EMU Today

Mike Sayler is the Dean of the College of Education and a professor in teacher education at Eastern Michigan University. He previously served as the senior associate dean in the College of Education at the University of North Texas (UNT). He has provided leadership in many areas and at many levels: Pre K-12 education, academic program areas, college, university, state, educational accreditation, Catholic education, national professional organizations, and communities. He has led strategic planning and done data-based administrative problem solving and decision making. He works well on faculty and student issues and support, academic affairs, and research and grant development and support. Dr. Sayler has experience in international initiatives and speaking.

Dr. Sayler created and led the Office of Gifted Education at UNT for 15 years. There he trained thousands of teachers, administrators, and parents about gifted children and their needs. While there, he developed a theory of life-span development that stresses giftedness and thriving. He has spoken to many professionals and parents on a variety of issues. Specifically, he addresses parenting, well-being of students and individuals in school and across the life span, character and moral development of the gifted, program planning, identifying gifted students, grouping arrangements, designing curriculum, evaluation of programs, moral growth, and academic acceleration of gifted students, including early entrance, grade skipping, and early college entrance.