Cato College of Education

Kyra Burton ‘95 was inspired by her English as a Second Language (ESL) students to write “America, Here I Come,” a book about siblings adjusting to living in America.

WFAE’s Ann Doss Helms recently wrote an in-depth report that focuses on how the University and its partners are reshaping the experiences of student teachers.

A new public elementary school developed and operated by education experts at UNC Charlotte will open at the former Amay James Pre-K Center starting in August 2020.

Education students at UNC Charlotte are now using virtual reality (VR) to prepare for real-life classrooms, in a program that looks to reshape the way future teacher candidates learn about how students and teachers interact.

Theresa Perez, professor emerita, Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education, lived her life as a champion for social justice. At UNC Charlotte, Perez displayed a spirit that nurtured and developed the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program. She knew it would be an important factor in improving the lives of immigrant families in the community.

UNC Charlotte’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), the International Honor Society in Education, continued its award-winning streak with a trio of honors at the 53rd Kappa Delta Pi Convocation.Omicron Pi Chapter received its fourth Achieving Chapter Excellence Award, which recognizes Kappa Delta Pi chapters that exhibit outstanding programming supporting the society’s mission.

Teresa Petty will be the interim dean of the Cato College of Education, effective Jan. 16.Petty, who joined the University in 2005, has served as associate dean of the college since 2016. During her time at UNC Charlotte, she has contributed significantly to the college through scholarship focused on online teaching and learning and the impact of national board certification for teachers and their students.

From Anson County to UNC Charlotte and back home again, Kelsey Harris and Alyssa Harris Martini are two sisters with an inseparable bond strengthened by a love of teaching.

Cato College of Education alumna Bonnie Roop ’19 is the 2019 North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year. Roop, who student-taught at Kannapolis Middle School before being hired full-time at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Charlotte, is described as a nurturing educator and careful planner who uses research-based practices and focuses on the individual needs of her students. Her field supervisor lauded her “persistence in making her students feel cared for, believed in and successful.” 

A new book co-researched and written by Cato College of Education professor Tracey Benson is drawing national coverage and acclaim for its incisive look into the role of unconscious bias in K-12 schools.“Unconscious Bias in Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism,” examines the phenomenon of unconscious racial bias and describes how it negatively affects the work of educators and students in schools.