Curry School of Education | University of Virginia

Previous History Page | Teacher Education | The Brenenman Years | Looking Forward with Dean Pianta

A Revamped Teacher Education Program

James Cooper took the reins of the Curry School shortly after the release of A Nation at Risk, a report prepared by the National Commission on Excellence in Education that was highly critical of the American education system. Noting the presence of what it called "a rising tide of mediocrity" in the nation's educational system, the report criticized teacher preparation models of the day, describing them as "weighted heavily with courses in ‘educational methods' at the expense of courses in subjects to be taught." The commission reported survey results from 1,350 teacher-training institutions indicating that their elementary school teacher candidates spent 41 percent of their time in education courses, significantly reducing the amount of time available for courses in subjects they would be expected to teach.

Cooper, who had a background in teacher education, convened a task force of Curry faculty members to review the School's program and to revamp it as necessary. After two years of work, the School introduced a five-year teacher education program, the first of its kind in the nation. The program, which continues to flourish today, offers students a general liberal arts education; in-depth knowledge of the subjects they plan to teach through U.Va.'s College of Arts and Sciences; exposure to technology and multiculturalism; instruction in how to teach exceptional children; an introduction to pedagogy and the theory of education; and in-school teaching experience. Students graduate from the program with the master of teaching degree.

Even at its inception, Cooper was so confident of the program's success that he offered Virginia school superintendents a guarantee: If any Curry graduate they hired wasn't satisfactory, the dean would send out a Curry faculty member to bring the teacher up to speed. I've been compared to the Maytag repairman who sits by the phone waiting for it to ring. It almost never did," he says.

The Breneman Years: Leading Curry into Its Second Century

When economist David Breneman became Curry's seventh dean 10 years ago, he joined a school that he described as physically and financially sound, but that "exists in a world of diminishing financial resources." He promptly worked with the faculty to develop a strategic plan for the School because, as he put it, "the opportunity cost of mistakes is high." The plan that Breneman and the faculty developed is providing a blue- print for the School's second century of service through its pursuit of the following goals: meeting the multiple needs of all children, particularly those who are most vulnerable; strengthening Curry's role in advancing educational technology; enhancing its reputation as a source of empirical educational research; creating partnerships with experts across the School and beyond; and maintaining a structure for Curry that enhances its potential, both on- and off-Grounds.

To that end, Curry has launched three promising programmatic initiatives that have been described in recent school publications: Teachers for a New Era, the Darden/ Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education, and the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning.

Breneman, in addition to supervising the hiring of numerous faculty members to replace those now eligible for retirement, has also overseen the accreditation of the School's Teacher Education Program by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. Curry is the nation's first program to receive this designation.

Under his leadership, the School has secured a $25 million gift from Daniel Meyers, a Boston-based businessman, which the donor has designated for a new home for the school. "It seems Ruffner Hall has been too small for us since the day we moved in," Breneman says. "Our faculty and staff are scattered all over Charlottesville. The new building will enable us to bring all of Curry together in one place."

Looking Forward with Dean Pianta

In July of 2007, Dr. Robert Pianta, Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL), was appointed Dean of the Curry School. With Dean Pianta's leadership and the generosity of friends and alumni of the Curry School, it did not take long for Mr. Meyer's single gift of $25 million to turn into the $37.4 million needed to complete the Bavaro Hall project. The focus is now on turning the vision of this new space into a reality.

With the addition and renovation of Curry’s facilities, Curry faculty and students will have the kind of work space that allows them to reach across disciplines to conduct new and innovative research. The Sheila C. Johnson Clinic for Human Services will offer comprehensive clinical services to diagnose and care for those seeking help for a broad spectrum of learning-related challenges. Teacher Education at Curry will continue to discover creative solutions to challenges in the classroom and the Curry Community will continue to reach out to our local, national, and international communities.

As the Curry School enters its second century, it remains true to its original mission as articulated by Edwin Alderman and carried forth by a succession of prescient leaders. Thanks to the service of these dedicated scholars, the School is well positioned to meet the significant challenges its students, faculty, and graduates face in the rapidly changing field of education.