Spring 2025
Dean's Letter
As a nation, we are deeply concerned about the declining NAEP scores—a troubling indicator that calls for attention. But beyond the numbers lies a deeper conversation about what education should truly offer.
In our pursuit of solutions, we must ask: what defines high-quality education for all? Too often, the response is to double down on skill drills and test prep, while students with the most resources experience learning that is rich in creativity, curiosity, and joy. This widening divide only furthers the opportunity gap. In a society striving to thrive—economically, socially, democratically, culturally, and environmentally—our focus must be on education that inspires, empowers, and uplifts every learner.
This issue of Marsal Educator is the first of three on the theme of learning for meaning, learning for joy, and learning for life.
This year, Marsal Education will lead the university's theme year of “High-quality Education for All” as part of the Look to Michigan campaign. Through this campaign, the university is communicating Marsal's unique ability to take on society's biggest challenges through education and to work toward solutions that will make the world a better place.
Among our many contributions is the expertise we bring to the research and practice of literacy teaching and learning. Literacy is one of the most important skills people learn. This aspect of education has garnered significant attention in the media, through the tracking and reporting of test scores, and in policy (such as third grade retention laws). In this issue of our magazine, we bring you inside our teacher education program and show you how our students learn to apply the full science of reading in their classrooms. As the central focus of my own research, I am passionate about the rich and often underestimated interplay between theory and practice involved in developing skilled readers of all ages.
Elementary science education often takes a backseat to subjects like reading and math due to standardized testing pressures, but a team of faculty researchers from Marsal Education is working on the policies and practices required to bring early science education in line with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)—a set of expectations for what students should know and be able to do. Since its introduction, NGSS has shifted science instruction toward more authentic learning experiences. The research team has identified promising practices and developed a practical framework that informs district practices, contributes to new research proposals, and influences teacher preparation programs. Their work highlights the need for integrated policy and instructional support to elevate elementary science learning.
The first cohort of students in our undergraduate program Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS) is working with and learning from Detroit-based organizations. Community-engaged learning is threaded throughout the four-year LEAPS curriculum, paired with coursework about how social structures, history, politics, and identity shape the environments where we live, work, and learn. We invite you to learn more about our students and some of our early community partners in this issue.
We are proud to share the inspiring work of three Marsal Education alumni who were honored with the 2025 Alumni Awards. Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins (ABEd '73, TeachCert '73), Dr. Odis Johnson Jr. (PhD '03), and Luke Wilcox (BSEd '01, TeachCert '01) have dedicated their careers to ensuring students have access to the resources they need to thrive academically. They each have carried out this work in different ways that intersect with research, policy, school leadership, teaching, and community engagement. It is critical that we address—as our alumni award winners have—the widely varying needs of learners and make every effort to meet those needs.
As we head into the fall, leading the university in a campaign theme year focused on education, I ask all of us to see with clarity the great challenges that lie ahead but also the tremendous promise that education holds. Education is a lifelong journey filled with joy and curiosity, where each lesson opens a new window to the world. It sparks the imagination, encouraging questions and discoveries that fuel a love of learning. From the thrill of mastering a new skill to the wonder of uncovering how things work, education inspires a sense of adventure.
Please join me this year—and always—in assuring that all people can be on this adventure together.
