Meet current and past students at the School of Education
Gail Kushner ’77 & ’87
“Vision. Inspiration. Patience. Persistence. All required skills whether you’re creating stained glass or guiding a student’s education.”
Seeing through the qualities of leadership
Gail Kushner is the Superintendent of Milton and Wakefield School Districts in New Hampshire. She’s also a craftsperson who excels in
stained glass creations. Gail sees profound similarities between her hobby and her occupation.
"What's good about stained glass is it's similar to the way you lead," she said in an interview with the Foster’s Daily Democrat.
“Both require vision, inspiration, input from others, patience and persistence.”
After earning her MA in Counseling from the University of Redlands, Gail worked in the nearby Yucaipa School District, where she
taught students in kindergarten through third grade. She next worked as a guidance counselor at a middle school in California until
she returned to her hometown state of New Hampshire.
Crafting one relationship at a time
In 2009, Gail was appointed to the helm of two school districts in New Hampshire. With a patience practiced at the stained glass table,
her first year as superintendent was spent listening, one of the most important hallmarks of a gifted educator. She solicited the perspectives
of members of the two school boards, the two chairs of the budget committees, the SAU staff, principals, union representatives, logistical and
even transportation officials in order to build relationships within the two districts, according to the interview in Foster’s Daily Democrat.
Today, this former Bulldog is focused on improving the reading and math scores of students in her districts.
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Erick Witherspoon, ’11 –Ed.D. Doctorate
in Leadership for Educational Justice
To see a powerful example of how an encouraging, supportive and effective educational
environment can create positive change, head straight to the principal’s office.
The principal in this case is Erick Witherspoon at the Lena M. Preston Elementary
School in Rialto, California.
To the students, parents and staff of Preston, Erick is more than the school’s top
administrator. He’s also a self-described “merchant of hope,” a title he says describes
perfectly the work that needs to be done in schools everywhere.
“The belief is that no matter what obstacles might exist, success can occur with
hard work and perseverance,” he says of the “merchant of hope” title. “It says that
failure is not an option.”
The Principal Goes to School
Principal Witherspoon’s personal dedication and focus has only been strengthened
by his own experiences at the University of Redlands where he earned a master’s
in education administration and is now working towards a unique doctorate in Leadership
for Educational Justice.
Erick says his efforts to make a difference in both his educational universe and
in the world of the students under his charge, have been supported, strengthened
and enhanced by his experiences at University of Redlands.
“Redlands has reaffirmed who I am and the commitment that I have made,” he says.
“It has reaffirmed my tenacity – my ruthless conviction that we absolutely cannot
give up on our kids.”
Serving Up Educational Justice
At Preston Elementary – and the community as a whole – Erick strives to be an advocate
for the needs of all kids, regardless of their backgrounds. It’s one of the reasons,
in fact, that he’s pursuing such a distinctive doctorate at Redlands.
“For me, educational justice speaks to every level of equity for students,” he says.
“It means equal access to the curriculum and eliminating discrepancies that have
failed students in the past.”
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Alan Kay ’04, current Ed.D. student
“Just because one generation of a family is left behind doesn’t mean the next generation
should have the same fate.”
Stretching intellectually to reach those left behind Through the
University of Redlands Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice program,
Alan Kay discovered a clearer vision of his role as Coordinator for Mathematics
and Science for the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
"I got my administrative credential and my master's degree from Redlands in 2004.
I knew I wanted to return because of the small class sizes and the willingness of
the faculty to work closely with students,” he says. “I also knew this degree would
be respected and would help me advance my career."
Alan was intellectually stretched in the program, and says he sees himself becoming
more of a scholar-practitioner with each passing day.
"This program has really opened my eyes and given me a clearer vision of my role
as an administrator,” says the graduate of the class of (year). “You look at our
society and it seems to be increasingly divided. There are people that are educated
and in powerful positions, and there are people who aren't.
Although Alan realizes that some people have been left behind, he wants to make
sure that doesn't continue to happen. “Just because one generation of a family is
left behind doesn't mean the next generation should have the same fate."
Pushed to think at a deeper level
Alan says he entered the unique program expecting to be challenged by his professors,
but was impressed by how much his classmates have pushed him to think at a deeper
level.
"There are a lot of people that have a real passion for students,” he says of the
faculty at Redlands. “They are a very dynamic group of people. I'm not sure I've
ever seen anything quite like it."
Since starting the program and accepting a new post as Coordinator for Mathematics
and Science in the San Bernardino School District, Alan says he has renewed his
commitment to making educational services accessible to all people.
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Sabine Robertson Phillips , Class of 1992
–Director of Human Resources, Redlands Unified School District
Alumna Sabine Robertson Phillips recruits Redlands graduates for a reason.
"We've hired a wonderful group of teachers out of the University of Redlands. I
think students are able to get more of a one-on-one from the professors, I think
they're able to maybe go a little deeper into curriculum than they might have in
a huge setting and I don't know what it is or why it is other than I think the quality
of the teaching and the quality of the program.
"But you know, I always say you get what you pay for, and you know this is a private
institution and the kids are paying big bucks to come here, and I really think that
they're getting their money's worth. And to come out of a program like Redlands,
you come with the reputation.
"And I recruit all over the place, I mean I've gone from Sacramento to San Diego
and when you say I'm a graduate of the University of Redlands, eyes perk up and
I've seen it all over the place. And having that be my alma mater, I'm very proud
to be a Redlands grad."
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Branson Bradley –2003 Teaching Credential
Candidate
At the School of Education, student Branson Bradley finds a lot of support.
"I started the University of Redlands program last June and will be done in May.
The people are very nice at this campus; it's very open. I'm here only two nights
a week but I've already made a lot of friends here, people that are in the B.A.
program as well as the teaching mentoring programs. I will be credentialed to teach
in California and 46 other states; since it is so difficult to get a California
teaching credential—most states recognize it."
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