Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education
Overview
Dr. Michael Wischnowski, Dean
Welcome to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education (SoE) at St. John Fisher College. Our curriculum is grounded in inclusive practice. We believe that teaching all persons requires that the professional educator and executive leader master the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to address the diversity represented by the populations they serve. All children and all adults have a right to enjoy high-quality educational and workplace experiences designed by experts who are deeply and fully committed to the profession of education and the responsibilities of leadership. Our graduate programs in education are designed to deepen, extend, and enhance the professional knowledge of educators, leaders, and executives. Initial certification programs allow graduate candidates whose baccalaureate degrees are in areas other than education to obtain New York State certification in Childhood and Special Education or Adolescence and Special Education. Teaching professionals with initial certification in Childhood and Adolescence may specialize in the critical needs areas of Special Education and Literacy. Graduate candidates with initial certification can qualify for professional certification through our master’s degree programs.
Teachers who have experience in leadership roles may enroll in the School Building Leader and School Building/School District Leader programs. Educators and executives may challenge themselves at the highest level of study in our Ed.D. in Executive Leadership program where a cohort-based modular structure provides a rigorous yet accessible program of study leading to a terminal degree. The College also offers its approved Ed.D. program in Executive Leadership at extension sites at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY, and at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.
Graduate programs in teacher education and educational leadership are registered with the New York State Education Department and are nationally accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The SoE and its related educational programs are located in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education Building and the James S. Alesi Academic Center, state-of-the-art facilities with advanced technological capacity.
Vision
The vision of the School of Education is that our candidates, faculty, and staff have a moral and professional obligation to contribute in meaningful ways to a more just world where people accept the humanitarian mandate to treat one another civilly and honorably and to develop themselves and the students they serve to meet the academic, social, and personal goals necessary for their positive contributions to a peaceful and progressive world. To help realize this vision, our candidates, faculty, and staff will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to: providing all learners with equitable access to knowledge about themselves and the world in which they live; engaging in caring and effective pedagogical practices that support the acquisition of new knowledge and skills; helping all students become independent and lifelong learners, and active participants in a social and political democracy; and advocating for the interests of the students, families and communities that they serve.