EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Jacqueline LaRose, a professor of teacher education at Eastern Michigan University, has been chosen as the Porter Endowed Chair for 2018-19.

The annual award, which carries a $50,000 budget, is designed to actively expand the University’s role in school districts in Michigan, with an emphasis on school-community partnerships.

The Porter Chair this year will establish a deep and mutual collaboration between the faculty, principal and staff of Estabrook Elementary School (Estabrook Learning Community) and the College of Education (COE), said Mike Sayler, dean of the college.

Estabrook is located at 1555 West Cross Street in Ypsilanti, several blocks from the Eastern campus.

“I want to congratulate professor LaRose on this exceptional honor, and the significance it represents to the college,”Sayler said. “This award will lay the foundation for a two-year pilot program of embedding faculty and students for several of our methods courses.

“More broadly, this is the start of an approach to a new kind and level of interaction between the college and its school partners.

The award runs from Sept. 1, 2018 to May 1, 2019, Anticipated outcomes of the award include:

• Increased understanding by Eastern faculty and students in the teacher preparation program of the strengths and needs of students and teachers in an urban elementary school.

• Increased communication and collaboration between EMU and Estabrook faculty, along with the formation of a professional learning community focused on investigating issues of teaching and learning.

• Establishment of a corps of cooperating teachers to mentor future practicum students from Eastern.

As an educator for over thirty years, LaRose has worked collaboratively with teaching colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and grade levels in an array of instructional environments. She is certified to teach elementary school, secondary English, and work as a K-12 Reading specialist.

As a public school educator, she moved from teaching elementary school to becoming the staff developer in her district. After receiving her doctorate in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy from Michigan State University in 2007, LaRose became a faculty member in EMU’s Teacher Education Department.

At EMU she has been involved in teaching practicum courses, serving as practicum coordinator, and supervising student teachers. She has collaborated extensively with EMU colleagues through activities such as Writing Across the Curriculum, Disciplinary Literacies Faculty Study Group, and Cognitive Coaching.

LaRose engaged Estabrook faculty and administration in the initial thinking about the project; she says she is committed to ensuring this is a collaborative venture from the very beginning.

“When I emailed my Estabrook contacts to let them know we had received this honor, the first response I received from a teacher began with, ‘Yay!’” LaRose said. “That level of enthusiasm and support is a sign of the great things this project can accomplish.

“Personally, I’m very grateful for this opportunity to serve as the John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education for 2018-2019. My years as a K-12 school staff developer, EMU practicum supervisor and practicum coordinator have continually reminded me of the power generated when teacher educators and P-12 teachers work closely together to share perspectives on teaching and learning.

“The collaboration between Estabrook and EMU will help us all better understand and align our practices as we continually work toward our goal of preparing highly skilled new teachers and serving the elementary students in our community.”

Created in 1991, The John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education was named after the late John W. Porter, a former Eastern Michigan University president who served with distinction from 1979-89. The John W. Porter College of Education at EMU is named for Porter as a tribute to his contributions to the University.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.