David Chard
Building a Lasting Legacy
As Dean David Chard prepares to say farewell to his role as dean of BU Wheelock, he sat down for a final Conversations with the Dean webinar—but this time, he was the one being interviewed. Chard, who will step down as BU Wheelock dean at the end of June, was interviewed by Mary Churchill, associate […]
Brown v Board of Education: “We Need Another Moment for Our Time”
Seventy years ago, on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which outlawed racial segregation in public schools. Acknowledging that the previous “separate but equal” doctrine was inherently unequal, Brown v. Board laid the groundwork for students of all races to learn alongside each other […]
Can STEM Prepare Students to Make a Difference?
As STEM increasingly drives economic growth and fosters innovation, the need for workers trained in STEM fields is rapidly increasing. But despite the billions of dollars being spent on STEM education, the supply of well-trained workers can’t keep pace with the demand. And while individuals with STEM backgrounds are well positioned to work on important […]
How Do Elite Athletes and Performers Keep Their Cool?
From the outside, elite athletes and other top performers appear to achieve their goals effortlessly and with confidence. But underneath their unflappable exteriors, they may actually be faced with many of the same challenges as the rest of us, such as perfectionism, burnout, or exhaustion. To reach the pinnacle of their careers, these high achievers […]
How Can Educators Improve Literacy and Instill a Joy of Reading?
Students need a solid foundation in literacy to succeed in all subjects—not just in English or other language classes. Strong literacy skills also enable them to thrive in other areas of their lives, whether they are moving up the career ladder or navigating bureaucracy. The importance of literacy instruction has led to intense debates among […]
Promoting Equity and Diversity in the Classroom
School- and university-based initiatives designed to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) have faced increased scrutiny and outright hostility over the past several years. Across the United States, laws restricting teachers’ freedom to discuss issues like race, gender identity, or sexuality, book banning efforts that disproportionately remove books representing the experiences of individuals from marginalized […]
Three Faculty Rated Top Educational Policy Influencers
Three BU Wheelock faculty members—Dean David Chard and associate professors Anthony Jack and Joshua Goodman—were recently named among the most influential 200 university-based scholars in educational policy and practice. Rick Hess, a noted scholar and director of educational policy at the American Enterprise Institute, releases the annual Edu-Scholar Public Influence rankings on his Education Week […]
How Higher Education Can Support First-Gen Students
Although first-generation and low-income students have the academic skills to handle the coursework at elite colleges and universities, their backgrounds may not prepare them for the hidden curriculum embedded in higher education. Their more well-off counterparts have learned how to advocate for themselves early on, thanks to the lessons they learned from the adults around […]
Investing in Early Education
Although many states increased funding for early childhood education during the COVID-19 pandemic with the help of the federal government, most of them wound down this supplemental funding after state and national emergency declarations were withdrawn. Massachusetts, on the other hand, has continued to back early childhood education initiatives that bolster the workforce, improve data […]
BU Wheelock’s Global Impact
More than 2,000 students have graduated from Bahrain Teachers College since it was established in 2008. The college, part of the University of Bahrain, has done much to strengthen the island nation’s education system, but it didn’t have any advanced degree programs for aspiring education and policy leaders. With the help of BU Wheelock, that […]