The College of Education and Human Development’s Southern Maine Partnership received the 2005 Richard Wisniewski Award For Excellence in Teacher Education. The award, established in 1999, is given annually by the Society of Professors of Education. The Southern Maine Partnership consists of thirty-five schools in the state and places an emphasis on how teachers can best provide equity for all students in the classroom.
David Ruff, the co-executive director of the SMP, said the group hadn’t expected to win the award. “We knew that we had something unique, but this isn’t an award you apply for, which makes it special. Looking at past winners, we share certain elements in common with them but there are things about our program that make it unique.”
While there is no money reward, Ruff, who has been with the SMP for 11 years, including two years as the co-executive director, said this award is more important than money. “It’s a strong endorsement of what we do here and the manner in which we do it. We don’t look at this as something that will radically change the way we work. We place a large emphasis on reciprocity with the teachers, and certainly, any issues that they may have are addressed. We evolve that way, but our core beliefs of equity and rigor in education won’t change.”
The Partnership provides many ongoing activities such as “Dine and Discuss” evenings, which are workshops on relevant material, followed by dinner and informal discussions. There are also meetings geared toward the administrative aspect of education, including superintendent and principal’s meetings.
Ruff did not foresee any great expansions within the program due to this recognition. “We just look at it as an endorsement of the work we have always done. We’re not going to change.”
The award is named for Richard Wisniewski who served as president and treasurer of the Society of Professors of Education. The SMP will receive the award this April at the American Educational Research Association in Montreal.