ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Beth Greene Costner, dean of the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences at Winthrop University, was recently selected as an Impact Academy fellow through the national non-profit organization Deans for Impact (DFI).
This summer she joined a cohort of leaders chosen for their commitment to improving educator preparation. Educator preparation programs today face complex challenges as they recruit and prepare teachers who are equipped to engage all pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in rigorous, equitable and affirming leading experiences. More than ever, the field needs leaders who can strengthen and diversify the educator workforce.
Costner is one of 24 leaders in this latest cohort. “Being part of this eighth cohort is an honor,” she said. “I look forward to engaging in work around many of the challenges facing the field of education. This work will allow the college to consider how to meet the needs of our partnership through our work with students today.”
Fellows lead traditional and non-traditional educator-preparation programs reaching 25 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, these institutions annually serve nearly 15,000 future teachers, 45 percent of whom identify as people of color.
Fellows started in June with an in-person meeting and will hold monthly learning sessions for the next year, receive one-on-one coaching from seasoned leaders, and engage in peer consultancies to address field-facing challenges in real time. They will hone their ability to engage faculty, staff, communities and PK-12 partners in a shared vision for transformative change, grounded in deep scientific understanding of how students learn.
“For the eighth year in a row, we welcome a diverse group of outstanding leaders to Impact Academy who are steadfast in their commitment to ensuring all PK-12 students access well-prepared teachers,” said Valerie Sakimura, executive director of DFI. “As communities respond to shortages of skilled educators, there is no more crucial time to ensure that we’re building pathways into teaching that are accessible, practice-based and focused on equitable instruction.”
Learn more about this year’s Impact Academy cohort.
Winthrop named Costner its education dean in 2022. She has also served as chair of the Department of Mathematics, as associate dean in education, and assistant and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her teaching and research have been focused on the content knowledge development of elementary and middle grades teachers.
About Winthrop University
As a public, comprehensive institution located in the heart of the Carolinas, Winthrop provides an education that blends liberal arts, professional programs, global awareness and civic engagement with an emphasis on lifelong professional and personal development. The goal is for students to learn to be critical thinkers, informed citizens, and collaborative problem-solvers. Winthrop grants 47 undergraduate degrees and 22 graduate programs and certificates across four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
About Deans for Impact (DFI)
DFI is a national non-profit organization committed to ensuring that every child is taught by a well-prepared teacher. DFI supports educator-preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice; partners with policymakers to ensure pathways into teaching are accessible, practice-based, and focused on instruction; and equips leaders with the tools to address today’s most pressing challenges in educator preparation. Guided by principles of learning science, DFI aims to help aspiring and early-career teachers create rigorous and inclusive classrooms where all children thrive.
For more information, visit deansforimpact.org.
