Kalmanovitz School of Education
The Kalmanovitz School of Education (KSOE) and its programs enjoy a stellar reputation for educational excellence and innovation due to its unique student-centered learning environment. Through the practice of shared inquiry, active collaborative learning, and community engagement, students are empowered to lead change according to the principles of social justice and the common good.
Saint Mary’s College’s commitment to training teachers began in 1967, when coursework and field experiences leading to a secondary teaching credential were established. In 1971, the elementary education program began, and master’s degree programs formed soon after. Counseling Leadership began in 1978, and the Department of Education became the School of Education in 1985. In 2000, an Education Doctorate (EdD) in Educational Administration, now Educational Leadership, became the first doctoral program at Saint Mary’s College; and in 2014, the Graduate Leadership Department, which includes bachelor’s and master’s degrees in leadership, became part of the KSOE. Currently, in collaboration with the School of Arts & Sciences, KSOE offers several undergraduate teacher education credential pathways: Education Specialist, Multiple Subject, Single Subject, and Single Subject (4+1).
KSOE departments include Counseling, Leadership, and Teacher Education and they range from teaching and counseling licensure to degrees at the masters, educational specialist and doctoral levels.
The KSOE prepares students annually for certificates, credentials, and degrees. A bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies is offered for working adults. Master’s degrees are offered in education, teaching leadership, general counseling, marriage and family therapy and professional clinical counseling, school counseling, school psychology, career counseling, college student services, leadership, and educational leadership. The Teachers for Tomorrow program, in collaboration with the Justice Community and Leadership (JCL) program, features undergraduate teacher education pathways. Credential and certificate programs are offered in eight areas recognized by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: administrative services, teaching leadership, multiple subjects (K-8), single subject (secondary), Spanish bilingual teaching, school counseling, school psychology, and special education. The Educational Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership features an emphasis on equity, social justice, collaborative learning, and community-based research.
Three academic centers are housed in the KSOE: The Center for Environmental Literacy (CEL), The Leadership Center, and the Comprehensive Literacy Center. The Center for Environmental Literacy explores and promotes educational programming and professional development opportunities for educators to integrate science and the arts into academia curricula designed for elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as for Saint Mary’s College research and coursework. CEL promotes environmental education in schools and communities worldwide. River of Words, CEL’s signature program, provides tools for teaching environmental literacy to children, teens, and teachers through art and poetry. The mission of the Leadership Center is to enhance leadership capacity to meet the unique challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. The programs integrate contemporary academic theories of leadership and organizational change with proven, practical, action-based approaches to serving communities, organizations, and society. The Comprehensive Literacy Center within the Kalmanovitz School of Education is proud to serve as the West Coast training center for the professional development of teacher leaders in the United States who implement the Reading Recovery® practice in their classrooms. Reading Recovery is an early intervention program for first graders who are at risk for learning to read and write.