Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012
Rider鈥檚 School of Education kicked off its centennial celebration 100th on October 17 in the Bart Luedeke Center Cavalla Room.
by Sean Ramsden
On a night when Rider鈥檚 School of Education celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt championed the teaching profession during his keynote address on October 17 in the Bart Luedeke Center Cavalla Room.
鈥淎s we think about the age of the School of Education, it鈥檚 important to think about what it takes to keep it alive,鈥 said Holt, a Democrat who represents New Jersey鈥檚 12th Congressional district. 鈥淓veryone who was ever a student thinks he or she is an expert on education. They need to recognize that knowledge moves on and information gets old.鈥
Holt, who serves on the Committee on Education and Labor in the House of Representatives, including the subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, praised Rider鈥檚 School of Education, which launched its centennial celebration with the evening event.
鈥淭he work you鈥檙e doing here at Rider is critically important,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ith each passing year, this country is losing teachers.鈥 Holt cited the wave of soon-to-retire baby boomers as a primary reason, and that that the next few years are expected to bring great opportunity to young educators.
鈥淏y 2014, the nation鈥檚 schools will have 1 million new teachers, so I鈥檓 glad to hear that Rider graduates have no problem finding jobs,鈥 Holt quipped, to the laughter of Rider Education faculty and students, before explaining that education funding is an investment in the future.
鈥淭he single best investment we can make is in teacher preparation and training to make them excellent educators,鈥 he said, citing a study revealing that a good fourth-grade teacher makes a student one-and-a-quarter times more likely to go to college, and equally unlikely to have an unwanted teen pregnancy. Likewise, Holt said, that same student is likely to earn some $25,000 more in annual income.
鈥淭hat is the residual effect of one good teacher,鈥 he said.
Founded in 1913, Rider鈥檚 School of Education has become a cornerstone of the University by creating a diverse set of student-centered programs that address the needs of 21st century learners. Through partnerships with local schools, businesses, and government and community agencies, the School of Education works collaboratively to develop high-quality programs for its students.
The School of Education鈥檚 field-based programs and strong Rider alumni network provide important contacts and mentoring opportunities that lead to employment opportunities for its graduates. Rider students have been named New Jersey Distinguished Student Teachers of the Year for each of the past three years.