Education Department
The Flagler College Education Department is committed to providing students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for pursuing professional careers in Education.
The Department acknowledges that the Education profession is becoming an increasingly challenging one, demanding greater competence, wider versatility, and broader values of its practitioners. Prospective teachers must expand their knowledge of the human experience. They must acquire a comprehensive body of subject area knowledge and an extensive repertoire of instructional strategies.
They must also develop a set of professional attitudes which will enhance educational practice in a culturally-diverse and technologically-advancing society. To these ends, the Department maintains high academic and performance standards and provides students with a solid base of academic content and pedagogic theory and skills.
Students majoring in education work toward teacher certification in seven areas: exceptional student education, hearing impaired, elementary education, art education, drama education, English and social science. All degree programs are state-approved.
Two of the programs result in a dual certification which prepares teachers to work with students with disabilities as well as those who are non-disabled.
Students can see their advisor for a checklist of required courses for each program of study or contact the Education Department: 904.819.6246.
All programs integrate field experience and classroom instruction into a cohesive program of study. Students, prior to their internship, participate in practicum experiences in local schools (including the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind) for a total number of hours that ranges from 65 to 200. All practicum experiences are associated with theory and methods classes and give students the opportunity to observe teachers applying principles of instruction and classroom management in their classrooms. The practica also allow students to work with diverse groups of elementary, middle school and high school students to "practice" their skills under the guidance of certified teachers.
Art Education (K-12)
Students pursuing a degree in Art Education are eligible to receive state certification to teach art at all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th grade. This course of study requires students to complete an art major and to study professional education and methodology courses.
Drama Education (6-12)
Students pursuing a degree in Drama Education are eligible to receive state certification to teach Drama in grade levels 6 to 12th grade. To meet the requirements of this course of study, students study professional education courses and methods courses and obtain a drama major. Students also participate in practicum assignments in the public schools of St. Johns County.
Elementary Education/Education of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
This course of study results in eligibility to receive dual certification in the areas of elementary education (K-6) for hearing children and deaf education (K-12). The deaf education program is nationally-certified and results in eligibility to receive both a state certification and a Council on Education of the Deaf certification which is nationally-recognized. In addition to these dual certifications, students also receive the ESOL endorsement. The course of study in this department requires study in professional education courses, elementary content and methodology courses, and education of the deaf and hard of hearing courses. Depending upon the student's sign language skills, the course of study may require 136 hours to complete. All students participate in practicum courses with elementary schools in the public school system of St. Johns County and the Florida School for the Deaf.
Elementary Education
Elementary Education students are eligible to obtain a certification to teach grades K-6. They also obtain endorsements in ESOL & Reading.
Elementary Education/Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
This course of study results in eligibility to receive dual certification in the areas of elementary education (K-6) for non-disabled children and exceptional student education for children in levels K-12. In addition to these dual certifications, students also receive endorsements in ESOL & Reading. The course of study in this department requires study in professional education courses, elementary content and methodology courses, and exceptional student education courses. All students participate in practicum courses with elementary schools in the public school system of St. Johns County. ESE is not offered as a "stand-alone" curriculum. Students must pursue studies in the area in combination with elementary education.
Secondary Education/English
Students who complete their studies in Secondary Education/English are eligible to receive certification to teach the content area of English in middle and high schools. In addition, students obtain ESOL endorsement.
Secondary Education/Social Studies
Students pursuing certification in Secondary Education/Social Sciences must take the required courses in social sciences as specified by the Education Department and pursue course work in professional education courses and educational methodology. At the completion of this program, the student is eligible to receive certification to teach content-specific courses at the middle and high school levels.
Students graduating from Flagler College with an education major must not only successfully complete the program with a GPA of 2.5, they must also successfully complete their internship, pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations in the area of their certification, and prepare a senior portfolio.
The senior portfolio must be submitted to the Education Department the semester prior to student teaching and will be reviewed by a commitee of instructors from the Education Department. The portfolio will contain evidence of student learning throughout their years at Flagler College and will illustrate their understanding of the Accomplished Practices of the State of Florida. The preparation of this portfolio is in response to a mandate from the State of Florida regarding pre-service teachers and is seen as an important component of the student's educational experience. Required artifacts differ for each major field of study, and a listing for each major may be obtained in the education office.
