In America, it’s not unusual for educators and schools to become targets of scrutiny when society faces rapid changes. Today, the confluence of political divisions, cultural shifts, a brand-new war, and the lingering effects of the deep COVID era have put the world of education under a microscope as never before. As just one example, the recent abolishment of affirmative action by the Supreme Court will have ripple effects that our people and country will feel for years to come.
It is a time of great uncertainty, but we’ve lived in uncertain times before. During the March on Washington on August 28, 1963—which came together in the context of growing grassroots support and outrage over racial inequities—Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of the “fierce urgency of now” as he implored people to take action. “We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation,” he told a crowd of more than 250,000. “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.” It was a message of solidarity and hope during a time of turmoil. (A year later, the Civil Rights Act was finally passed.)
Dr. King’s words resonate as deeply today as they did 60 years ago. And they hold special meaning at the LMU School of Education. Our school was founded on a core belief that education should be a tool for fostering social justice and banishing systemic inequities. This belief has informed our actions ever since our first teacher education program was established in 1948.
Our 2023 Impact Report focuses on the many ways that the SOE both illuminates and exemplifies this core belief. Through our teaching, programs, research, and centers, our faculty and staff engage in data-driven, results-oriented work that furthers social justice efforts in schools and communities; supports student success in both academics and social-emotional learning; and advances the state of practice for teachers, school leaders, and mental health professionals everywhere.
All students deserve extraordinary educators who help them unlock their full potential. We are proud to cultivate such educators in the nation’s most populous state, where the need is so high. “Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning,” Dr. King said during the March on Washington. At the SOE, 2023 feels much the same. The fierce urgency of now is still upon us, and we are marching ahead—together.
Roosevelt O. Shelton, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
LMU School of Education
Roosevelt O. Shelton has more than 33 years of experience as a higher education executive, professor, and teacher-scholar at Kentucky State University and Jackson State University, including multiple appointments as a divisional chairperson, dean, assistant vice president for academic affairs, director of strategic initiatives, and founding associate vice president for enrollment management and student success. Read his full bio here.