Wedding invitations. Birth announcements. Helpful conversations on choosing the perfect mother-of-the-groom dress. For Jim and Becky Surber, the longtime and now-retired coordinators of the NIU College of Education’s M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration – known colloquially as “principal preparation” – these little slices
Read moreDouble-alum Maurice McDavid readies Mitchell Elementary School for launch
DeKalb grew Maurice McDavid from the ground up. Born and raised in the Barb City, he called the Eden’s Garden neighborhood home. He spent kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary School, transferred to Tyler for first- and second-grades and completed third- and fourth-grades at
Read moreShine on! Two alumnae named finalists for Chicago-area Golden Apple awards
One dreamed of teaching art but eventually decided that she would not pursue that goal – until, well, she did. The other wanted to work as a print journalist, and even did so for a while, but ultimately realized that she needed
Read moreYear 14: Double-alum Jason Dietz savors role as Sundling Middle School principal
When Jason Dietz started teaching fourth-grade, he immediately thought that he’d found his forever home. The place was Mundelein, the year was 1998 and Dietz had just completed a fresh-out-of-college stint working in a middle school as a program assistant for special
Read moreTriple-alumna Jodi Megerle thriving in River Trails 26
Jodi Megerle is passionate about River Trails Elementary School District 26. “I love the size. I love that it’s so very close-knit,” says Megerle, a three-time NIU College of Education alumna. “Even when I was hired, and when we hire new teachers
Read moreRPS 205’s Daniela Boer finds belonging, representation via NIU principal prep
When Daniela Boer was asked where she wanted to intern as a principal-candidate while in NIU’s M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration program, she had no hesitation. Lathrop Elementary School. Boer, then a bilingual teacher at the nearby Rockford Environmental Science Academy, saw great
Read moreU-46’s first principal prep cohort nears August completion of master’s degrees
When Gladys Crespo graduated from high school in her native Puerto Rico, she planned to become an engineer. That was her initial path in college as well, but it didn’t last. “I ended up teaching other students what they needed to do,
Read moreCOE alumna Miranda Thompson wins Rockford-area 2023 Golden Apple award
Miranda Thompson is a Golden Apple winner. Thompson, who earned her B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education in 2006, was among six winners named March 9 during surprise ceremonies in their Rockford-area classrooms. She also was among eight finalists with NIU College of Education
Read morePrincipal Prep program gains approval to provide fully online, hybrid options
NIU’s M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration is going 100% online next fall for those future school principals who prefer that mode of course delivery. And, for those who would rather earn their master’s degrees in a hybrid structure with classroom and virtual settings,
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