What they're saying
Principals and administrators share their insights
In May 2013, the Office of Career Services at the College of William & Mary solicited feedback from a sample of K-12 principals and central office administrators who have hired and supervised novice teachers who had completed their professional preparation at William & Mary. Here is what they shared:
High School Department Chair, Fairfax County Public Schools
“[Our recent hire from the School of Education at the College of William & Mary] is one of the strongest first-year teachers I have ever seen. She had complete control of her classroom on day one, engaged students every moment of every day, had incredibly strong content knowledge, and made meaningful contributions to her curriculum teams all year. She shows an unparalleled passion for her students and our school community – rebuilding our debate team, attending more school events than the rest of our department combined, and creating a new school club so otherwise isolated students would have a home. William & Mary students have a genuine pride in education and learning, and W&M teachers instill that in their students as well....I know they will excel and remind their colleagues what this profession is all about!”
Assistant Principal, Hampton City Schools
“William & Mary teaching graduates are very well prepared for the classroom and the current population of students. I am impressed by their knowledge of current researched based teaching strategies. It is important to hear new teachers talking about using data to drive instruction and constructing assessments that are aligned with curriculum standards. William & Mary students have this knowledge and much more. Our students will be at an advantage having these graduates as their teachers.”
Elementary Principal, Newport News Public Schools
“[Our recent hire from the School of Education at the College of William & Mary] was well prepared by the William & Mary School of Education for her first year as a third grade teacher. She was bright and well-rounded by her academic course load and pedagogically sound for a first year teacher. She was able to quickly establish classroom routines and procedures and develop relationships with her students. This allowed her to quickly focus on academic growth in her students. She had a successful first year and is going to begin taking on additional leadership roles in the building as she moves into her second year.”
High School Principal, Newport News Public Schools
“This school year I had a William & Mary first year teacher whose students performed better on the new English SOL test than all other experienced teachers in our school. Thank you, William & Mary.”
Middle School Principal, York County School Division
“Graduates from the College of William & Mary’s School of Education come to our schools equipped with a solid foundation of pedagogy and content knowledge. W&M teacher candidates are prepared to engage students in 21st century learning and are trained to be reflective practitioners.”
Principal of a Governor’s School, Virginia
“Our faculty grads from William & Mary have a strong content background, [which], coupled with their preparation with curriculum and instructional preparation from the College of Education, has enabled them to become exceptional teachers....Our W&M teachers’ subject matter expertise has enabled them to become curriculum leaders who establish high levels of rigor in their classrooms.”
Central Office Administrator, Louisa County Public Schools
“The educators joining our team from the College of William & Mary have demonstrated an impressive set of skills and an extensive preparation from day one in our school division. To be able to hit the ground running and make an immediate, positive impact on the lives of students is what we have found to be characteristics of William & Mary graduates.”
