Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education at the University of Evansville, has published a new book, Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School.

Published through Teachers College Press, the book evaluates and describes a high-performing public school in Boston. The book describes the school’s successes — such as a high college attendance rate by its graduates and the portfolio process required for graduation — and also the challenges faced by schools like Mission Hill, including pressure to teach to standardized tests.

“The Mission Hill School is a small, personal, but informal K-8 learning environment where teachers hold high standards for children, who rise to those standards while taking a large amount of ownership over their own learning,” Knoester said. “Even if school leaders elsewhere cannot replicate the school due to various constraints, I hope there are parts that educators will find useful.”

“Matthew Knoester has done us an enormous favor by showing us, in detail, what could be — one example of how schools can be the building blocks for democracy, recreating community for all to taste, feel, hear, and see,” said Deborah W. Meier, author of the book’s foreword and a MacArthur Fellow who founded Mission Hill School.

Knoester is a National Board Certified Teacher and former teacher at the Mission Hill School in Boston, as well as schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College, his Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and his PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Knoester has published articles in journals such as Educational Policy; Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy; Pedagogy, Culture & Society; and Schools: Studies in Education. He is also the editor of the book International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education (Peter Lang Publishing, 2012).

Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Teachers College Press.

Source: Evansville.edu

Paul Rynkiewich ’81, a teacher and football coach at North Posey Senior High School, is one of only 26 teachers from five regions across the United States to receive the 2012-13 Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award. He was surprised with the award and an oversized check for $1,000 at a special assembly held at the school in November.

Known to students and colleagues as “Mr. Rynk,” Rynkiewich was instrumental in establishing North Posey High’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes program and instituted anthropology in the school’s curriculum. He also teaches advanced college credit courses to help prepare students pursuing higher education.

Rynkiewich holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern Indiana and a master’s degree from the University of Evansville. Immediately following his graduation from USI, Rynkiewich taught at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana. He joined the staff at North Posey High School in fall of 1983. He has taught there ever since, influencing and inspiring generations of students.

Erin Gibson, USI instructor in journalism and a 1992 alumnus of North Posey High School, said, “Mr. Rynk taught one of my history classes and my geography class. He was so engaging and really enjoyed teaching.”

The teachers at North Posey High were known for puns and tried to out-pun each other in class, Gibson said. “I will never forget Mr. Rynk teaching us about the volcanos of Krakatoa,” she said. “He would accidentally kick the desk and say, ‘Oh, I cracked my toe-a,’ and that’s how we remembered that. I loved history and geography but even students who didn’t could appreciate his lectures.”

Erin Koester, the assistant principal at North Posey High School who nominated Rynkiewich for the award, is also a former student. In nominating him, she wrote, “After 31 years of being an educator, many teachers lose that spark and passion for their content area that students long to see as they sit in those desks day after day. ‘Mr. Rynk’ is definitely not an example of this trend. His thunderous voice and commitment to providing his students with the opportunity to relive history in every lesson plan has never diminished.”

Koester said that Rynkiewich inspired her to seek leadership roles in education. “He has not only used his integrity to be a leader in education, but also to form a legacy with hundreds of North Posey graduates that have gone on to be leaders in their careers and strive to have the same genuine integrity in their lives.”

Rynkiewich and his wife Melissa have two grown children. Their daughter Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from USI in spring 2012 and is an emergency room nurse at Deaconess Health System. Their son Frank will graduate from USI in spring 2013 with a degree in mechanical engineering and has secured a position at Alcoa after interning there.

“USI has been very beneficial for my family,” Rynkiewich said. “I marvel at USI and how it’s grown, changed, expanded, and improved. I’m grateful for what it’s meant to me and to my kids.”

This marks the second consecutive year that a USI alumnus has been selected for the Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award. USI alumnus, Chad Hartmann ’95, a mathematics teacher at Helfrich Park STEM Academy, received the award in 2011-12.

Peabody Energy selects winners of the awards among nominees from the Greater St. Louis Metro Area; Southeastern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana; Western-Central Indiana; the Powder River Basin area of Wyoming; and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the awards is to “recognize the heroes in education who help our children achieve their true potential.”

Source: USI.edu

Can’t stay up to midnight? That’s ok-you can still celebrate with your family as CMoE counts down to Happy NOON Year! Enjoy all that cMoe has to offer plus Magician Don Baggett, a dance party, games, and crafts!

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CMoE Website

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, the Honors List has been released for the 2012 fall semester at the University of Southern Indiana. Dr. Ronald Rochon, provost, reported that 2,170 undergraduates were named to the Honors List.

Semester honors are not awarded to masters students or Doctor of Nursing Practice students.

Undergraduate students must achieve a 3.5 or better grade point average (on 4.0 system) to be named to the Honors List. Students earning no IN (incomplete) or Z (missing) grades for the term, and earning letter grades of computable point value (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and Pass/No Pass graded courses do not apply) in 12 or more semester hours, with a semester grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0 are named to the list.

The Honors List is arranged by each student’s hometown (by state and city), according to the address he/she has provided to the University. A student’s name may be listed under Evansville if the student supplied an Evansville mailing address. The honors list may be accessed by clicking on the link below.

Fall 2012 Honors List

Note to students:

If you expected your name to be on the list and you cannot find it, use the search function in the PDF document. Type in your name to search the entire list. If you still do not find your name, email Tracy Sinn in the Office of the Registrar (include your full name and student ID number). If it can be verified that you did qualify for the Honors List, that office will give News and Information Services your name and hometown.