Teacher Education

Wilhelmina Allen Garner, a retired music teacher and college counselor, died of heart failure July 20 at her daughter's San Antonio, Texas, home. She was 90 and had lived in North Baltimore and Morgan Park. Born Wilhelmina Allen in Franklin, Va., she moved to Baltimore when her father, a minister, was assigned to Leadenhall Baptist Church in South Baltimore. The family lived on Barre Street. She earned a bachelor's degree from Morgan State University in 1940. While there, she met her future husband, a Lincoln University student, William M. Garner, who became a physician and practiced in West Baltimore for many years.

The Maryland State Board of Education and Department of Education are grading just about everybody these days: students, individual schools and entire school systems. Last year, state educators won a fight in the General Assembly to overhaul the Baltimore City system. This year it's Prince George's turn to try and rebut the failing marks given it by the state department (MSDE).But who's grading the state education establishment?Judging from the media, that's nothing to worry about. President Clinton says "call Maryland" to find out how to go about education reform.

Fran Kroll had her eye on the outstanding faculty member of the year award ever since she came to Howard Community College 16 1/2 years ago. Her wait is over. Last night, as HCC's Board of Trustees announced her achievement to the campus, Kroll broke into a huge grin. Administrators say Kroll - who has a relentless workload as coordinator of the early childhood development and teacher education programs - richly deserves the honor. "She's just a one-person dynamo," said Jerrold Casway, chairman of HCC's social sciences division, in which Kroll works.

You may not like Ralph Fessler's proposals for overhauling teacher education in Maryland, but it's hard to argue that he doesn't know his subject matter. The former elementary school teacher, principal and administrator now directs the Johns Hopkins University's Division of Education.His specialty: the professional training of teachers.So last year, when the state's school superintendent and commissioner of higher education jointly appointed a task force to redesign teacher education, it was hardly a stretch when they asked Dr. Fessler, 51, to be chairman.

Several months after Nancy S. Grasmick left her job as state superintendent of schools, Michelle Rhee, the former schools chief in Washington, spoke in Baltimore and let a secret slip. She told the crowd at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall that Grasmick had said she wanted her next job to be helping to revamp the way teachers are prepared for the profession. Rhee, a hard-line education reformer, was pleased that Grasmick might help improve the training that Rhee thinks is so lacking in teacher colleges.

Dennis E. Hinkle, the dean of Towson University's College of Education and a statistics scholar, died Wednesday while undergoing surgery for a heart ailment at Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly. The Cockeysville resident was 60. Named the school's dean in 1993, Dr. Hinkle published and taught widely in the field of educational statistics. "He was a diligent, tireless worker who reached out to people and was open and eager to share his personal interests," said Patricia Waters, an assistant professor of early childhood education at Towson.

For years, Maryland educators have watched in frustration as potential teachers walked away from careers in education because they couldn't transfer some credits from two-year to four-year schools. Now that roadblock appears likely to be removed - just in time to help address a critical shortage of teachers in the state. Maryland's four-year and two-year schools have hammered out an agreement that promises to save potential teachers thousands of dollars and months of effort by providing a seamless transfer with all credits accepted.

IT'S BEEN A LOUSY summer for the nation's teacher-education schools.One report after another describes their failure to teach the critical skills of reading. The reading professors feel besieged and unfairly criticized.It's so bad that both sides in the Great Reading Wars agree on one thing: Teacher preparation in reading is a failure. Too much phonics, say whole language proponents. No, far too little, say phonics advocates.Nor did it help when half of the aspiring teachers in Massachusetts this summer flunked a certification exam not once, but twice.

W atching many of the children of his inner-city classmates follow in their parents' dead-end footsteps by dealing drugs on the same neighborhood streets only served to further Peter Modlin's resolve. The 48-year-old Laurel resident began making plans to return to Baltimore to teach in the public school system that once failed him, to help stop what he calls the "circle of hopelessness." "Those kids need to see there's a way out," said the ex-postal worker who is completing his last months at Howard Community College before earning an associate of arts degree in education.

Sign-up for 2-week winter term under way at community college Registration is under way for Anne Arundel Community College's winter two-week term for teachers, business employees, health professionals and students to receive training and advance their education. Classes begin Jan. 3 and end with finals Jan. 13. Teachers and education students can choose from five courses formed to fit busy professional schedules. Telecourses are also offered. Information: 410-777-2222. Applications are being accepted for McAuliffe Teacher Award Applications are being accepted for the Sharon Christa McAuliffe Memorial Teacher Education Award.