In Memorium: Phyllis Pitt

Phyllis Pitt, a doctoral candidate, field supervisor and adjunct instructor in the Graduate School of Education died on May 31 after being struck by a car in Brooklyn. She was a longtime public and private school teacher in Brooklyn yeshivas.

“We grieve with the family and loved ones of Phyllis Pitt,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University. “With one long and distinguished career behind her, she was struck down just as she prepared to embark on a new adventure. Her death is a loss to her students, her colleagues, and of course her husband and children. I know that the Fordham family joins me in keeping Phyllis and her loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”

Pitt is survived by her husband, Michael, and two adult children. The family lives in Brooklyn. The University will publish details about services and memorials as they become available.

Fordham and Brooklyn Diocese Form CSAA

Brooklyn Catholic schools have a new way to earn accreditation, thanks to a recent partnership forged between Fordham and the Diocese of Brooklyn. The Graduate School of Education and the Diocese have jointly created the Catholic School Accreditation Association (CSAA), the establishment of which was marked at a signing ceremony at the diocesan offices on May 25.

“The purpose is to bring the credibility of a major Catholic university into the process of accrediting Catholic schools… We are focusing on the Catholic identity of schools and also focusing on academic excellence,” said James J. Hennessy, Ph.D., dean of GSE. “[It will also] help communicate more broadly about the high academic quality of accredited schools, thus boosting enrollments and perhaps reversing the trend of closing schools.”

Click here to read the full story in Inside Fordham.

From left, Thomas Chadzutko, superintendent of schools for the diocese, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, James J. Hennessy, dean of GSE, and Gerald Cattaro, executive director of GSE's Center for Catholic School Leadership.

Alumni News: Dr. Brian D. Monahan ('82) and Rashid Ferrod Davis ('03)

The Hendrick Hudson Board of Education announced its selection of Brian D. Monahan, Ph.D., as interim Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1. Monahan, currently serving as coordinator of graduate programs in educational leadership and technology at Pace University, brings nearly 40 years of experience as an educator to the Hendrick Hudson School District. He received his Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching with a specialization in language and literacy from GSE in 1982.

Rashid Ferrod Davis (M.S.Ed. Administration & Supervision '03) is the founding Principal of Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-Tech), and was recently interviewed for Principal's Office, a regular feature in the New York Times' School Book. In the interview, entitled "No Such Thing As Too Hard," Davis discusses the challenge of preparing his students for a rigorous science and technology curriculum, and college-level classes, even though many of them came from middle schools that may not have adequately prepared them.

Graduation Reflections

Left to right:
Kirsten Graham and Alyse La Rue
GSE Class of 2012

As they prepared to graduate, we asked our GSE Student Ambassadors and Graduate Assistants to reflect on their experiences at Fordham and at the Graduate School of Education. Alyse La Rue received an M.S.E. in Mental Health Counseling this May.

My time at Fordham was more than just the achievement of a master's degree- it was a time of personal growth as well. I began the Mental Health Counseling program unsure of what I had just gotten myself into, but I am leaving with a deep knowledge of my field and myself, friends and faculty that will be colleagues in the future, and as a leader. When I first came to Fordham I really didn't know what to expect. I was nervous; did I do the right thing going back to school? Was this degree going to to get me where I wanted to go? Could I really become a therapist? I chose Fordham because I knew I wanted a top-notch education, and when I left Admissions events I felt as if I had gotten a big hug.

Once I began the program, I realized that support I felt from the Office of Admissions continued. When I felt insecure about whether I would be a good counselor, my professors and classmates were there to support my growth. When my classmate Kirsten Graham and I thought that the counseling program would benefit from a student organization, we were welcomed with open arms and supported through the entire process of developing the Student Association of Mental Health Counselors (SAM). In addition to support, I gained invaluable knowledge and skills both in the classroom and at my internship that have left me feeling well prepared as I enter the workforce. Beyond counseling skills, I gained a better understanding of myself; who I was, and why I was going into this field.

While I am excited to see where my career will take me, a part of me is sad to say goodbye to Fordham. I look forward to staying connected with classmates and faculty as we all move on to the next phase of our lives.

Faculty Accomplishments: Michael Pizzingrillo Named New Superintendent of Schools For Diocese of Albany

The new superintendent of schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany says he wants to increase enrollment and boost the use of technology in classrooms.