Prior to their internship experience, all students must have completed the department requirements, which include completing the application for an education internship, maintaining a 2.5 GPA, passing of the state-required general knowledge exam, submitting the portfolio, successfully completing all coursework, and finally, passing all sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations specific to their area of certification.
After all of these requirements have been satisfied, students enter their internship for a period of 14 weeks. The configuration of this internship depends upon the area of certification pursued by the student. Students who are in a single degree and certification area (e.g. elementary education) will be placed in one classroom for a total of fourteen weeks. Students who are in a dual certification program (e.g. deaf education/elementary education) will be placed in one classroom for each certification area for seven weeks each. This means the student will be in an elementary classroom with hearing children for seven weeks and an elementary classroom with deaf children for seven weeks.
Download from here the application for education internship. Fill out the fields in Microsoft Word and return to the Education Office (K-311).
Students enrolling at Flagler College who wish to major in education must meet departmental requirements and timelines.
Admission to the College as an education major does not guarantee admission to the department. Students must earn a score of 1010 (combined) on the SAT or 21 on the ACT to be admitted to the College as an education major. Students who enter Flagler College as freshmen should apply for admission to the education department no later than the end of their fourth semester at Flagler.
Transfer students enrolling at Flagler College with an A.A. degree are required to meet the education department's admission requirements within their first two semesters.
Students must complete the Application for Admission Form (online here, downloaded here as a doc file, downloaded here as a richtext format file (rtf) or in the Education Office), must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and must successfully complete the state-required general knowledge exam.
For a more-detailed explanation of the admission process to the education department, see the Flagler College Catalog.
Contact the Education Department
Dr. Michele Gregoire, Professor, Department Chair
B.M., Florida State University
M.A., California State University - Long Beach
Ph.D., University of Florida
Dr. Bettina Baker, Assistant Professor
B.A., Neumann College
M.Ed., Chestnut Hill College
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Paul Crutchfield, Professor
B.A., University of the South
M.S., Gallaudet College
Ph.D., University of Florida
Dr. Sandra Davis, Associate Professor
B.A., Salisbury State University
B.S., Salisbury State University
M.A., Salisbury State University
Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University
Dr. Kathleen Eide, Associate Professor
B.S., South Dakota State University
M.N.S., University of Wyoming
Ph.D., Utah State University
Dr. Margaret Finnegan, Professor
B.A., Western Maryland College
M.S.Ed., Western Maryland College
Ph.D., Temple University
Dr. Cheryl McCarthy, Associate Professor
B.A., Purdue University
M.S., Purdue University
Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Cheryl Serrano, Professor
B.S., University of Wisconsin
M.A., University of Northern Colorado
Ph.D., Florida State University
Dr. Carl Williams, Professor
B.A., Flagler College
M.Ed., University of North Florida
Ed.D., University of North Florida
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is an international honor society in education. KDP promotes the ideals of scholarship, high personal standards and promise in teaching and allied professions.
The Flagler chapter was chartered in 1997.
Kappa Delta Pi is dedicated to scholarship and excellence in education. The society is a community of scholars pledged to worthy ideals: It recognizes scholarship and excellence in education, promotes the development and dissemination of worthy educational ideas and practices, enhances the continuous growth and leadership of its diverse membership, fosters Inquiry and reflection on significant educational issues, and maintains a high degree of professional fellowship.
These websites provide information about the professional education field.
U.S. Department of Education
Florida Sunshine State Standards
Deaf Education Web Site
Diversity in Deaf Education
Teacher Preparation, Recruitment and Retention
The non-need-based financial aid page of this website lists many scholarships available to education majors. Look for general assistance such as the Lewis-Wiley Scholarship and education-specific assistance such as the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Forgivable Loan. Students planning on majoring in secondary education, drama education or art education should also look for scholarships in their specific subject field.
Go here, to the non-need-based financial aid page, to review scholarship options.
For further information, contact the Flagler College Financial Aid office.