A Leader for Change and Innovation in Education

“The secret to the School of Education’s success lies in its ability to adapt, lead, and remain focused on serving our students and the community.”

When Dr. Iwar Westerberg welcomed the first group of students to the University of Redlands School of Education in September 1924, the founding director had high expectations for this new institution, but even he likely never envisioned just how big, bold, and influential it would become.

Westerberg had only been hired at the University a year earlier as the college’s first education faculty member. He quickly got to work, developing teacher training programs for elementary, junior high, and secondary education and leading the University’s efforts to credential students for teaching. The endeavor was a success, and when accreditation was granted by the California State Board of Education in January 1924, the School of Education was the lone college in San Bernardino County and one of only three in Southern California to earn this distinction.

Being forward-thinking has always been a part of the School of Education’s DNA.

“The secret to the School of Education’s success lies in its ability to adapt, lead, and remain focused on serving our students and the community,” Dr. Nicol Howard, dean of the School of Education and co-director of the REAL (Race in Education Analytics Learning) Lab, said. “Our commitment to student learning and development and strong community partnerships set us apart from other programs.”

Since those early days under Westerberg, the School of Education has grown to include masters and doctoral programs, undergraduate degree programs, a Center for Educational Justice, an Office of Licensures and Credentialing, the REAL Lab, and the Alliance for Community Transformation and Wellness, and has formed valuable partnerships with schools and districts in the community and across California. It has also sharpened both its vision and mission, pledging to inspire more justice-related dialogue and action and strengthen social and educational justice through student, staff, and faculty engagement.

“The School of Education has a long history of progress and success, standing for over a century,” Howard said. “Progress happens through a combination of faculty and staff committee work, data-informed decision-making, and key community initiatives inspired by professors.”

Read the full story in our Och Tamale Magazine.