"We need to look at what makes us successful and enhance it as much as possible," said Michael Pizzingrillo, who assumes the post after serving as deputy superintendent of schools for the Brooklyn Diocese. In 1995, he started in the downstate district as a junior high school math and science teacher and went on to work in central Catholic schools administration for nine years.

Pizzingrillo has been an elementary school principal at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Brooklyn, and an associate superintendent for strategic planning, government programs and public policy, the diocese said. He is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Education, where he is completing his doctorate in education leadership.

Spotlight On: Center for Catholic School Leadership and Faith-Based Education

The National Catholic Education Association Convention held in Boston on April 11th-13th, 2012 highlighted the leadership work of the Center for Catholic School Leadership and Faith-Based Education at GSE. A session entitled "An Entrepreneurial "Eastering" Enterprise: A University-Diocesan Partnership for Catholic School Leaderships" was presented by Drs. Gerald Cattaro (Professor and Executive Director of the Center), Thomas Chadzutko (Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Brooklyn), and Lorraine Pasadino (GSE Scholar in Residence), and "A Leadership of Resurrection: An "Eastered" Paradigm" was also presented by Dr. Lorraine Pasadino.

Additionally, the April/May 2012 issue of Momentum: The Journal of Catholic Education included an article by Drs. Gerald Cattaro and Lorraine Pasadino entitled, "University-Diocesan Partnership Grooms 21st Century Catholic School Leaders: Fordham University and the Diocese of Brooklyn Create a Distinctive Three Year Learning-in-Practice Experience". The article discusses the Center's leading role in the Cabrini Urban Principals' Institute for Exemplary Leadership, an entrepreneurial partnership leadership certificate program between Fordham University and the Diocese of Brooklyn that has been "contemplatively & clinically grounded" in Catholic heritage, educational theory and research, and uniquely tailored to the distinctive leadership challenges of principals in the urban Diocese of Brooklyn.

On May 30th, 2012, a ceremony will be held at Fordham University to celebrate the closure and certification of the first cohort of Cabrini Leaders to finish the 3-year certificate.

GSE Hosts Visitors From University of Pretoria

Left to right: Dean Hennessy, Dr. Ina Joubert,
Dr. Ronel Ferreira, Dr. Gerrit Stols

This week, several members of the Faculty of Education from the University of Pretoria visited the Graduate School of Education, as part of Fordham University’s ongoing partnership with the South African institution. Drs. Ronel Ferreira (Head of Department of Educational Psychology), Ina Joubert(Senior Lecturer, Department of Early Childhood Education) and Gerrit Stols (Senior Lecturer, Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education) spent the week with GSE administrators, faculty, staff and students, as part of an effort to develop the Fordham partnership and collaboration with Pretoria further at the faculty and program levels.

Ferreira, Joubert and Stols participated in discussions with Dean James Hennessy, Associate Dean Rita Brause and GSE Division Chairs. They also observed several classes in session, including a team-taught course in the Fordham Teacher Residency Scholars program in Adolescence Education, and a course entitled “Leading in a Diverse Society” in the Division of Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy’s Master’s in Administration and Supervision program. They toured both the Fordham Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, and visited several Bronx elementary schools which are members of GSE’s Partnership Support Organization/Children First Network (PSO/CFN). GSE hosted them as guests at receptions celebrating three cohorts of graduates of GSE’s NYSED grant-funded Educational Leadership Program Enhancement Project (ELPEP) and welcoming incoming students to the first cohorts of the Accelerated Master’s in Educational Leadership (A.M.P.E.L.) program, and they interacted with faculty from the new doctoral program in Contemporary Learning and Interdisciplinary Research (CLAIR)-- as well as with faculty from almost every other GSE program.

Many collaborations resulted from interaction between GSE faculty and the visitors from Pretoria. These include an agreement for GSE faculty to serve as external reviewers of Pretoria Faculty of Education doctoral candidate dissertations, plans to develop joint courses, and new research alliances amongst faculty. Future possibilities include GSE providing a means of advanced professional development and leadership preparation opportunities for Pretoria faculty, and the possibility of fieldwork for students in several programs within GSE’s Division of Psychological and Educational Services abroad in South Africa.

We look forward to these and many other mutually beneficial partnership opportunities as GSE’s relationship with the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria continues to grow!