Dean of the School of Education

Welcome to the 2026–2027 academic year! I hope everyone had an opportunity to rest and recharge over the summer. As we begin a new year together, I am happy to welcome back our faculty, staff, and returning students and to extend a special welcome to those joining the School of Education/EPP for the first time.

ÌýWe begin this year at an important moment for the School of Education/EPP. Following our successful review and achievement of a full seven-year accreditation, we have an opportunity to build upon what we learned through the accreditation process and think collectively about the next chapter of our work.

ÌýOver the summer, we began a strategic planning process focused on three strategic priorities. I would like to thank our faculty and staff who have agreed to co-lead this work:

• Program and Curricular Coherence: Ashraf Shady and Amy Lui
• Clinical Practice Coherence: Leslee Grey and Ann Ebe
• Assessment System Coherence: Grace Pai and Sonia Rodrigues

This fall, the co-leads will begin forming working groups to help us examine each of these areas and identify priorities for the EPP moving forward. Broad participation will be important to this process, and I hope EPP faculty will consider joining one of the working groups. This is an opportunity for us to bring different perspectives to the table and collectively shape the direction of our programs and educator preparation work.

We also begin the year with several initiatives that reflect our commitment to strengthening educator preparation and responding to the needs of our schools and communities. This fall, we welcome the first cohort of the Queens-Grown Upskilling Paraprofessional Program. Queens-Grown supports paraprofessionals as they work toward completing their undergraduate degrees and New York State teacher certification through financial support, academic guidance, and mentoring. We are excited to welcome this first group of participants and to support them as they move from paraprofessionals to certified teachers. I would like to thank Program Coordinator Laura Giatta for her dedication to the program.

Our work through the also continues this year. Building on the work begun last year, faculty will continue examining and strengthening our literacy preparation across programs, with particular attention to the alignment between research, coursework, and the preparation our candidates need to support diverse learners. I am grateful to the faculty who have contributed to this work and to those who will continue with us during this next phase.

I would also like to take a moment to congratulate Sonia Rodrigues on successfully completing her doctoral studies. QC alumna and long-time colleague, Sonia has contributed so much to the work of the School of Education/EPP, including our assessment and accreditation efforts, and I am delighted that we can now celebrate her as our newest Dr. Rodrigues. Please join me in congratulating Sonia on this wonderful accomplishment!

There is much to look forward to in the year ahead. I hope our strategic planning process provides us with opportunities to reflect on where we have been, identify where we want to go, and work together to determine how we get there.

ÌýI look forward to working with all of you and wish everyone a productive and rewarding 2026–2027 academic year.

718-997-5220

718-997-5220