School of Education

SOE Dean:  Marcie Wycoff-Horn

SOE Associate Dean: Pao Lor
Oversees accreditation and assessment. Oversees all teacher education curriculum matters. Organizes and provides direction/support to SoE Committees. Provides leadership, assistance and coordination with all grant-related activities within the SOE.

Dean's Assistant (University Service Program Associate): Jill Kirkpatrick
Serves as the administrative assistant to the Dean of SOE and manages office operations including coordinating communications with all constituents in SOE. Provides administrative assistance in coordination and implementation of all logistical activities relative to the SOE office, and manages and maintains the scheduling of the Dean’s calendar. Responsible for handling various aspects of the financial budget and expenditures for the SOE office. Works on website development, special events and grant assistance and various other tasks as assigned by the Dean.

SOE Business Manager: Scott Peterson 

Academic Services Director/Teacher Certification Officer: Jen Pinnow
Under the supervision of the Dean of SOE, this position is responsible for representing the Dean with regards to student academic issues and serving as a resource on academic policies, procedures, and degree requirements for teacher education students, faculty and staff. This position is responsible for verifying degree completion for undergraduate teacher education students/graduates and students in master’s and certificate programs after each term. This position is also responsible for verifying program completion for graduates applying for licensure in any state requiring institutional verification of program completion, and is the institutional resource on teacher licensing rules for the State of Wisconsin. The certification officer works closely with the Dean to ensure compliance with Wisconsin teacher licensing rules. Additional work includes collection, maintenance, and reporting of program completers and testing for licensure data to state and federal agencies.

Assessment Coordinator: Katie Hosley-Frieden
Assists teacher education programs in the development of assessment tools and measures. Responsible for collecting and analyzing data across SOE programs for reporting to accrediting bodies, such as the Higher Learning Commission, UW System, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Collaborates with Program Directors and faculty regarding assessment needs, including goals and objectives, designing direct and indirect assessment measures, coordinating and overseeing data collection relating to the assessment of learning outcomes, and managing databases. Gathers data from SOE alumni and employers of alumni.

Senior Equity Advisor/Recruiter: Michelle Sylvester
This position is part of the UW-System Teacher Recruitment Retention Initiative (TRRI). The purpose of TRRI is to increase the enrollment and improve the retention and graduation rates of students of color in the teacher program. The two primary goals of the position are (1) to create sustainable retention strategies that systematically support students of color in the School of Education, and (2) to increase the number of graduates in high needs areas for the teaching profession. These include students of color, male elementary teachers and female math and science teachers who enter into the School of Education programs at UW-La Crosse.

Academic Program Specialist: Laura Borshoff
This position works collaboratively with other members of SOE, serving as a School of Education advising resource at UW-La Crosse. In particular, the APS provides information on programs in the School of Education, organizes and disseminates admission data and surveys, organizes, and disseminates iPad data and the survey, and organizes the Teacher Candidate Progress Review Committee (TCPR).

Administrative Assistant (University Services Associate 2): Mackenzie Taylor
This position provides administrative support to associates in SOE, with primary support for the Academic Services Director/Teacher Certification Officer. Functions include data entry in WINGS with regards to Change of Program/Plan forms, posting various test scores, and end-of-semester reporting. Additional responsibilities include scheduling appointments for students with the Academic Services Director/Teacher Certification Officer, completing Verification of Completion forms, scheduling meetings, assisting with the coordination of Campus Close-Up Academic Sessions, and planning/preparing information for various events that the Academic Services Director/Teacher Certification Officer attends. This position also assists with greeting students, staff and faculty as they call and/or come into the SOE office.

Field Experience Coordinator & Communications Specialist (ECE & EME): Katie Rutenbar
Responsible for coordinating the placement of teacher candidates in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Middle Education licensure programs throughout their PK-12 field experiences, including student teaching. Represents UWL as a liaison to schools/teachers in the PK-12 system, and cultivates partnership sites (i.e., professional development schools) to ensure that the needs of both the teacher candidates and the PK-12 school districts are met. Serves as a communication specialist who creates and coordinates the communication output for SOE, including development and management of the newsletter, website, social media and other communication outlets.

Field Experience Coordinator & Partnership Specialist (EA-A & EC-A): Cindy Duley
Coordinates clinical field experiences in PK-12 settings for teacher candidates prior to student teaching (many of these being professional development school sites). Supports faculty and staff by serving as the liaison to local schools and teachers, and facilitates the placement procedures for all school experiences. Collaborates with faculty and staff to provide support to teacher candidates as they develop professionally.    

Professional Development & Outreach Coordinator: Victoria Rosin
Provides support for edTPA at UW-L, specifically coordinating training and other services or supports for faculty, teacher candidates, and PK-12 teachers. Creates professional development opportunities for UW-L faculty and teacher candidates, and for PK-12 teachers with our partner schools.

Administrative Assistant (University Services Associate 2): Becah Neitzel
Works with Field Experience Coordinators to support the Office of Field Experience, and assists with general SOE projects.  Manages the field experience database for teacher candidate placements, cooperating teachers’ licenses and availability, and school district information.  Confirms that teacher candidates have completed required forms including medical records and criminal background checks, and registers candidates for seminar and student teaching/internship courses.  Provides administrative support for the Eagle Alert and the Teacher Candidate Progress Review process.