Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

Mission Statement

Mission

The mission of the School of Education and the Professional Education Unit (SoE/PEU) at St. John Fisher College is to provide a quality educational experience that prepares candidates for distinguished careers in their chosen profession and for leadership roles in a diverse, rapidly changing, and increasingly technological society. To this end, we seek to:

• Prepare highly capable and ethically responsible professional educators who are committed to improving educational conditions, opportunities, and outcomes for all students.
• Prepare candidates who share the belief that all students can and will learn.
• Prepare candidates who understand educational theory, research, best practices, and the use of various technologies and how to apply this knowledge in diverse school settings and communities.
• Prepare candidates to meet college, state, and national standards and requirements for graduation and certification.

Vision

Consistent with the missions of the College and the SoE/PEU, the vision of the SoE/PEU 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.

Conceptual Framework

The overarching theme for the SoE/PEU, “Educator as Advocator,” is a distillation of our vision, mission, beliefs, goals, central philosophy and five related tenets. This overarching theme captures a central commitment to the philosophy of social justice, accomplished through the related tenets of diversity, achievement, compassion, knowledge, and service. The conceptual framework follows a constructivist approach to instruction that shapes who we are and informs our daily pursuit of educational excellence as faculty, staff, and candidates in the SoE/PEU. The theme, philosophy, and tenets provide a strong context for the work that we do in collaboration with the College community, P–12 schools and broader community; our collective efforts to engage high-quality faculty in programs grounded in inclusive practice, with an extraordinary focus on the teaching profession in service to others, and an informed understanding of the teacher’s and educational leader’s responsibility to encourage children and adults toward intellectual pursuit and personal growth.