’s really got me thinking about what we’re doing here at Endicott,” Quay said. “I can pick up the phone and I can call members of Deans for Impact to ask questions or talk about a current challenge. Those resources are invaluable. I feel it is, already this year, directly helping me shift and change and strengthen what we have been doing.”
See how Endicott College’s School of Education is changing the face of teacher preparedness. Visit the program pages to learn more.